I think when you see MMA fighters with mediocre boxing skills become champ in almost every weight my view becomes less romanticized than you're suggesting. JDS, Cruz, Garbrandt, Conor, Alvarez, Anderson etc all became champions with sub-par boxing, granted they rounded out their skill sets with other disciplines but their boxing was still very average. The pay scale differs drastically between the 2 sports too. The only reason MMA fighters choose MMA over boxing is because the skill disparity is so huge that they choose the easier path. A boxer came in and knocked out the equal longest reigning Heavyweight champion in UFC in 9 seconds, that's quicker than any MMA fighter had finished that fighter too by the way. Do you think that could happen if the tables were turned? Do you think an MMA fighter could knock out a former long reigning boxing champ inside a round? I highly doubt it. Brock became champion in 4 or 5 fights. Do you think that could ever happen in boxing? Again I doubt it. Why? Because boxing is a lot harder to become elite at than MMA is. MMA is still 100 times more exciting but in terms of pure skill, boxing is leagues above MMA.