Choose a career path: boxing or mma

[Bay Area]

so let's assume you have no experience in either...an you have to start from scratch...have to move up from the ammys. It is your 1st goal to have a full time fighting career in one or the other...and your ultimate goal is to become a wealthy fighter. Which path would get you there the fastest? Which would you choose? Assume you are still young.


Discuss

 

[Jimmy Jazz]

probably mma cause the talent pool is shallower.

 

[Uptown Swinger]

...and your ultimate goal is to become a wealthy fighter.

Boxing
MMAs biggest draw turned to boxing for his biggest red panty night.

 

[Headkicktoleg]

To be honest I wouldn't do either. I would get into jiu jitsu and try to be a world champion. It actually has an even smaller competitive pool than MMA and you can make pretty good money as a champ. You can then open a successful gym, even if you aren't a world champ, which will still generate money long after your boxing and mma friends are drooling on themselves.

 

[Bay Area]

Boxing
MMAs biggest draw turned to boxing for his biggest red panty night.

Yeah but isn't the path to greatness significantly longer in boxing? Further how many rich boxers are there in comparison to broke ones?

 

[Uptown Swinger]

Yeah but isn't the path to greatness significantly longer in boxing? Further how many rich boxers are there in comparison to broke ones?

There are also a lot more belts and more weight classes in boxing not counting local rinky dink mma promotions.
Boxers who don't hold a belt have been know to make 7 figures per fight.
The top 100 paid boxers > the top 100 paid mma fighters.
If the ultimate goal is to be wealthy fighter - boxing is the answer.

 

[Revolver]

Probably neither since there are other ways to make a ton of money without having to suffer brain damage.

 

[SaiWa]

There are also a lot more belts and more weight classes in boxing not counting local rinky dink mma promotions.
Boxers who don't hold a belt have been know to make 7 figures per fight.
The top 100 paid boxers > the top 100 paid mma fighters.
If the ultimate goal is to be wealthy fighter - boxing is the answer.

agreed but unless talent is oooozing out of your pores you will never be wealthy doing either. be the fuckin' promoter and or coach and find that talent and ride that shit to the top!

 

[ithinktheymad]

agreed but unless talent is oooozing out of your pores you will never be wealthy doing either. be the fuckin' promoter and or coach and find that talent and ride that shit to the top!

Pretty much. If you start after about age 12 you're probably going to end up a bum anyway.

 

[Orgasmo]

Neither

Unless you're extremely good at either, you're going to be making peanuts fighting in minor promotions. Towards the end if your athlete life, you're going to be plagued by injuries and brain damage with no pension or employment insurance to help pay the medical bills. You're better off working a 9 to 5 office job.

I trained grappling and kickboxing when I was younger due to hobby. Never did I think once about doing it as a job.

 

[MC Paul Barman]

MMA.... only because I think I have the required athletic acumen to make a solid go at it.

Kind of like how I think I could make the Washington Generals basketball team.

 

[Uptown Swinger]

agreed but unless talent is oooozing out of your pores you will never be wealthy doing either. be the fuckin' promoter and or coach and find that talent and ride that shit to the top!

You are correct but I was answering the Question in the OP.

 

[SaiWa]

You are correct but I was answering the Question in the OP.

yessir which is also why my first word in my response was "agreed".

 

[Mr Mojo Lane]

If you're going to be big in boxing, you need to have natural talent and good boxing coaches around when you are young. Most people just get in boxing and MA to learn how to fight and, if they are good, they keep pushing it.

 

[DLX]

MMA

The competition is far stiffer in boxing and it relies more heavily on fast twitch athleticism. Whereas in MMA, someone like Ben Askren or Darren Elkins can succeed if you have certain skills, heart, and work ethic.

 

[Bay Area]

There are also a lot more belts and more weight classes in boxing not counting local rinky dink mma promotions.
Boxers who don't hold a belt have been know to make 7 figures per fight.
The top 100 paid boxers > the top 100 paid mma fighters.
If the ultimate goal is to be wealthy fighter - boxing is the answer.

Ok but its has to be hard to be a stand out in boxing. I mean you pretty much have to be extreme in your image in order for anyone to take notice. how many active boxers can the average person name... 5 at best? Skill alone isn't going to get people to watch you. I don't know man... seems like a lot of unnecessary brain damage for peanuts. At least in MMA, you can shoot for an orginization like Bellator or the UFC. You probably have to do a lot of backyard barnyard matches before you get noticed though.

 

[Ares Black]

Getting into combat sports for the money is completely retarded.

 

[Fedorgasm]

I'd go the MMA route for the following reasons:

1. Less head trauma, since there are a lot of ways to lose that don't involve being struck in the head.
2. Less corruption
3. Shorter path to the top
4. Less established... Meaning that boxing has been around for so long that it's very unlikely that you're going to invent a new technique or strategy. But MMA is still relatively new, so it allows for innovation. It's still possible for someone to come out with a great new strategy that's never been seen before.
5. Yes, the money is not as good, but once I make 10 million or so I think I'd have everything I ever wanted. Anything over that is just excessive.
6. If a boxer fought an MMA dude on the street, I like the MMA dude's chances better.
7. I've always loved martial arts, karate, muay thai, BJJ... I'd just rather live in the martial arts world than in the boxing world.

 

[Bay Area]

Getting into combat sports for the money is completely retarded.

You don't advocate doing what you love as a career?

 

[LEGS MAHONEY]

Boxing has a deeper talent pool and would thus be harder to become wealthier at so mma would be the logical choice.