Media Demetrious Johnson: "Boxing Is MORE Exciting Than MMA/UFC Right Now"

[Poirierfan]

How is it ESPN fault ?

The ESPN contract guarantees the UFC gets paid 500k buys for each ppv no matter if the UFC sells less than 500k. There's no incentive for the UFC to put together good pay-per-views anymore, they get paid for 500k no matter what by ESPN.

 

[brody_in_ga]

I agree. UFC has had very lack luster cards as of late.

Boxing and kickboxing orgs have had way more fun matchups and feel like they have been moving quicker. UFC has like 5 champions who never fight cause....uh....they just can't ok?

Wtf?

UFC 299 and 300 were lackluster?

 

[spooNN]

Hmm... I can see where he is coming from. I still watch more MMA cards but I've payed more attention to boxing lately more than previous years. Most people I associate usually bring up when there's a "big boxing fight" coming up over MMA.

 

[TheBulge]

He resents the MMA fanbase because nobody cares about him as he's completely forgotten and unranked. So he lashes out by hyping up an out-dated, one dimenseional inferior sport trying to score points from them even though they hate him as a 'human cock fighter'.

The guy is lost.

 

[JudoJabs]

Hmm... I can see where he is coming from. I still watch more MMA cards but I've payed more attention to boxing lately more than previous years. Most people I associate usually bring up when there's a "big boxing fight" coming up over MMA.

This still stands with a Gervonta Tank Davis and David Benavisez double header tonight.

People are hyped for this card and there will be some insane viral moments.

 

[gosuasus]

America can't put on an entertaining show anymore.

Saudi Arabia bless.

 

[MWB1982]

BKFC is my current favorite sport to watch and has been for years. Boxing is second.. MMA, I only watch the big fights. UFC is too watered down. A lot of times, I'll skip entire cards because I don't know any of the fighters. My interest in MMA peaked with Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz. I've watched the sport since day 1. I miss the days of Rampage Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Fedor, Dan Henderson. Randy Couture..

UFC doesn't have the same spark it used to have in my opinion. I'm getting old too.

I know more about BKFC now than I know about UFC

 

[VirginNose]

Boxing is not more exciting than UFC.

But,

a Heavyweight title fight in boxing is more exciting than a Johnson flyweight midget title fight in the UFC.

So in that sense, he is correct.

 

[CatchnShoot]

Well, certainly tonight.

The UFC card is very low tier, and we have two boxing cards (Subriel Matias on one, and Gervontae Davis on the other) that shit on it.

 

[Pechan]

The Saudi money forced the UFC to put on a banger card, if Tom wins next month hopefully Turki will go knock on Jones door with a whole bag full of brand new, crisp, oil dollars.

 

[humperdoo]

Is DJ going to boxing? He already crossed fighting a kickboxer Rodtang in one fight and won. Boxing would be different for him.

 

[JudoJabs]

Well, certainly tonight.

The UFC card is very low tier, and we have two boxing cards (Subriel Matias on one, and Gervontae Davis on the other) that shit on it.

I don’t think there’s a platform where Gervonta Davis didn’t trend #1 in any category last night/today.

Just look at the stars that were out organically.

No question he has surpassed Canelo and is the biggest active star in all of combat sports.

 

[ThroughTheDakr]

The thing with Boxing is that they have stars cultivated over years and years of beating Cans/Mid-tiers that gain them an undefeatable aura. Thanks to Mayweather, we have the majority of top 10 rankers in weight classes carrying zeros. They are also responsible for raising their brand to get the big money fights unlike the UFC where Uncle Dana will make whatever his team chooses. Guys like Ryan and Tank are free to act like idiots online and say/do whatever they want without fear of losing anything.

What happens is that their top-tier fights are such a rarity that when they do fight everyone tunes in. Fans are intrigued to see a loud-mouthed undefeated idiot go against another obnoxious skilled moron that all this buzz is generated.

UFC has the much better mid/low tier fights while Boxing has the top-tier fights go at it. Fury/Usyk, Crawford/Spence, Ryan/Haney, Bivol/Beterbiev are the fights the UFC can't really reach now, especially with their lack of personalities/star cultivation

 

[HHJ]

"They should cancel the Poatan/Jiri fight. We saw it already" - Demetrious Johnson

 

[Istryker]

I didn't watch the UFC card last night but I watched the tank fight and the matias fight

 

[HHJ]

Well, certainly tonight.

The UFC card is very low tier, and we have two boxing cards (Subriel Matias on one, and Gervontae Davis on the other) that shit on it.

Well I dont think it was even the UFC's intention to compete with the Tank Davis card on any level.

 

[HHJ]

I didn't watch the UFC card last night but I watched the tank fight and the matias fight

Tank fight was awesome. UFC card was like 20% interesting 80% bad

 

[HHJ]

No question he has surpassed Canelo and is the biggest active star in all of combat sports.

I mean he has had a long layoff before this fight tho

 

[TeenageMutantLesnarTurtle]

At the moment, yeah it is. The UFC hasnt been all that hot for a few years now. The overall star power isnt great, the biggest stars never fight, too much throwaway cards and WMMA (although granted the last two have been an issue for a long time). Also the fact almost half of the cards are at the Apex still is fucking sickening. I think boxing probably has a little more star power these days and the majority of those stars are actually fighting on a semi regular basis. Plus Saudi money is getting big fights made more frequently than usual and often on some pretty deep cards by boxing standards. Dont forget MMA lost its friggin UFC HW champ and the biggest puncher in MMA history to boxing as well.

I do think MMA as a ruleset is much more exciting generally though. When its really on form its hard to beat. You dont get many nights in boxing that have the same feel as big UFC cards do or big Pride cards did. Out of all combat sports only 90s/00s K1 could ever really capture that same feel.

 

[JudoJabs]

I mean he has had a long layoff before this fight tho

Yup. Apparently Lomachenko is next in the fall, which is going to be a ridiculous fight and mega event. Probably a joint PPV between Prime and ESPN.

All combat sports fans should be in the moment, these are definitely some golden years for boxing with some all time great level talent spread across many divisions.