Derrick Lewis: mma is easier than boxing

[helltoupee]

Wrestling will always be harder than boxing.

'Harder' in what way?

I have wrestled (in HS) and boxed (in HS and in my early 20's) and as far as learning actual technique, I would say boxing is infinitely harder.

For one, learning good boxing technique means you have to employ what you are doing while getting punched in the face, even in sparring. You can drill wrestling techniques without that fear. Big difference.

 

[leto1776]

I would say he's right, but for a different reason. It takes years to make it in boxing. Cain Velasquez became a world champ in less than 10 fights.

 

[Dirge]

There are a hell of a lot more boxers competing than there are guys in pro mma...

 

[Bloodworth]

No, you have to look out for hands.

Not kicks, kneees, takedows.

 

[aali14]

I seem to recall King Mo saying the same thing.... right before he got KO'd

 

[Rented Gucci Mink]

Boxing is more mental than physical if anything. People compare it to chess or solving a puzzle. And because it's "limited" every move you make carries more importance in the fight than in an MMA bout where you have many more options to deal with adversity in any position. You can get away with mistakes more often in MMA than in boxing. If your fight IQ isn't up to par you've already lost half the fight.

 

[Haj01]

racist

 

[DeathByBeer]

Boxing is a lone single aspect of the fight game they get to hone and polish for years in the sport. If someone simply either has a better natural boxing pedigree then you, or simply has far better trainers and training acumen, then you virtually may never be able to beat them.

In MMA, if you can't get the hang of striking....focus on other aspects of the game....submission, wrestling, grappling, clinch game, etc....

If you are terrible on the ground, focus on take down defense to avoid your weakness.

So many variable.

It may be harder due to the specialization of boxing to reach the top.... but that does not make it harder, just more narrow.

 

[Donny White]

I've trained/participated in both as well as pro wrestling for a little over ten years. MMA is the easiest but not by much. I can slack on my cardio in MMA to a point where I can't in the other two.

 

[Huligani]

That's not why it's easier, but yes it's easier. Hence why someone like Pat Cummins can go from a barista to ranked fighter in the UFC rather quickly.

 

[ocfightfan]

I disagree. It's just different.

 

[TedCzech]

Derrick Lewis on UFC Unfiltered podcast says he chose mma over boxing because mma is easier.

He believes the grappling aspect gives "resting" phases not allowed in boxing. So one does not need to train as hard as boxers do.

Do you believe he is on to something?

When faced wth aces like Maia, Jacare or Werdum, I doubt there's any resting going on.

 

[TedCzech]

That's not why it's easier, but yes it's easier. Hence why someone like Pat Cummins can go from a barista to ranked fighter in the UFC rather quickly.

The dude wrestled at collegiate powerhouse Penn State and was 4-0 when the UFC called him. As far as his ranking, whatever it was, that was probably the UFC justifying putting him up against top-ranked Cormier. They had the narrative of the two of them being long-time rivals, but still needed to make sense of the match-up ...

 

[ABSthetics]

I seem to recall King Mo saying the same thing.... right before he got KO'd

Think he was talking about pro wrestling being harder, which I agree with. Barnett and like a dozen other high level, veteran fighters have said the same.

 

[Bacco]

I wouldn't call one art harder than the other by openness of rule set. The level of technical mastery need for boxing takes years upon years to master. Same goes for MMA. I wouldn't say a jack of all trades is harder than being a specialist or vice versa.

But the THEORY is that nothing prevent you from being a Boxing/BJJ/Wrestling/MT wizard all at the same time in the same athlete

On this "theory" level MMA is much much harder

Reality is different

Is unlikely (read close to impossible ) reach absolute peak in every MMA area, so is unlikely get close to the "perfect" MMA style

Of course a "perfect" Boxing style is'nt easy feat either, but you get what i mean

True difficulty of boxing compared to MMA is more about the waaay higher competition level due fuckton of factors

That and the fact that boxing more limited rules/arsenal make harder to just counter-style your superior opponent with something completely different

In boxing if you're getting outboxed, you should still find a way to outbox your opponent.
Of course strategy and counter strategy is a thing, but options don't give you much escape from direct skill vs skill on the same field, and that field got a very high level competition

In MMA you can try to switch to grappling as "easy" solution (is'nt easy)

Basically you have less rock-scissor-paper effect in boxing

 

[jeremyemilio]

Grappling... as in bjj/submission wrestling... does give you a chance to rest while defending yourself. There's truth in this.

Grappling... as in wrestling... is a whole other story.

 

[WinZip]

Yea but if your worse in something you can make it up in another area not to mention not many MMA guys trained it as a sport there whole life. Boxing as a art and sport has been around for over 100 years most fighters train really young and go with big amateur programs before even going pro. Master a craft can be harder the being a jack of all trades and master of none which is MMA.

Maia isn't a master of BJJ? Overeem isn't a master of kickboxing? Yoel Romero, Olympic silver medalist, isn't a master of wrestling?

 

[samoajoe]

More ways to win/ get lucky in MMA.

Also Lewis is at HW and that is easily one of the worst classes in MMA history, the skillsets of HW are still stuck in last decade.

 

[Ceez]

Who gives a fuck which one is easier, it's not that easy for him cuz he ain't never gonna hold that title. For pure entertainment purposes MMA is by far ahead of boxing.

 

[MikeMcMann]

jeesus christ MMA fans stop being such sensitive pussies.

It is undisputable fact (not opinion) that MMA is easier. Just look how few fights and how little time so many top MMA fighters need to reach the top versus boxing.

If you want to play the game lets play. You start naming top boxers and how long and how many fights they needed to get the to the top and I will counter with top MMA guys and lets see who wins that battle.

Fact is if you are a decent tire changer at Costco (Brett Rogers) and you can join a good camp and you have any natural prepensity for fighting (such as heavy hands) and you adapt well to MMA you can be a top ranked fighter within 6-10 fights. There is no such path in boxing.

And that does not mean boxing is better MMA fans so get over yourself. It simply means the sport of boxing has become so specialized, so much 'science' and so unnatural that it takes far more time to master.