How is it that UFC fighters have won world kickboxing championships?

[superpunch]

Overeem won the entire thing.

Guys like Rampage have gone in and have winning records.

World champ level kickboxers routinely get out-kickboxed in the Octagon. Overeem is. Hunt is. Cro Cop was. And it's not just due to the threat of takedowns. They get outstruck by guys like Travis Browne and other guys who never go for takedowns.

It's inconceivable that a UFC fighter could jump into boxing and just beat world champs and win world titles. But it has happened in kickboxing.

What's going on here?

 

[Huligani]

Kickboxing is a low paying sport thus the talent pool is extremely weak. Obviously not the case with boxing. The constant sloppyness/lack of punching fundamentals in kickboxing is why I don't enjoy it.

 

[Threetrees]

My guesses
More MMA fighters, especially in the 2000s, had competent kickboxing coaching than boxing coaching

Uprightness aside, the MMA stance isn't too dissimilar from the kickboxing stance.
A lot of the MMA guys who did well in kickboxing fights were good athletes, and often better than their opponents when it came to speed power etc.

And lastly - kickboxing isn't as dense talent wise as boxing is. There's no money in it (more now, but not before) so some of the higher level guys are ass

And you can reverse those for kickboxing over to MMA

 

[yookfarb]

kickboxing is a fringe sport and striking is a lot different with 4oz gloves and in an octagon

plus Reem, Cro Cop, and Hunt are kickboxers who went into MMA for the money not the other way around

 

[DanMMAleague]

Kickboxing is a low paying sport thus the talent pool is extremely weak. Obviously not the case with boxing. The constant sloppyness/lack of punching fundamentals in kickboxing is why I don't enjoy it.

This, plus with amateur boxing being an Olympic sport, there are lots of government funded youth programmes to develop talent.

 

[DanMMAleague]

To be fair most MMA fighters striking and low kick defence would look like a joke in Thailand.

A guy like Urijah Faber fighting for a world title even though he can't check one low kick.

 

[Headkicktoleg]

Remember when Joe Schilling got KO'ed by that can in MMA, then again in kickboxing lol

 

[ArtemV]

The constant sloppyness/lack of punching fundamentals in kickboxing is why I don't enjoy it.

Yet, you seem to enjoy watching MMA...

 

[Huligani]

Yet, you seem to enjoy watching MMA...

Striking is much better in MMA than in kickboxing for the reasons stated in my post, and MMA isn't all striking.

 

[Private Whatley]

kickboxing is a fringe sport and striking is a lot different with 4oz gloves and in an octagon

plus Reem, Cro Cop, and Hunt are kickboxers who went into MMA for the money not the other way around

Reem was an MMA fighter first. That’s why his K1 title is more ballyhooed than Hunt’s even though Hunt’s competition was a lot stiffer.

 

[CrimsonFan]

Striking is much better in MMA than in kickboxing

Ehhh....

 

[Erratic]

Kickboxing is a low paying sport thus the talent pool is extremely weak. Obviously not the case with boxing. The constant sloppyness/lack of punching fundamentals in kickboxing is why I don't enjoy it.

"Sloppyness"

Here is the 40/0 boxing world champio, sloppy doesn't begin to describe. I already knew he was sloppy so it took about 5 seconds in google to find this

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

Kickboxing is a low paying sport thus the talent pool is extremely weak. Obviously not the case with boxing. The constant sloppyness/lack of punching fundamentals in kickboxing is why I don't enjoy it.

/Thread. It's like comparing rugby to football

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

"Sloppyness"

Here is the 40/0 boxing world champio, sloppy doesn't begin to describe. I already knew he was sloppy so it took about 5 seconds in google to find this

He tries to literally kill people when they are hurt outside of that he has good technique

 

[Erratic]

Remember when Joe Schilling got KO'ed by that can in MMA, then again in kickboxing lol

WOW nice share! I remember that epic superman punch he got a nice run up on him good timing on shot, but i never saw him go in and get a sick KO on shilling in kickboxing again haha! He knocked Schilling out cold both times, that dude looks like hes got big power. Flatlined

 

[Bubba32]

kickboxing is like half a step up from tough man competitions.

 

[Erratic]

He tries to literally kill people when they are hurt outside of that he has good technique

Nonsense. Hes a good boxer but don't pretend hes not mad sloppy. I've seen him do allsorts like this, how do you think i knew to find a gif of him throwing sloppy punches in 5 secs in google?

What type of 'elite level' world champion can get away with windmilling at any level? Even against hurt opponents? 1 uppertcut from a hurt opponent while hes windmilling like that and he could go out. You remember Cheick kongo vs pat berry?

 

[Ice Cold]

There are so many fringe organisations within thai & kick boxing that being "world champion" doesn't mean much. The best in the world aren't heavyweights or "world champs", they are Lumpinee and Rajadamnern champions.

 

[ryanrandy]

He tries to literally kill people when they are hurt outside of that he has good technique

People love to tag on Wilder for a few windmills, I say fuck it let him do it. Dude is a killer and he's taken quite a few guys out while windmilling about. I think his arms are so long that he can't help but do it when he's flurrying.

 

[ryanrandy]

Nonsense. Hes a good boxer but don't pretend hes not mad sloppy. I've seen him do allsorts like this, how do you think i knew to find a gif of him throwing sloppy punches in 5 secs in google?

What type of 'elite level' world champion can get away with windmilling at any level? Even against hurt opponents? 1 uppertcut from a hurt opponent while hes windmilling like that and he could go out. You remember Cheick kongo vs pat berry?

Did you not see him beat Ortiz? The dude that nobody wanted to fight