Is it harder to be successful in boxing than in mma?

[DynamiteHands]

Didn't know where i should post this so I just picked the mma one. So what do you guys think? I love boxing but I like mma as well. I'm only currently a boxer though but I just started last year , I'm 22. Without a doubt in my mind I know if I work hard enough I could make it to the pros and be an average level boxer. But I don't want to be just average I want to be an elite fighter however I am unsure if I can be a top level fighter in boxing due to me starting to late. But I do feel like i could achieve great success in mma though. Just looking for some educated opinions

 

[grimballer]

Yup in boxing you’re most likely gonna get picked apart by average boxers

In mma you’ll probably be considered elite striker

 

[Kingz]

I’d say so. Being merely a tough guy can take you pretty far in MMA. There’s been exceptions in boxing but it’s hard to get over if you can’t compete with the top boxers in some way. MMA fans can support a low tier or middle of the road guy they know can’t compete for a title and help him make a nice career for himself.

 

[tehMoose]

Yeah

 

[Fluffernutter]

Boxing: 12-1 record = BUM! Overrated trash that was protected until he lost to Joe Johnson. Man, I knew that his lack of head movement, double feints, and holding his jab out there too long was going to get him MURDRERED against Johnson.

MMA: 12-1 record = Prospect that had a good test in his last fight against Joe Johnson. His improving head movement, double feints, and his long jab has shown that he is no longer "just a wrestler" and has been improving. His loss to Johnson is just a setback, and a test he needed. I see him being signed by the UFC soon. In a year or two (given the right camp), he may beat Woodley.

 

[agibmxmma]

Boxing: 12-1 record = BUM! Overrated trash that was protected until he lost to Joe Johnson. Man, I knew that his lack of head movement, double feints, and holding his jab out there too long was going to get him MURDRERED against Johnson.

MMA: 12-1 record = Prospect that had a good test in his last fight against Joe Johnson. His improving head movement, double feints, and his long jab has shown that he is no longer "just a wrestler" and has been improving. His loss to Johnson is just a setback, and a test he needed. I see him being signed by the UFC soon. In a year or two (given the right camp), he may beat Woodley.

Exactly this +1

 

[NHB7]

Yes.

But the elite in both are total bad asses, no need for debate.

 

[Baba Ghanoush]

The depth of talent in boxing is astronomical compared to MMA.

 

[ArtemV]

Boxing is full of specialists, they all work on techniques and minuscule changes that most mma fighters can't recognize. Also, if you become successful, please don't pretend that you can box with the best, lol.

 

[Mondo Freaks]

not really

sor rungvisai moved to boxing from Muy thai, and he is doing great.
Holm had a good boxing record and moved to MMA where she had a less successful career.
Even the late Kimbo Slice started winning when he moved to boxing.

 

[Yodsanan]

not really

sor rungvisai moved to boxing from Muy thai, and he is doing great.
Holm had a good boxing record and moved to MMA where she had a less successful career.
Even the late Kimbo Slice started winning when he moved to boxing.

anecdotal evidence is bad evidence.

For every Sor Rungvisai there are thousand of other thais that get scouted and try there hands in boxing.

Holm. Well, womens sport.

Kimbo beat bums.

 

[Mondo Freaks]

anecdotal evidence is bad evidence.

For every Sor Rungvisai there are thousand of other thais that get scouted and try there hands in boxing.

Holm. Well, womens sport.

Kimbo beat bums.

You used anecdotal wrong. Its not anecdotal. Its on live TV and really happened.

 

[aries]

Boxing: 12-1 record = BUM! Overrated trash that was protected until he lost to Joe Johnson. Man, I knew that his lack of head movement, double feints, and holding his jab out there too long was going to get him MURDRERED against Johnson.

MMA: 12-1 record = Prospect that had a good test in his last fight against Joe Johnson. His improving head movement, double feints, and his long jab has shown that he is no longer "just a wrestler" and has been improving. His loss to Johnson is just a setback, and a test he needed. I see him being signed by the UFC soon. In a year or two (given the right camp), he may beat Woodley.

This is true but it also reflects the fact that fighters in MMA aren't held back so much from fighting other top fighters or prospects earlier in their career. The same happens in boxing from time to time with guys like Lomachenko. Rated by some to be P4P best in boxing but he already has a loss on his record because he fought a high level fighter early in his career.

 

[LNwolf87]

Boxing: 12-1 record = BUM! Overrated trash that was protected until he lost to Joe Johnson. Man, I knew that his lack of head movement, double feints, and holding his jab out there too long was going to get him MURDRERED against Johnson.

MMA: 12-1 record = Prospect that had a good test in his last fight against Joe Johnson. His improving head movement, double feints, and his long jab has shown that he is no longer "just a wrestler" and has been improving. His loss to Johnson is just a setback, and a test he needed. I see him being signed by the UFC soon. In a year or two (given the right camp), he may beat Woodley.

I always wondered about this in boxing, why is it that way? aren't they trying to slowly build up a prospect in boxing to eventually challenge for the title? why is he then considered trash after 1 loss?

 

[LNwolf87]

It's harder to be successful in boxing because its been an established sport for over a century, its world wide, and the talent pool is immensely deep compared to any other combat sport. Boxing already has an established system where you start in the amateurs and make your way up to the pro's. Its a sport full of specialists, and you have to be the best to rise to the top.

 

[Badr Hari]

I agree with the above poster, boxing has been very well established for over a century and its truly worldwide. I love both boxing and MMA but top MMA rankings with 70% American fighters tell me one thing: the sport is strong in US but not so much in other parts of the world. And it's not only with boxing, I suppose its really hard to succed in other well organized traditional martial arts like wrestling, judo or karate aswell.

 

[Kassitus]

Id say its a bit harder in boxing but not astronomical. MMA has the advantage of less brain trauma, boxing has the advantage of less exploding ACLs. Pick your poison.

 

[AJBG]

MMA is a multidimensinal combat sport consisting of many others. Boxing is just one of those dimensions (grappling, submissions, kicking, etc., represinting other dimensions). Alternatively, we can say that boxing is a subset of MMA, and as a boxer you can have certain success in MMA. However, MMA is not reducible to boxing, neither will solely the boxing skills of a martial artist determine his/her rate of sucess in actual combat.

But if someone with average boxing, or wrestling, or judo, or BJJ, or..., then, why should he/she plan on a career with limited (skills) possibility of success in such specific sports? You’re better off integrating all those limited resources into your own style and be a much better, more balanced, more complete combat athlete (capable of fighting most “specialists”).

 

[mozfonky]

Didn't know where i should post this so I just picked the mma one. So what do you guys think? I love boxing but I like mma as well. I'm only currently a boxer though but I just started last year , I'm 22. Without a doubt in my mind I know if I work hard enough I could make it to the pros and be an average level boxer. But I don't want to be just average I want to be an elite fighter however I am unsure if I can be a top level fighter in boxing due to me starting to late. But I do feel like i could achieve great success in mma though. Just looking for some educated opinions

you again? of course it is, for the same reason it would be harder to make it in any of the major pro sports, more people, more comp, more skill, more history, more everything, including money.

 

[Sakuraba7]

Boxing is a specialized sport, and an infinite talent pool. Far larger than MMA, and where all boxers are theoretically competing with each other for the same attention and ranking spots. That's not the case in MMA, where fighters are broken up between organizations. Only a hand full of people are even competing for the same belts.

It takes a LOT OF WORK & SKILL to become elite in boxing, far higher than MMA because of the competition and many of these fighters spent their whole lives in boxing. Some amassing hundreds in amateur bouts. There is a healthy Amateur scene in MMA in Russia, but outside of there its almost non-existent. Many MMA fighters are from legit non-MMA amateur backgrounds but that's still small even with MMA with so many fighters having no amateur credentials because MMA is just an easy sport to get into with just training alone.