UFC "best boxer" hilarity

Mayonnaiseandjelly

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I love how whenever a fighter has a decent show with their hands the collective MMA fan base is immediate to include them as elite boxers. This was true for Yan (who has looked sloppy as hell routinely), kattar (because, frankly, I have no idea why), Diaz brothers (apparently being punching bags and having reach advantages on opponents = elite boxing, despite clear and obvious shit technique, power, defense, etc).

The fan base has an obsession with boxing, and always wants to laude the latest hand strike performance as a boxing master class despite the performances usually being shit boxing
 
Without question, the best boxer to ever compete in the octagon was James "Lights Out" Toney. It didn't go so well...
Any subjective ranking of "elite boxers in the UFC" has to factor in take-down defense or it has absolutely no meaning in the context of MMA.
 
No one has ever claimed an MMA fighter who is focused on MMA is an elite boxer. Same way no one ever claims an elite boxer is elite at MMA. Yes someone like Ray Mercer can KO someone like Tim Sylvia. At HW anyone can get KO'd. But Mercer sure as hell won't get any head kick KO's or triangle choke submissions.

Michael Jordan is the GOAT of the NBA but he is never going to worry Wayne Gretzky on an ice rink. Doesn't make MJ any less of a basket ball legend.
 
shit thread, this is like saying GSP’s MMA wrestling wasn’t good wrestling because if he got denied once or someone got up. MMA Boxing is about its effect on winning. Yeah Diaz bros take damage but their boxing set up their BJJ, in Nicks case it made him a world champion and in Nate’s he got an underdog win on McGregor who was easily the most feared striker at the time who immediately turned into a panic wrestler after being stunned. Nate’s boxing has rocked Leon Edwards the current WW champ and lead to a victory over Tony. Y’all have this obsession with perfection in MMA and it’s cringey af. UFC has brainwashed a lot of you to be this way because they have a revolving door of fighters and if you’re not undefeated you basically get pushed back to the end of the line.
 
I remember people thought Max Holloway had “elite boxing skills”


<WhatItIs>


Average MMA fans know nothing about boxing… they’re usually just obsessed with HL reel offense, meaningless movement/output, and completely disregard defense.
 
I love how whenever a fighter has a decent show with their hands the collective MMA fan base is immediate to include them as elite boxers. This was true for Yan (who has looked sloppy as hell routinely), kattar (because, frankly, I have no idea why), Diaz brothers (apparently being punching bags and having reach advantages on opponents = elite boxing, despite clear and obvious shit technique, power, defense, etc).

The fan base has an obsession with boxing, and always wants to laude the latest hand strike performance as a boxing master class despite the performances usually being shit boxing
All the guys you listed have either competed in boxing, or have trained with professional boxers who have come out and said that these guys have legit boxing skills.
 
I have noticed a lot of claims of "the best boxer in the UFC" the past few years... probably because it can't exactly be argued objectively lol MMA boxing and pure boxing are 2 very different things... hell, just watch bare knuckle boxing -- plays out a lot differently than boxing matches.
 
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