Why is it always mma guys going to boxing, never boxing guys going to mma?

[ClosetVitorFan]

Especially guys in their prime? Like Ngannou went to boxing and fought their top guys. Conor went to boxing while in his prime and fought their top guy. The only time it happened in the ufc, James toney way past his prime fights randy couture. Why doesn't Dana make an offer to someone like Canelo to fight his top guys in MMA? Just to make a statement? Pay him his going rate.

 

[Necrocrawler]

2 reasons:
Money
Wrestling

 

[BROWNPRIDE]

UFC can’t afford canelo

 

[Zyklon R]

I would like to see Poatan in boxing he already spars with them

 

[Ara tech]

Money is the main reason.

Also it takes five to six years to build an enough ground game (Wrestling and grappling) deep enough to be comfortable and survive.

Why abandon your boxing careers if you are already making millions out of it, to train grappling and kickboxing muay thai for a few years, all of that to fight cans for 10K dollars or less. Not appealing.

That's how things are and things work.

 

[jx820]

MMA guys have trained "boxing" (and some believe their own hype).

Boxers have not trained MMA and know they will not stop a TD.

Also it has blown up in Dana's face making big offers to guys outside the org. When he offered Fedor a truck load of money (allegedly 10 mil or something) and the number leaked half the roster was pissed.

It's OK to lose a fight in MMA. The MMA audience expects that basically everyone will take a loss here or there. In boxing if you've lost once you're garbage. They wildly over value being undefeated against tomato cans.

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

UFC can’t afford canelo

Correct. Someone like Canelo or Crawford needs a whole lot more to take the risk in MMA,the money just isn't there.

Going the other way is not as big a stretch, particularly for an MMA guy at the end of his career who already has a name from the UFC. I mean all MMA guys train boxing to an extent, not many boxers would have grappled to any sort of level.

Would love to see the day when guys would cross over from boxing in their prime, imagine Golovkin or Wilder in 4oz gloves?

 

[Werdun]

I vividly remeber Couture fighting some boxer.

I never want to see that again.

 

[Legendary]

MMA fighters can make good money for cross over fights so they give a shot. High level boxers dont have the grappling and kicks to be competitive.

 

[L0ki]

MMA guys can box.

Boxers can't MMA.

There have been some crossovers but boxing doesn't help you check leg kicks or defend TDs.

 

[duke_droese]

They should do it with hybrid rules.

E.g. no calf + head kicks and only 10 seconds on the ground.

 

[Streeter]

Cause even Canelo would be wrecked by any top 15 ww ..

 

[BoxingFan653]

They all saw what happened to James Toney

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

 

[FEDORGOATPRIDE15-0]

Ty

UFC can’t afford canelo

Couldn't afford a lot of people lol

 

[MichiganMMA1978]

I thought we were talking top guys...

 

[Clark Rogers]

Boxers saw James Toney get merked by the world's most broadcast single leg takedown, and that he took that whipping for a tenth of his boxing purses, and decided they didn't need any of that.

Srs though I agree with what someone else said. MMA guys train boxing and some are good MMA boxers, that goes to their heads, they think they're competitors. Boxers aren't training MMA and thinking "I've got the best leg kick in my gym, I'll be UFC champ."

 

[JKS]

Boxers have zero interest in proving themselves in MMA or taking the time to learn to grapple. What is the point?? Why would a pro boxer move to mma, have to learn a whole new sport with grappling, for the same or less pay. And the UFC for example as the top promotion wouldn't want to pay their top guys for a fight. MMA fans would have no interest in seeing Bivol, Davis, or those level gusy in MMA. There are handful or names in boxing that MMA fans know well that would create interest, Canalo, Pacquiao, Fury.

MMA guys already box so that incentive is already there. Conor and Francis were top MMA strikers, so them going to boxing makes more sense.

 

[dc007]

Because boxers know one low kick and they’re crippled

 

[Alpha_T83]

Because even just striking in MMA is too difficult for most boxers to adapt. Against a good kickboxer they'll get calf-kicked to death.

Not to mention boxing defense relies on the larger gloves. Punches go straight through your typical boxing guard with MMA gloves.