On Friday, Nov. 15, Jake Paul and Mike Tyson made history with their boxing match on Netflix. It was arguably one of the most popular sporting moments in a long time. A day later, on Saturday, Nov. 16, Jon Jones defended his UFC Heavyweight Championship belt, winning against TKO. This event was only a fraction as popular as Paul vs. Tyson. The number one thing I took away from that weekend was that UFC is far better than boxing in terms of entertainment, skill level and even safety.
UFC is a mixed-martial arts (MMA) fighting league where individuals face each other in a caged octagon until only one fighter stands or time runs out. It has been rising in popularity since its beginning in the 1990s. UFC fighting spiked in popularity in 2016, largely due to Conor McGregor’s rise to fame. Since then, he has become one of the most notorious figures in all of sports.
However, boxing has been trending in the opposite direction for quite some time. In boxing, you watch guys with big pillows on their hands dance around while throwing a single punch every 20 seconds, and practically hugging throughout. Every time a good punch lands and a fighter hits the floor, which isn’t as often as most people would assume, the referee gives them 10 seconds to redeem themselves and continue fighting. This isn’t just boring, but it can also lead to brain injury and repeated head trauma. Until Jake Paul started putting together silly WWE-like promotions, boxing has hardly been talked about outside of Tyson Fury, who I believe has been washed up for years now.
In UFC, on the other hand, fighters compete until one of them is completely knocked out. This leads to more attention-grabbing and electrifying finishes. Throughout the fights, the two fighters land wild combinations on their opponents to knock them out. The Jon Jones victory, for example, ended with a spinning heel kick to the other fighter’s ribs. He went to his knee and Jones socked him a few times in the dome until the referee called the match. In the UFC, it is also less common for fighters to have shy fights, with most fights being action-packed and fast-paced.
What also helps make the fights more entertaining is the variety of backgrounds each fighter comes from. Fighters collide with their different styles in the octagon, where it’s all about adaptability and versatility. Every match is unique and special due to the variety of styles at play. Jones came from a wrestling background, but has become an impressive striker as well. Brock Lesner and Ben Askren also come from very impressive wrestling backgrounds but lack in their stand-up game, so they often attempt to take opponents to the floor. In my opinion, Anderson Silva is influenced by Muay Thai, and Conor McGregor comes from a boxing background.
On the other hand, boxing is just two men standing up straight and punching. While some boxers may be quicker and others more powerful, it’s all the same style of fighting. It leads to boring, repetitive matches.
I also think it takes far more skill to compete in UFC than it does boxing. In UFC, because of the many different techniques, there are many things to learn and practice. There are also far fewer rules restricting your abilities. Boxing isn’t a real fight. In the UFC though, almost anything is allowed. People get kneed in the face, do backflips onto other fighters, put people in arm bars and even use the cage’s wall to get on top of their opponent. UFC fighters are simply a whole different breed, and arguably higher on the food chain than boxers.
