Let's be honest, boxing is superior to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Though the "Sweet Science" is deeply rooted in our country's history, MMA has gained tremendous popularity in recent years. It has more of the look of a fad, however, and the reasons for its rise are quite identifiable.
"Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather--arguably the pound-for-pound king and greatest boxer of his generation--said that MMA was created by "white fighters" who couldn't box and needed to "start something new." I think PBF took it a bit far by introducing the race card, but his core point is valid. MMA is for anyone who can't really fight. How did kids handle arguments after school? Or guys handling disputes in bar fights? With their fists. Not a kick to the shins, a chokehold, or a leg lock. Boxers are more skilled than MMA fighters, no question. If I wanted to watch two behemoth figures have it out, I'd go watch a couple bears claw each other to death in the woods. MMA fighters are "savages...savages...barely even human" (negative bonus points if you know what movie that quote is from). Just like baseball players are more skilled than football players, boxers are more skilled than MMA fighters. Need proof? Which one of these videos is more impressive, #1, or #2? The sport isn't always about brute strength and speed--technique wins 90% of fights. I shun the idea of athletes crossing over between the two since one is skill-based and the other is straight out of the Roman Colisseum.
So why has MMA taken off in recent years? Two reasons. First, it's a well known fact that boxing is only as successful as the Heavyweight division. I follow boxing and I couldn't even tell you a relevant Heavyweight outside of the Klitchko brothers (Who? Exactly). The division hasn't had a star since Lennox Lewis and an undisputed champion since Evander Holyfield. There's something about the phrase, "Heavyweight Champion of the World" that is incredibly bad-ass...or at least more so than the "Flyweight," "Welterweight," "Bantamweight," or even "Cruiserweight" champion. Probably because if you saw the Heavyweight champ in the airport, you'd think "I better stay out of this guy's way because he could kick my ass just by thinking about it." The Lightweight champ on the other hand--you probably think, "This guy is what? A buck-20? I could take him." Reality is, you couldn't, but the sport is best-served having its largest men as the most recognizable. The second reason for MMA's rise has to be a reflection of today's society. We deal with idiots all day and sometimes we just want to let out our frustration by watching one guy beat the tar out of another with a flying elbow to the neck. We're reverting back to our primitive nature because everything else has become difficult and complicated. We're tired of rules, tired of authority. Beer, sex, and fighting...what could be simpler than that? That's what we crave today because so much else around us sucks.
It's partly boxing's fault for MMA's rise by failing to produce and market noteworthy Heavyweights. Boxing, however, is still superior because of its skillful requirements, and also because the electricity of a Heavyweight title fight in Vegas cannot be matched by any sport. We'll grow out of the MMA fad soon enough and the "Sweet Science" will previal...KO in the 10th.
R.I.P. Arturo Gatti
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