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[Gaz Calzaghe]

The UFC is selling out everywhere it goes, it is not sliding away anytime soon.

Am 23 tweet, all my mates talk and train MMA more than they do boxing.

' Your mates '

The ones I know who go to mma around here are generally the ones who failed the boxing.

[Gaz Calzaghe]

You like both Aaron, so maybe more of your mates are MMA inclined, so its hardly a surprise to hear that anyway !

[Aaron]

You like both Aaron, so maybe more of your mates are MMA inclined, so its hardly a surprise to hear that anyway !

That makes no sense?

[Gaz Calzaghe]

That makes no sense?

You like the both sports, so you're talking to 2 sets of fans, mma and boxing. Obviously some groups of your mate are going to like MMA more than Boxing and vice versa.

[Gaz Calzaghe]

My mate boxed Cleverly in the welsh champs few years ago got stopped with a jab in the first round ! Go's to mma, hit the steroids is semi-pro whatever bullsh*t that means, and is doing quite well. Sells a few tickets and is a good night out for people.

That's the different right there imo, MMA is a night-out, Boxing is a sport. This is how I look at it, its a legalised street-fight.

[Tito]

I think the likes of my generation though will lean towards MMA pal, it is continuing to grow while boxing treads water.

shit like B******** does not help, you would not know mayweather was on in a few weeks unless u kept tabs on the sport a little.

Look at how popular Boxing in Germany is. The Klitschko's sell out Football stadiums of 50,000 plus and Abraham and Sturm can also sell out big arenas. Why the hate towards Box nation they are trying there best as broadcasters and fights not going through hurts them more than it does me. I think they have secured some good shows and have set out a clear path to showcase up and coming big names not just in the UK but also elsewhere. Sky do nothing but show domestic miss matches and Pubfighter they don't give value for money at all when it comes to Boxing.
Boxing will always be in a position to survive because the Mexicans, Cubans and Europeans have made it easier to develop talent coming through through the Pan American Games, World Championships and Olympics. The Quality may be lacking compared to fighters of yesteryear but there is always talent and real talent shines.
MMA doesn't have the prestigious acceptance of a casual sports fan. How many times does SSN feature MMA for instance ?. The bubble and popularity of the UFC will burst in time purely because fighters know how much money is in the pot and will be pissed off that they are getting cheated out of a proper purse. Dana White and the financial investors off the UFC make real money but fighters walk away with $250k and a possible bonus which isn't much more than a European title fight purse in boxing.

[Aaron]

Tito I just don't see that bubble bursting anything like soon, the top MMA guys are making serious money now.  Ofcourse white etc make most of the money but bob arum probably makes more than Manny from a Manny fight, that is just the way it is for most guys.

My dislike for boxnation is that they spend peanuts on advertising, Floyd cotto should be an event that drags in even the.semi interested but it looks like it will pass by with hardly anyone here watching it.

The UFC are reaching out to the major broadcasters, not leaving them.

[deck]

Look at how popular Boxing in Germany is. The Klitschko's sell out Football stadiums of 50,000 plus and Abraham and Sturm can also sell out big arenas. Why the hate towards Box nation they are trying there best as broadcasters and fights not going through hurts them more than it does me. I think they have secured some good shows and have set out a clear path to showcase up and coming big names not just in the UK but also elsewhere. Sky do nothing but show domestic miss matches and Pubfighter they don't give value for money at all when it comes to Boxing.
Boxing will always be in a position to survive because the Mexicans, Cubans and Europeans have made it easier to develop talent coming through through the Pan American Games, World Championships and Olympics. The Quality may be lacking compared to fighters of yesteryear but there is always talent and real talent shines.
MMA doesn't have the prestigious acceptance of a casual sports fan. How many times does SSN feature MMA for instance ?. The bubble and popularity of the UFC will burst in time purely because fighters know how much money is in the pot and will be pissed off that they are getting cheated out of a proper purse. Dana White and the financial investors off the UFC make real money but fighters walk away with $250k and a possible bonus which isn't much more than a European title fight purse in boxing.

You are right about the route mma will take. As it becomes more popular it will attract bigger investers and more competition. Fighters will leave for more money and it'll get into the same situation as boxing. MMA, professionally speaking is an infant compared to boxing. Give it a few years of sustained popularity and see if it doesn't evolve into something a bit more greedy.

[G-man]

The debate on Ringside was seemed a bit random didn't it, especially if they weren't going to have an MMA input. McGuigan and Steve Lillis don't like MMA and that came across in the show a bit.

The one thing they did say which is bang on is the fact that MMA (through UFC) is largely controlled by one person/organisation (White/UFC) which makes it easier to make the big fights and cojole fighters into facing each other.

I've never really understood boxing fans venom towards UFC when boxing is still largely respected the other way. MMA embraces boxing as one of it's facets whilst boxing seems reluctant to acknowledge there is any skill involved in MMA which is ridiculous.

[Aaron]

The debate on Ringside was seemed a bit random didn't it, especially if they weren't going to have an MMA input. McGuigan and Steve Lillis don't like MMA and that came across in the show a bit.

The one thing they did say which is bang on is the fact that MMA (through UFC) is largely controlled by one person/organisation (White/UFC) which makes it easier to make the big fights and cojole fighters into facing each other.

I've never really understood boxing fans venom towards UFC when boxing is still largely respected the other way. MMA embraces boxing as one of it's facets whilst boxing seems reluctant to acknowledge there is any skill involved in MMA which is ridiculous.

Maybe it is boxing fans feeling it is something to fear while MMA fans do not fear boxing?

I don't see how MMA ends up like boxing tbh, UFC own almost all the other brands worth owning so not for a long time atleast. UFC is where the hardest and best fights and money, that won't change anytime soon.

UFC seems to be run like WWE in that one brand kind of owns all the others so a chance of a rival company starting up is just not realistic. All the best fighters are on heavy contracts, their is no room for competition yet and the bigger UFC becomes the smaller chance rivals have as the money is just too good


I watched primetime Jones vs Evans the other night, despite being a former champ Evans has never appeared to be a UFC poster boy or one they sold shows on. His house is feckin huge and way beyond what I thought he could have afforded, these guys are on top coin.

[lurkyshaka]

I think at the end of the day MMA will never be as big as boxing or have the global appeal because to be frank, its an ugly spectacle. Where boxing on the other hand has a grace about it.

There is certainly skill in MMA, most definitely. But for all that, it does still resemble kicking out time on a friday night up town. It lacks the grace and beauty of boxing and always will.

I do respect the combatants of MMA because they show remarkable self control in there. I know if some f*cker was twisting my arm out of socket i'd start biting like a rabid dog 

[brocktonbomber]

Boxing and MMA are different sports, but some people will want to compare the two since they are both combat sports. People can be a fan of both, one or the other, or neither. Why some make a big deal about a sport they don't like has always puzzled me. I much prefer boxing, but since a lot of people I know prefer MMA, and UFC specifically, I'll sometimes watch that and do enjoy it as well.

While the younger people here in the US definitely prefer MMA (and no, they will not outgrow it and switch to boxing when they hit 30 years old or something like that, they will likely remain MMA fans), there are middle-aged fans as well, who I think actually prefer boxing as a sport, but are tired of all the bullshit. People want to see the best go up against the best, fair refereeing/judging, etc. in any sport. I've been in Las Vegas on UFC weekends, and apart from the Asian whales who like to see Pacquiao, many hi-rollers now prefer getting UFC comps to boxing comps.

I've followed boxing for a long time and will always prefer it as a sport to any other combat sport. However, I'm not blind. In my country, MMA will exceed boxing in popularity in my lifetime unless boxing really improves upon the way it is run (which it won't) or MMA as a sport fails to see its success comes in a large part due to having one organization controlling most of the sport (the WWE model as Aaron points out). I think MMA is smart enough to realize this.

Concerning purses, many like to compare purses the top handful of fighters might in each sport, but don't bother to compare the purses the majority of the fighters make.

[Tito]

Tito I just don't see that bubble bursting anything like soon, the top MMA guys are making serious money now. 

You are so wrong its almost untrue.

Lesnar earned $5.3 million from the UFC in 2010 but if you look at the salaries for the rest of the guys in 2011 its laughable.

Overall Top Ten Earning Fighters in 2011
(data updated to UFC 141)

1. Tito Ortiz = $1,045,000
2. Michael Bisping = $845,000
3. Dan Henderson = $820,000
4. Fedor Emelianenko = $800,000
5. Jon Jones = $785,000
6. Antonio Redorigo Noguiero = $750,000
7. Vitor Belfort = $620,000
8. Lyota Machida = $604,000
9. Frank Mir = $575,000
10. Rampage Jackson = $575,000


http://www.mma-manifesto.com/ufc-fighter-salary-database/salary-main/2011-fighter-salaries-top-10-earners.html

[7777]

The debate on Ringside was seemed a bit random didn't it, especially if they weren't going to have an MMA input. McGuigan and Steve Lillis don't like MMA and that came across in the show a bit.

The one thing they did say which is bang on is the fact that MMA (through UFC) is largely controlled by one person/organisation (White/UFC) which makes it easier to make the big fights and cojole fighters into facing each other.

I've never really understood boxing fans venom towards UFC when boxing is still largely respected the other way. MMA embraces boxing as one of it's facets whilst boxing seems reluctant to acknowledge there is any skill involved in MMA which is ridiculous

Spot on mate. Never understood the 'debate' myself. Fan boys on either side who can't appreciate the skill involved in either sport.

I don't particularly like Rugby Union due to the constant kicks but I appreciate what a tough game it is and both codes (Union and League have a place and survive along side one another, American football, basketball, Baseball and Hockey all have a place in the US, why the F*ck do people have to like either Boxing OR UFC. I like both, it's possible but then I generally like most sports (apart from Cricket!)

[G-man]

Agreed (although i love cricket ).

Boxing will always be my number 1 but i like UFC too.