Why Boxing Is More Brutal and Violent Than MMA
Purists call it sweet science but nothing is really sweet with this violent sport more popularly known as boxing.
image from pixabay
At its best, boxing is nothing but a brutal sport that needs to be subjected to further studies to protect boxers from brain damage and death. It is not surprising at all that some people are actually calling for banning the sport.
Contrary to what some other people say that MMA is a tougher and a more violent competition, boxing is in fact more brutal than any other sanctioned combat sport.
In fact, a scientific study published in 2015 revealed that boxers are more likely to lose brain volume and processing speed due to head trauma compared to MMA fighters.
The chart below compares the reduction of thalamus volume between MMA fighters and boxers.
image from NCBI
How is it possible then that a sport involving strictly punches and occassional clinches can be more damaging and more fatal than a one that uses punches, kicks, elbows and all possible assaults except biting?
Let's look at how a fight is won in both sports.
Basically, in both boxing and MMA, you need to beat your opponent physically to knock him out or outpoint him in the scorecards. In boxing, most knockouts are achieved by delivering heavy blows to the head. This is where the brain damage is coming from.
In MMA, a fighter can win via stoppage with a knockout or submission. While there are really cases of vicious knockouts in UFC, most stoppages are coming from tapouts where serious damages are averted when a fighter yields to his opponent.
Not in boxing. Boxing has this unique and very dangerous rule of allowing a fighter to get up after suffering from a knockdown. As long as you are able to stand up and 'come forward' before the ref count you out, then you are good to go. You can cover, clinch, run, or get knock down again.
There are boxing bodies that actually allow a boxer to get up more than 3 times in a round as long as the referee decides that the boxer can still fight. This is really dangerous because most of the times, these fighters are no longer in the fight. Their brains are shaken really hard and their mind is wondering somewhere. Apart from their shaking legs and glassy eyes, all that is left to them is their instinct to fight and carry on. Resuming the fight will only expose them to unneccessary punishment and brain trauma. That is inhumanely brutal.
You will never see that in MMA.
In UFC for example, when a fighter got hit by a devastating blow and went down, the referee will rush between them to stop the fight preventing the other guy from delivering more blows. No more counting. No "are you OK?" BS because obviously, when someone hits you with a flying knee, you will never be okay, at least for the next few minutes.
And that makes MMA a lot more safer for its athletes.
Sure there are lot of bloody knockouts, breaking bones, and even accidental shitting in MMA bouts, but I have not yet heard of a dead fighter coming out of the octagon.
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I agree. Boxing needs to reduce the fight time.
It's not really inhumane unless someone forces them to fight. It's dangerous, sure, but they do get paid well. Risk/reward.
You have a point but I dont agree that they all get paid well.
Good point. I didn't mean to say they ALL get paid well, but it's surely what they're all doing it for. Some people have to be at the bottom for there to be a top.
I always thought that but most people look at me like I am weird lol. Good post.
Very good article. I believe that boxing is defacto a more brutal sport due to the fact that blows are aimed mainly to the head and that alone suffices to end the argument without further points from both sides. Undeniably terrible injuries might occur during an MMA fight, but the head traumas have no comparison.
I think its that primal, raw brutality which only hand to hand combat offers,the kind of fight that we humans instinctively understand better, that has given boxing such huge popularity over the ages.
I will have to disagree with you with that. There have been lots of deaths concerning MMA fighters because of their concussion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatalities_in_mixed_martial_arts_contests
and as for me, MMA is the most ridiculous and most brutal sport (really street fight) that the rules have to be changed to. As a boxer, you have a choice not to keep going just by quitting, not getting up when you go down, or your corner throwing the towel in. In MMA when you go down, most of the time the fight does not stop unless it was a clear knockout, but instead they keep punching when they are down and using elbows and knees till the ref says it's enough. I'm a boxer myself and had few fights, and when one of the boxers is not responding for few seconds, by punching back but is receiving the punches on the head, the ref will give you a 10 count and check if you are ready to fight. You can quit or keep going. In MMA you have no referee asking you if you are OK and if you want to keep going. Yes, you can tap out, but that is only when someone is choking you or about to break your leg or arm, not when you get punched or brutally being kneed or elbowed to your head. There have been more deaths in boxing, but that is because boxing has been here forever and MMA is pretty new so you cannot really compare. This study did show more trauma in boxing, but there are so many other studies that probably will show you different results. But we all know that the tv, and media is all controlled, they will only show you what they want you to see, and if they want to destroy boxing, then they doing a very good job. Just like you, I never heard of MMA fighter die, because they will not show it on tv, but if you check the link above, there are so many deaths.
Some people tap to strikes. Case in point, Shogun Rua vs. Jon Jones. I think most of the deaths are the weak regulations in place since it's still a young sport.
mma fighters can def tap to strikes
myself I like both sports, truthfully I like all combat sports that I know of
I couldn't agree more, I mean the stats there do not lie and the fact that boxing is more directed to blows to the head it makes sense why boxers are more likely recipients of head trauma and reduction of brain volume.
It is really risky. But some just really wanted to be a boxer and some really needs money.
The weight loss are a factor in boxing. Many fighters are forced to lose weight to excess. For instance, when I fought, many trainers were trying to make me get down to ridiculous levels. At 10 stone 9 and 6ft my body began to betray me. At least at 12 stone + I was able to function properly.
to me because boxing has more weight classes I think this is an even bigger problem for mma fighters
some weight classes are like 20 pounds apart!