Boxing vs MMA

‘Western boxing’ or simply ‘boxing’ is a combat sport that involves two opponents throwing
punches at each other with the aim of knocking the opponent out. The sport dates back to the
Olympic tournaments of ancient Greece and is recognized today as one of the most popular
and highest grossing sports. A fairly recent addition to the world of combat sports is Mixed
Martial Arts (MMA). Colloquially referred to as ‘cage-fighting’, this sport involves full-
contact combat between two opponents. To be precise, MMA is actually an amalgam of
different techniques used across the various types of martial arts including Muay Thai and
kickboxing among others. Roots of the sport extend from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
 The Governing Rules:
Boxing is a sport governed by a strict set of rules and regulations. In a fair fight, boxers are
forbidden from pushing or tripping their opponent. The use of kicks and head-butts is also
strictly prohibited. Boxers are also not allowed to throw punches below the belt or in the
groin region. The set of rules keeps the players from getting involved in vicious brawls.
Additionally, to minimize the damage to the hands due to repeated punching, precautionary
measures are employed. Hand-wraps are used to protect the bones of the hand and gloves are
worn to buffer the impact of the punch. Because most punches land on the face, mouthguards
are employed to cushion the impact of the blows on teeth and jaws. [ CITATION 1 \l 1033 ]
Because of the rather limited set of rules governing the game, it was deemed as an illegal
sport by most countries till the 2000s. Almost every move a player decided to apply to the
game was allowed. By the late 90s, however, it was observed that this absence of strict rules
imparted a sense of viciousness to the sport and that needed to be eliminated MMA was to be
recognized as a proper sport on international level. Still kicking and grappling are commonly
employed in matches. In majority of Asian countries, knee-butts to the head along with
stomps and soccer kicks are legally allowed techniques to this day. Predictably, injuries in
MMA are more common and more severe as compared to other combat sports like boxing.
[ CITATION 2 \l 1033 ]

Boxers are not allowed to punch their opponent once he is no longer on his feet. When the
opponent loses his footing, the boxer is to move to a neutral corner of the ring and await the
referee’s instructions to continue the fight or not. Whereas in MMA, the fighters are allowed
to push the opponent to the ground and to continue hitting him after he hits the ground, a
technique known as ‘ground and pound’.
 Recognition and Popularity:
Boxing has been an internationally acclaimed sport for a long while now. It has been
recognized as an Olympic sport since 1904 and is also part of the Commonwealth Games and
all other major sport events. While MMA, despite its increasing popularity, is not yet part of
the Olympics. However, some people believe that because of the multi-dimensional aspect of
MMA, its advent has led to a decline in the popularity of conventional boxing. The players
are required to put in a lot of strategy along with physical power to win a match. The fight is
also not limited entirely to punches and it continues even when one player loses his footing.
The decision is also reached in a fairly shorter amount of time. To the more enthusiastic
crowds, boxing is a rather slow and dull sport in comparison.
 Rounds per Match:
The two sports differ not only in their set of rules, but also in the timings and number of
rounds per game. In a typical boxing match, there are nine to twelve rounds of three minutes
each. The number of rounds usually averages to 10. In MMA, however, there are three
rounds per each match. For each round the players are given five minutes.
 Arena of Choice:
Another major difference is in the structure of the arenas. Boxing matches take place in rings
made of ropes that are aimed at limiting the area of the fight. Holding the ropes by the boxers
for leverage is not allowed. On the contrary, MMA matches are held in cages. The cages are
typically structures made of metal. The aim is to provide a surface for grappling and
imparting injury to the opponent. [ CITATION 3 \l 1033 ] The area given to fighters also varies
tremendously in both arenas. The rings for boxes are kept between 16-20 square feet. On the
other hand, the cages are usually built as the infamous ‘Octagon’ with eight peripheries.
 Boxing gloves vs MMA gloves:
Another difference lies in the gloves worn by the players in the two sports. The MMA
fighters wear gloves that are lighter and more flexible. The typical weight is around 0.1 kg.
The fingers are also sometimes left uncovered making it easier to grab and hold the opponent.
The purpose is not to protect the hand but to impart injury to the opponent. Whereas, the
gloves used in boxing are bulkier and much heavier. Their purpose is to minimize damage to
the hands and are used in some defense techniques to stop blows to the head. The weight is
typically between 0.3 to 0.5 kg. Difference is also imparted by the padding used in the two
types of gloves. The boxing gloves are heavily padded to serve as cushions while hard
padding is used in MMA employed gloves. [ CITATION 4 \l 1033 ]
 Injuries acquired:
Injuries that result in bleeding are significantly more common in MMA fights. Injuries of
such magnitude are relatively uncommon in boxing. MMA fighters also suffer increased
number of fractures. No doubt, significant part of the injuries is due to the lack of protective
gear like helmets, padded gloves, and shoes. This is done in part to please the audiences. The
blood is specifically something audiences demand in these sorts of fights. The audiences of
MMA matches tend to show less empathy towards the fighters. This leads to the fighters
making the fight as brutal as they can in hopes to please the crowd.
 Stance of Fighters:
The stance used by fighters in both sports also varies intensely. Boxers tend to stand side-
ways. This is simply an attempt to reduce the area of body that can be hit by the opponent.
Whereas, MMA fighters tend to maintain a larger distance between themselves and their
opponents. This is because they have to avoid a larger array of hits from the opponent
because the fight is not merely limited to the hands. They have wider body areas they can
target on the opponent. The focus of boxers is more on specific zones due to the
comparatively limited range of motion lent by their hands. [ CITATION 5 \l 1033 ] MMA
fighters also tend to keep most of their weight on their rear leg. This adds the mobility they
need for kicks. But in doing so they are also deprived of the balance needed to withstand
punches from the opponent. However, in boxing the weight is most distributed towards the
front leg to add force to the punches.
 Endurance and Stamina
In terms of endurance, the stamina of boxers is more likely to last longer because of them
training according to a match that lasts roughly 45 minutes. MMA fighters are more used to
matches that span around 15 to minutes with each round lasting 5 minutes. This does not
contribute to build as much endurance as boxers, but they train to throw all their energy in the
short intervals they get. Being good at MMA implies to achieving mastering a few skill sets
of multiple combat techniques. But that does not necessarily mean the MMA athlete will be a
pro of every martial arts technique out there.
 Odds in a Street Fight:
When it comes to street fights, boxers will usually not be prepared for the ugliness that comes
with full body combats. Their skill set will, nonetheless, lend them proficiency in self-
defense. Boxers are lighter on their feet and have faster reflexes. This will aid them in getting
out of harm’s way, all the while placing well-timed blows to their opponents. They also ace at
not losing their balance. Falling to the ground while in a street fight will, no doubt, end in
getting beaten to a pulp. MMA fighter, on the other hand, excel at putting up a great fight and
also finishing it in short span of time. That can contribute to them displaying some
formidable few minutes against their opponent in street fights. Their skill set also includes
grappling that can help incapacitate the opponent immediately. But MMA are not well trained
to stay on their feet and the push and pull of a brawl can throw them to the ground.
 Health Hazards:
However, because boxing is limited to punches in the head concussions are more common.
The brain health deteriorates more rapidly in boxing due to this reason. Studies indicate that
persistent head trauma increases the chances of permanent brain damage. A prime example of
this Muhammad Ali himself. His boxing career left him with neuronal damage leading to
Parkinson’s disease for his entire life. It was observed in several studies that even though
boxers used protective headgear, it was not enough to prevent brain damage by concussions.
Retinal detachment caused by injuries to the eye is also prevalent among boxers.
 Health Benefits:
If practiced carefully boxing can impart several health benefits to the body like burning fat,
increasing endurance and relieving stress. It will also do wonders for your reflexes, preparing
you for uncertain situations in the outside world. No unlike boxing, MMA also has its fair
share of health benefits. MMA athletes burn calories at the rate of 844 calories per hour in the
cage.
 Financial Stability:
Boxers usually gain more stability from their sport than MMA athletes. The reason being that
MMA athletes do not engage in fights as regularly as the boxers participate in tournaments.
The earning also depends on the response from the crowd in MMA fights. 51% boxers earn
between 1000-10,000$, but 48% MMA athletes earn less than 1000$.
 Deciding the Victor:
In boxing the winner is decided by knockout i.e. if he fails to get up by the count of 10.
Technical knockout is when the referee or a doctor decides that a player is unable to continue
or should not continue to avoid some damage to the player’s body. Alternatively, a score
count is maintained by the referee or a jury and the player who scores the highest points wins.
In MMA, in addition to these three conditions the victor can also be decided if his opponent
decides to accomplish submission. Submission is accomplished by tapping the body of one’s
opponent or the fighting mat. Submission immediately withdraws a player from the game and
the other wins by default.

The two are entirely different sports and comparing them to decide which is the superior
sport is unfair to both. To be precise, boxing is like performing an elaborate dance with the
sole focus on skill and precision. Audiences with their focus on the craft and skill will find
pleasure in boxing matches. MMA, on the other hand, is like a civilized offspring of street
brawls which only has its mind on wining no matter the cost. Crowds that feed on adrenaline
will find MMA to their liking.

REFERENCES

[ CITATION 1 \l 1033 ]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing[ CITATION 2 \l 1033 ]

[ CITATION 2 \l 1033 ] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts

[ CITATION 3 \l 1033 ] https://www.sportscasting.com/whats-the-difference-between-boxing-

[ CITATION 5 \l 1033 ] https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/big-difference-between-