UFC Is Killing Boxing!
Published June 4, 2009 by Boxing Capital
It’s a headline that we’ve all read many times in recent months – there’s no doubt that the ascent of MMA and the UFC brand has left boxing trailing in its wake and whilst I feel this headline is over stating the current position, there is no question that younger fans are being steered away from the cautiously matched boxing arena to the fast and furious action offered by the UFC.
So, the revelation that boxing legend, Roy Jones Jr. has offered to face the UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva, in the UFC Octagon under MMA rules immediately provokes interest worldwide from fans of both combat sports. The fight has been talked about off and on for the past 12 months, with Anderson initially wanting to face Jones Jr. in a boxing match. Wisely for Anderson, an MMA contest between the pair now seems more likely.
On hearing of Jones Jr.’s latest offer to face Silva, UFC President Dana White, a man who is never shy to express his view on any topic, immediately moved to quash these talks, saying:
‘’You won’t see a Silva versus Jones fight while Silva is under contract with me, I don’t want to say anything bad about Roy Jones, I like Roy Jones and was a fan of his, but he mattered like fifteen years ago. He’s not anywhere near the best boxer in the world. He must’ve spent all his money.”
“I could do it, make it huge, make money, but I could have done a fight like this when we were bleeding money (in the early 2000s),” The fight would make some money, but it hurts MMA in the long term. We don’t do that because we love the sport. That’s a Pride or K-1 matchup. It’s not what we do.“
Being primarily a boxing fan, let me first move to defend Jones Jr. in the wake of White’s damning comments. To say he has not mattered for fifteen years is absolute rubbish – whilst five years past his best, White should remember Jones Jr. went the distance with undefeated British boxing legend Joe Calzaghe as recently as six months ago, even flooring the Welshman in the process. Ok, Roy has seen better days but here is a man who stood alone as the star talent in boxing from for 10 straight years from 1994, becoming the first man to win both Middleweight and Heavyweight World Titles in over 100 years. Show a little respect please Mr. White – boxing fans don’t call Roy Jones Jr. ‘Superman’ for nothing.
Whilst White’s comments may be unfounded regarding Roy himself, I can see where he is coming from in terms of the fight potentially hurting the UFC. Bringing in a faded former boxing champion smacks of the kind of ‘celebrity’ fanfare seen all too often in every walk of life today. It’s something that boxing itself has suffered from; whilst ‘The Contender’ TV show gave the sport great exposure, the ‘celebrity’ factor has led to fighters like Peter Manfredo and Alfonso Gomez getting underserved World Title shots, which resulted in one sided losses for the pair. The UFC is built on competitive fights, great champions and deserving contenders. For a former boxer, no matter how decorated his career may have been, to walk straight into a UFC Title fight would see the UFC taking the route of quantity over quality; quantity being ticket and pay per view sales , quality being the level of title challenger, in this case an MMA novice.
Whilst Jones Jr. is an MMA novice, Anderson Silva is anything but. The Brazilian Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu expert, UFC Middleweight Champion since 2006, is an MMA veteran who has competed in all of the major franchises. Silva’s impressive resume includes being the former ‘Cage Rage’ Middleweight Champion, former ‘Shooto’ Middleweight Champion whilst also holding the record of most consecutive wins in the UFC, with his current unbeaten run being extended to nine wins when beating compatriot Thales Leites last month.
We’ve heard the official take on this potential match up from the UFC’s Dana White, now hear mine. As a lifelong boxing fan and brand new MMA fan (it almost feels disloyal to boxing but I’ve been won over by MMA in recent months), I feel my take on this contest will represent a whole cross section of boxing and MMA fans.
For me, if this fight was ever to take place, it would genuinely excite me. I think we only have to look at something that is common in all humans to see why – curiosity. What would happen when a top level boxer faces off against a top level MMA fighter? It’s a topic that has been discussed for years between boxing and MMA fans and as you’d expect, opinion is split. Striking, perhaps the most potent discipline of MMA, is clearly the art of the boxer say boxing fans. Of course that’s true, but boxing fans would do well to remember that in MMA striking is not exclusively done with your fists – you need to bring knees, feet, elbows and even head butt’s into the equation. MMA fans state that as soon as the boxer was on the floor in a grappling situation, the fight would be over. This is another valid point, but MMA fans must remember that top level boxers (and Jones has fought at the highest level) are supreme athletes not adverse to pain in their daily training regime, these individuals possess the athletic ability and determination to become fully fledged MMA combatants. So, without any doubt, whether you agree with the contest taking place or not, whether you or a Silva/Jones Jr. fan or not, curiosity will mean you MUST watch this contest.
But, will it actually happen? My feelings are that it will......eventually. Silva has four fights left on his current UFC contract and that is a contract Dana White will make sure Silva honours. Jones Jr. is treading water in boxing circles at the moment, with enough of his past brilliance still enough to see off most competitors, waiting for the right opportunity. When this fight does eventually happen (if not Jones Jr. vs. Silva then a top boxer vs. top MMA fighter) media excitement is guaranteed. I can already imagine sports writers across the globe readying headlines such as ‘Boxing Knocks Out MMA!’ and ‘MMA forces Boxing submission’.
Let’s hope the boxing and MMA figureheads can find out a way to work out what would be a truly glorious spectacle for combat sports fans across the globe. If they can make the right fight with the right fighters, it can only serve to enhance the popularity of both sports in the long run.
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