Boxing Vs MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)

For the last few years, you might have thought that the sport of boxing had gone into hiding, or simply retired altogether to be replaced by MMA De La Hoya and Merryweather came along to try to breathe new life into their sport; while I can't yet say what this will mean for the future of boxing, I do know that my generation and the generations which will follow will certainly prefer MMA over boxing.

The question of the popularity of the two sports as compared to each other is largely generational. Younger generations prefer MMA, while the older set is in favor of boxing. The following generations are also going to prefer MMA - because to put it simply, it is a better sport and has more to offer the fans.

So why is MMA better than boxing? I'll explain by starting with the negatives of both sports - the negatives are actually the same for each, so it's simple.

Those who prefer boxing to MMA call MMA barbaric. This perception comes largely from not knowing about the sport and being unaware of the rules of MMA. Just like boxing, low blows, gouges, pokes and other dirty moves are disallowed. I ask you is MMA really so barbaric? Boxers punch each other in the face too - the difference is that MMA adds wrestling moves to the equation; is that really what pushes it over the edge, or is it just a matter of taste? This is specious reasoning for sure. If MMA is barbaric, then so is boxing.