Muay Thai Vs Boxing - The Great Debate

For anyone growing up a boxing fan over the last century, it was always a thrill to watch real power punchers. They were "warriors," able to end a bout with one quick strike or pummel opponents into oblivion with violent flurries. Sonny Liston, George Foreman and Mike Tyson are three names forever associated with power and intimidation in the ring.

In Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), a rapidly growing alternative to boxing, Muay Thai has emerged as the discipline of choice for the modern "warrior," the modern Tysons of the world. Instead of boxers, these warriors are consistently the most feared strikers in the sport.

Take the UFC, for example. Jumping across weight classes, we find many famous knockout artists who use Muay Thai as their primary weapon. Kenny Florian is known for bloodying foes with lethal elbows. Thiago Alves turns heads with this Pit Bull mentality (and nickname) in the welterweight division; Wanderlei Silva, devastating in the clinch, is among the most feared strikers ever in MMA and now joins equally revered Anderson Silva in the middleweight division. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua has dispatched many MMA legends with his sheer aggression and powerful Muay Thai combination's. We also can't forget Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, a gladiator who has walked through the Strikeforce women's lightweight division.