During the last five years, fans of boxing and mixed martial arts have battled over which sport reigns supreme. Most fight fans strongly support one side and dislike the other. Think of it as a far more physical comparison to Yankees-Red Sox, Giants-Cowboys or Celtics-Lakers.
Many would wonder why MMA fans disdain boxing and vice versa. Are the sports really that similar that they have to compete with one another? Is one threatening the other? Are the combatants responsible for fueling the fans by claiming that they could wipe the floor with any fighter competing in the opposite sport because they are just that good? These questions may never have a simple yes or no answer.
For the first time, this writer attended a mixed martial arts card with the intentions of doing more than observing the card for personal enjoyment; and yes that does mean I am a fan of both sports.
Regardless of what meritless claims are floating around internet message boards, Twitter pages or Facebook statuses, the two sports have a number of similarities and differences that were immediately evident upon entering the Mennen Arena in Morristown, NJ.
According to event organizers, the opening bell was scheduled for 7:30 pm however there was no action inside the octagon until 8:33. Boxing cards also rarely begin at the scheduled start time. A fight featuring local favorite Scott Fairlamb also fell out on 24 hours notice when his opponent failed to show up at the weigh in. Fairlamb, who is 0-1 in MMA and compiled a 5-0-1 record in the squared circle acknowledged that he’s dealt with last minute letdowns in both sports.
“Every time I ever fought, I was supposed to fight (a different opponent than the one I ended up facing,” said Fairlamb, who last boxed professionally in 2007.
One major difference was that MMA pundits came to soak in all of the action and not just cheer on one fighter. The crowd was about the same size from the first fight all the way until the main event, where in boxing, most spectators either come to watch a specific fighter or don’t arrive until most of the undercard bouts were completed. MMA supporters are definitely more into the sport as a whole, while most boxing fans follow fighters they know or those of their ethnic background.
Furthermore, items from various items were for sale at independent booths near the octagon. From t-shirts sporting fighters’ names to sweatshirts with company logos, there were many choices. Information about a local MMA academy and a magazine were also on display; neither of which I recall seeing at a boxing card.
From a fan demographic standpoint, the two are far apart. Boxing, one of the world’s oldest sports, brings in fans of all races, sizes and color. Most of the spectators at last night’s card were Caucasian, even though fighters of Brazilian and African American descent competed.
Contrary to popular belief about MMA producing non-stop, not all of the fights were entertaining. In fact, like in boxing, one of the heavyweight bouts was slow paced, hard to follow and filled with lapses in action until a one punch knockout occurred; sound familiar?
Additionally, when the two fighters were on the ground and neither was attempting to advance their position, the referee didn’t stand them up. Inside the squared circle, a clinch is typically broken up within a few seconds.
In the first bout of the evening, karate specialist Yusaf Yolda was led to the ring by approximately ten people, many of whom appeared to have no business walking down towards the octagon. Were they looking for their thirty seconds of fame? Perhaps so. Boxers also have large entourages that accompany them from the dressing room into the battleground.
I saw a fighter from Brazil that lost a close decision to a fan favorite claim he was a victimized by the judges, fans get on their feet when a stoppage appeared imminent and “title fights” where the winner received a belt created by the event organizers.
An exciting main event was ruled a no contest after one of the combatants was deemed unable to continue by a ringside official. Although the injured fighter, fan favorite Andy Main, wanted to fight on, the doctor’s surprising decision ruined what had the makings of the evening’s best fight; Fans even demanded a refund while shouting expletives towards the ring.
Overall, it’s safe to say that prior to the disappointment with the main event, fans had a great time throughout the evening, showed all of the fighters respect and didn’t challenge other spectators to a fistic duel. In this respect, boxing fans should follow the example of MMA fanatics and let the action take place between the two fighters.
After observing eight fights from the makeshift media section, a penalty box used for high school hockey games, it’s safe to say that the two sports have a number of parallels and variations. Many fans seem to enjoy bashing the opposite sport for the sake of argument, when in reality, there should be mutual respect.
In both the octagon and squared circle, fighters can suffer a serious injury at any given moment, train hard to cut weight and make major sacrifices in effort to better their careers. Regardless if the boxing vs MMA debate continues for years to come or is finally put to rest, fans should respect fighters in both sports for what the punishment they put their bodies through to make a living.