Boxing made its way into mainstream media in the early phases of the 20th century. The sport was awarded the time and patience to grow into the colossal entertainment it has become now. It goes without saying, the participation of certain legends such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Roberto Duran, Mike Tyson, and so on and so forth played a pivotal part in helping transcend the sport to the stage it’s at now.
Boxing’s adversary, mixed martial arts, on the other hand, has long seen its brand disparaged and diminished.
It was only since the start of the 21st century, through the prolonged efforts of Dana White and Joe Rogan amongst numerous other individuals, that the sport of MMA has been regarded as legitimate. Not to forget, it has also been validated by the state athletic commissions in various states and countries.
For the better part of time, the sport of boxing has cultivated a reputation for possessing the foremost strikers in combat sports. To its dismay, the emergence of martial arts has certified that while boxing in itself is an art, it is merely just a single facet in a long line of skills that encompasses MMA.
Renowned MMA commentator, Joe Rogan, once provided insight into this dispute.
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Joe Rogan states the truth about boxing and boxers!
While Joe Rogan might not be the ideal candidate to verify a certain statement regarding boxing, given his bias and role in MMA, it must be noted that his reputation for being a combat sports connoisseur is given priority.
Rogan on his famed podcast once explained why the sport of boxing cannot hold the credentials for possessing the leading strikers in combat sports.
The 55-year-old went on to provide a meticulous analysis of a hypothetical scenario, revolving around the reality of what would occur, if a boxer fought a martial arts striker.
Rogan said:
“You might think that professional boxers are the most dangerous strikers, but they literally wouldn’t last two rounds. They’d get their legs kicked out from under them, they’d get kneed in the body and elbowed in the face, they’d get cut up and clinched and thrown to the ground. It’s just a better style of fighting. This is the pinnacle of striking sports.”
Joe Rogan’s statements, while contentious and conceivable, are based on facts. And the fact remains that boxing is merely just one aspect of fighting. The term striking encompasses* a whole other diverse set of weapons including Muay Thai, Boxing Karate, kickboxing, and Taekwondo.
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Boxing vs MMA!
The age-old debate between combat sports fans is centered around the outcome of a contest between a genuine boxer and a mixed martial artist.
While a boxer’s fast hands and slick movement may aid them to pick apart their opponent initially, the truth remains that over the course of the duration of an actual fight, the martial artist would reign supreme.
They would utilize the innumerable tools available at their disposal to outlast and outperform their opponents to victory. It should be no question in this day and age, given the leaps that the sport of MMA has witnessed.
