The Fallacy of MMA vs Boxing Debates

How many times have you heard an MMA fan say that an MMA fighter will beat a pro boxer if the two ever fought in a dark alley? They'll argue that pro boxers are only trained to punch and defend against punches, while the typical MMA fighter can kick, grapple and fight on the ground. The first problem is defining, "typical." When Kimbo Slice submitted former heavyweight champ Ray Mercer, did Mercer qualify as the typical pro boxer? Later on Mercer would score a spectacular one-punch KO in less than 10 seconds over former UFC heavyweight champ, Tim Sylvia. Was Sylvia the typical MMA fighter? The fact is, MMA fighters and pro boxers come in all shapes, sizes and with varying skill sets. There is no scientific way to define what is the "typical."

A more fair way to speculate is by naming two specific fighters with their known strengths and weaknesses. For instance, how would Tyson fare against Brock Lesnar if they fought in a bar? "Why a bar," you might ask. Why can't it be a parking lot or in an elevator? I just arbitrarily picked a bar because it has interesting environmental features, like stools and beer bottles. I'm pretty sure that in the heat of the moment, the naturally quicker Tyson would be able to grab a bottle of Corona and break it over Lesnar's dome before finishing him off with a murderous right uppercut. But not so fast, you might say. Weapons should not be allowed. Oh really? Says who? It's a street brawl, isn't it? Shouldn't crowbars, knives and even guns be permitted? Okay, maybe that's taking it too far. Let's just agree that this bar fight will be governed by some guidelines. No deadly weapons. No maiming or biting. That means if Brock's got Tyson in a bear hug, Tyson wouldn't be allowed to try to bite off his eye socket. Or if Royce Gracie's got Roy Jones in a triangle choke, Jones wouldn't be allowed to attempt to gouge Royce's eye out with his free arm (Semmy Schilt definitely was in position to do so when Big Nog caught him in a triangle choke, but sometimes rules can be a real bummer). And your friends definitely cannot join in to help you out in any way.

Then as you begin to cross off moves that wouldn't be permitted in your hypothetical boxer vs MMA guy street fight, one thing will become clear; that you are creating parameters that resemble an MMA match, where takedowns, kicks, elbows and chokes are allowed. An MMA fanboy would want to call it a street fight because it puts the MMA fighter in a better light, but he wouldn't want to call it simply an MMA match. You won't hear an MMA fanboy flat out say that a top MMA fighter will beat a pro boxer under MMA rules, because that leads to the obvious response that a top pro boxer will beat a top MMA fighter under pro boxing rules. The MMA fanboy has to disguise an MMA match as much as he can to make it resemble a street fight, except of course, the boxer wouldn't be allowed to use unconventional techniques (READ: strikes and holds aimed at the crotch area) that MMA fighters leave themselves vulnerable to during a number of situations including clinches and submission attempts.

Finally, why should an unsanctioned, spontaneous scuffle that erupts outside of a cage or a ring be regarded as the ultimate test of a combat sports' superiority over another? What if the other guy was drunk, badly out of shape or nursing an injury during this dream street fight? What if skinny Manny Pacquiao jumped Brock Lesnar when Lesnar was being rushed to the hospital due to the ailment that sidelined him for several months, and put a terrible beating on him? Would the victory count? Why shouldn't it? My point is, the best way to ensure everything is as fair as can be and that both fighters are at their absolute best, is to hold a professional contest in the squared circle or the Octagon under specific rules that naturally would favor one athlete over the other. Common sense tells us that a top pro boxer will have a distinct advantage over an MMA fighter under boxing rules (just YouTube Nick Diaz sparring in a boxing ring to see how subpar he looked), and vice versa. Now if you want to argue which sport is more dangerous and takes more skill, then that would be a topic for another day.