Why is Boxing more Popular than MMA?

Boxing has long been the sport of kings when it comes to combat sports. Long before the term combat sports or mixed martial arts were coined, boxing was one of the world’s No. 1 spectator sports on par with other games including football, tennis, and horse racing. But why is more popular than MMA even though MMA is a truer form of fighting?

Why is Boxing more Popular than MMA? The reason for that is that boxing is a much older and more established sport than MMA. It’s more than 100 years old while MMA is barely 30 years old. Boxing has generations of hardcore fans and superstars such as Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, and others.

When we compare the top-selling PPV events of boxing and MMA between 2002 and 2017, we see that in 13 of those 16 years more people preferred to watch the boxing most popular event rather than the MMA one.

The sum of the PPVs for all those number one events is 22,740,000 and 12,599,000 for MMA. According to those numbers, boxing is almost 2 times more popular than MMA for that period of time.

Boxing Popularity vs MMA Popularity

There are tons of movies about boxing and sports media is constantly discussing it along with the other mainstream sports which additionally brings more and more fans.

On the other hand, MMA has it’s superstars as well. For example, Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, Jon Jones, GSP but besides Conor McGregor and Ronda, they aren’t nearly as much popular as the boxing all-time greats.

However, MMA becomes more and more popular and attracts more and more fans and fighters. That’s mainly due to the superstars the UFC is constantly creating and promoting and with the new organizations all around the world (One Championship, in Southeast Asian, Rizin FF in Japan).

UFC is one of the fastest growing combat sports organizations right now. With contracts with big TV Channels like FOX and ESPN, UFC is certantly going to make MMA a mainstream sport in the long run.

MMA is becoming a more and more popular sport among all ages but mostly among the young fans. That means it’ll certainly become more popular than boxing, the only question is when.

Maybe the turning point was when the boxing match between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Sergey Kovalev was delayed for two hours because more people wanted to watch the UFC event Diaz vs Masvidal. The boxers were forced to wait in their locker rooms until the MMA event was over.

Even the president Donald Trump decided to attend the UFC even rather than the boxing match.

Does that mean MMA is more popular than boxing, definitely not, boxing is still more popular. But that’s probably the beginning of the MMA journey to the most popular combat sport.

Boxing vs other Combat Sports

The only other combat sport, boxing had on its radar for decades was professional wrestling. Yet, most boxing fans strayed away from the dramatized world of professional wrestling.

Since the turn of the millennium, however, boxing has had competition from another combat sport. Thanks to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, MMA has become a household sport that receives coverage on major television networks alongside boxing.

Although the two sports have crossover appeal – just watch Floyd Mayweather’s boxing match versus Connor McGregor for proof – they both have their own distinct fanbases.

There is no doubt MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and appeals to a large segment of fans. Yet, boxing remains the king of combat sports and there is a plethora of reasons as to why the sport is more popular than MMA.

Boxing History vs MMA History

It is difficult to know when boxing originated. The sport has been around for centuries and as soon as men began competing in bareknuckle bouts, people started watching for entertainment. Oftentimes, bets were made on the fights increasing the popularity of boxing further.

Boxing can trace its history back to the 7^th century BC and the Ancient Greek Olympic games. From there, boxing reached all corners of the globe. In the 1600s, boxing truly came of age in England as organized amateur fights were promoted. It is at this time that the sport truly took off and evolved into what we know it as today.

Compared to MMA, boxing has an untouchable history. Many MMA fans trace the origins of the combat sport back to June 1976 when Muhammed Ali fought professional wrestler Antonio Inoki in a mix styles match in Tokyo, Japan.

At the time, the fight was considered a farce and fans hated it so much that it was quickly forgotten until Josh Gross’s 2016 book Ali Vs. Inoki: The Forgotten Fight That Inspired Mixed Martial Arts and Launched Sports Entertainment.

Although that fight inspired MMA, it wasn’t until the inaugural UFC event in November 1993 that the sport began to make a name for itself. Even then, it would take seven years and an ownership change for UFC to get a real foothold in the world’s sports sphere.

Promoters

The UFC is by and large the only real MMA organization in the world. Yes, there are smaller groups such as Bellator, but few are able to contend with the magnitude of the UFC. In contrast, boxing has four major organizations that oversee fights.

The World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF), and World Boxing Organization (WBO) are all top-tier organizations with renowned fighters competing in various weight classes for their belts.

Due to MMA having only one major company hurts its appeal. If combat sports fans do not like the MMA’s product, then there is the little alternative left.

Boxing promoters are also far different than those in MMA. UFC and Bellator put on shows and events for fans to watch. Everything falls under the MMA company’s banner on fight night.

Boxing is different as it is the promoter under the power of a governing boxing organization that sets up events. They work in harmony with one another.

A promoter works independently from a boxing organization. In contrast to an MMA organization, that is not the case, and the UFC’s matchmaker and other departments organize all events.

The way in which boxing promoters work enables the sport to reach more fans through promotions and other avenues. Don King and other top promoters have been able to build stars for decades and develop great match-ups. This has helped lead to intrigue from fans and exposure from media outlets.

One of the key reasons boxing is more popular than MMA is down to the lack of boxing promoters seeking an entrance into the MMA world. Rare is it to see big-name boxing promoters putting on MMA events.

The same cannot be said about MMA promoters wanting to enter the world of boxing. Evidence of this can be found with UFC matchmaker Dana White’s attempts to get into the promotion of boxing events.

Since White saw the revenue of Mayweather versus McGregor, he has made attempts to get into the boxing world. There is no doubt that at the top of the boxing game, the finances are far better than on the MMA circuit.

Fighters

There is a stigma surrounding MMA gyms and many of the people who pop up as “certified” trainers. Since the early 2000s, MMA gyms have appeared out of nowhere with owners and instructors claiming to have fought for an assortment of fighting groups.

The big difference between the training boxers and MMA fighters go through begins in these gyms. Boxers can learn the sport at gyms from teachers who competed at various levels.

These levels can range from the amateur to professional ranks. There is a route that boxers can take from the very beginning all the way to the professional level.

For example, Mike Tyson fought in the Junior Olympics and Olympics before turning pro. MMA fighters do not have a route into the sport in the same way and often compete for small, dodgy promotions just to get into the octagon.

Boxing promoters know how to make stars compared to MMA companies. Even non-boxing fans know the top fighters in the sport but the same cannot be said for MMA. Many MMA fighters are interchangeable in look and personality, while boxers come in all shapes and sizes.

In addition, MMA has been guilty of allowing non-trained fighters into its world. Professional wrestlers such as Brock Lesnar and CM Punk were two WWE stars – ex-WWE star in Punk’s case – to enter the octagon.

Lesnar did well while Punk wasn’t as lucky losing both of his fights. The lasting effect of this crossover in MMA is that many people believe anyone can do it.

There are not many – if any – top boxers seeking to enter MMA. Yet, McGregor willingly stepped into the boxing ring, while Khabib Nurmagomedov is expected to do the same soon for a major payoff.

Prestige and Media

Boxing has long held a place in the sports world with top media outlets covering it. Top networks, magazines, and sports pundits have followed boxing helping to make it a major sport.

In fact, boxing’s major bouts such as Tyson versus Evander Holyfield or Canelo Álvarez versus Gennady Golovkin are on par with the biggest sports leagues and games. The amount of money that can be made is far more than UFC can earn on a single show unless it is able to promote a big fight with universal appeal, which is rare.

In recent times, more media outlets have covered MMA. The United Kingdom’s BBC was long an opponent of covering MMA, however, things have changed. Still, boxing is covered far more by the BBC and many of its fellow media outlets.

Appearing in a recent interview, Tyson spoke about MMA fighters never being able to earn the amount of money boxers do during their fight careers. It is claimed Tyson was worth around $300 million at his peak.

The figure is incredible compared to the vast majority of MMA fighters who, despite fighting on pay-per-view for UFC, live hand to mouth careers. The prize purses are far bigger in the boxing world and that goes back to the promoters who set up the events.

Perception

When the UFC debuted in late 1993, the world was far different than it is over two decades later. The fight company was seen as barbaric with an open weight class of fighters competing in the octagon. Boxing was suddenly considered less brutal than MMA and that belief hasn’t changed much.

By the spring of 2019, MMA had had nine fighters die due to injuries incurred in sanctioned fights. The barbarism has turned off many viewers. Boxing remains a sweet science with fighters able to go on both offense and defense. There is no doubt boxing is dangerous, but the rules of the sport make it less so than MMA.

Many sports fans are turned off by the fact that MMA fighters can go to ground to pummel opponents. The perception of fighters being able to punch, kick, and choke their opponents only decreases MMA’s appeal to the masses.

Boxers have limited tools to use in a match. This makes it far harder to record a win. MMA allows fighters to use a variety of tools, making it less difficult to overcome an opponent.

As MMA fighters are allowed to use multiple tools in a fight – kicking, punching, choking – it gives off a feeling of anyone can compete in the octagon. And in a way, the idea that anyone can do it shows in low-budget promotions which allow poorly trained individuals to compete.

MMA is far younger than boxing and has the chance to overtake boxing in popularity in the future. But for now, boxing has a wider appeal, especially outside of the United States, Russia, and Brazil. The problem with MMA in its attempts to grow in popularity is the fights themselves.

Too often, fights end up on the mat with competitors rolling around attempting to choke each other out. The best fights in the octagon are always the ones in which fighters go toe to toe exchanging punches or when a big knockout comes much like in boxing.

Boxing in MMA

People love watching other people punching eachother and knocking each other out. In other words people love knockouts as brutal it may sound.

That is the reason they watch boxing in the first place and love fighters such as Mike Tyson or Deontay Wilder. But even in MMA, the fighters with knockout power, who use their hands a lot are super popular and are getting promoted by the organizations.

Examples for that are fighters like Conor McGregor, Francis Ngannou, Johny Walker. But even boxers in MMA who don’t have a knockout power are still super popular and loved by the fans (for instance the Diaz brothers, Alexander Gustafsson).

Is this because most MMA fans are boxing fans too? I don’t know but even if boxing became the second most popular combat sport after MMA, people will still watch the boxing within it the most.

In conclusion

Boxing is a sport in which the masters of the art are trained and have a route to the top. Much like football, basketball, or tennis, a boxer learns the craft early on and is built up over time. Being able to see a fighter’s rise up the ranks attracts fans and increases the sport’s popularity.

MMA fighters oftentimes appear out of nowhere, fight a few fights, and then disappear in the ranks. It is difficult for fans to feel a connection to those MMA fighters.

Can MMA one day overtake boxing in popularity? Of course, it can. However, with MMA promoters and organizations far more interested in promoting boxing events than boxing groups booking MMA cards, it is likely boxing will KO the competition.