Page 22 - Boxing News Magazine (January 2020)

The Mixed Zone

Are mixed martial artists
better athletes than boxers?
BOXING
Elliot Worsell investigates +vs MMA+

SPECIAL FEATURE
IKE some terrible disease for which no
cure can be found, it’s now 2020 and
L martial happen if Random Boxer what
we’re still comparing boxing and mixed
hypothesising
arts and
would
were
to fight Random Mixed Martial Artist in
either a ring or cage.
Ten years after I first wrote about
this subject, I have again tasked myself with exploring the
similarities and differences between the sports (spoiler: there
are more of the latter than former), only this time, owing to
some outlandish comments made by UFC (Ultimate Fighting
Championship) welterweight Jorge Masvidal, there will be
fresh emphasis on the respective athletic qualities of both
boxers and mixed martial artists and an attempt to find out,
hopefully once and for all (don’t count on it), which of the two
sports comprise the superior athletes.
According to Masvidal, still running on the adrenaline
produced during a November 2 win over Nate Diaz, mixed
martial artists are better all-round athletes than boxers and
this, he said, would give him an edge in a potential boxing
match against boxer Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. But not everybody
agrees. The MMA fans back Masvidal, highlighting the need
to learn numerous disciplines to call oneself a mixed martial
artist, whereas boxing fans believe mastering one art, and
the complete immersion this requires, trumps whatever is
produced by the jacks of all trades, masters of none at the
other end of the gym.
“To be a mixed martial artist I do believe you have to be
more of a well-rounded athlete,” said Ryan Ford, a 37-year-old
Canadian who has excelled in both boxing and MMA. “You
have to focus on eight or nine different disciplines rather than
just one. Boxing is just the sweet science of the hands. So,
for Masvidal to say mixed martial artists are better all-round
athletes, yes, I can agree with that.
“With boxing, the training is repetitive. In MMA, though, you
can’t afford to repeat things. You have to work your wrestling
and your jiu-jitsu and your boxing. You have to deal with kicks,
knees and elbows. In MMA training, the only thing I would say
that is tougher is mixing all of those martial arts together.”
As for sparring, Ford opined: “Boxing sparring is a lot
harder than mixed martial arts sparring. That’s because of
the intensity and because there is no holding or grappling. In
boxing, yes, we get an opportunity to hold, but you’re holding
for maybe two or three seconds and then you break.
“In MMA, if I want to pin you against the cage and get my
breath, I’m going to do that for however long I want, and then
I can take you down and wrestle you on the ground. There’s
also kicking involved. I can throw a kick and step back and
I’m not as engaged. We get a lot of mixed martial arts guys
come to the boxing gym and they know it’s a totally different

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