[Beowulf]

I thought this was very interesting and informative: Between Rounds
I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.

[warriorway]

I think Evander Holyfield made some interesting comments on IFL. He said the smaller gloves mean theres less punishment a fighter has to take. What I think he meant was you could get ko'd in a couple punches where in boxing they just pound on each other for 12 rounds. I don't know why people consider boxing a beautiful art it seems more barbaric to me.

[Beowulf]

I think the beauty is in the smoother looking techniques. If you see a boxer bob and weave really well, it is slick. Of course, too much of that in MMA and you get a knee to the grill. The barbarism often isn't seen by the boxing fans, unless they get a look at a brain scan.

[zbtboy]

Great article.

I have question though...what is the "rubber guard"? While picking up some books yesterday on jujitsu I saw one called that then see if referenced with Nick Diaz.

[dannyboy9]

Originally Posted by Beowulf

I think the beauty is in the smoother looking techniques. If you see a boxer bob and weave really well, it is slick. Of course, too much of that in MMA and you get a knee to the grill. The barbarism often isn't seen by the boxing fans, unless they get a look at a brain scan.

The view from the outside in is always far different than the view from the inside out huh? Those CAT scans are serious...

I think some of the major, most noticeable differences between the two sports is outlined in the article:

The gloves are closer to bare-fisted, and cut much more readily.

“boxers learn to roll with punches” which is true, and can mitigate a lot of the power when you get caught clean—but with the little gloves, I think rolling with punches is minimally effective. There’s not much to roll with.

Because of the distance, MMA needs the big overhand right, the wide hook, which in boxing (with its closer range and quicker combinations) are too slow. Boxers see that big overhand right working in an MMA fight, and think “those guys can’t punch” when really the range is entirely different. And in MMA you’ll never see a tight boxing hook land, if someone’s that close they’ll throw an elbow, or clinch and look for knees.

The fact of the matter is that they are two very different games to play because one has more rules and limits than the other. Throwing two guys in a a cage almost barehanded to duke it out - I think if anything, MMA fighting would be far more barbaric than boxing but in the end, it all comes down to what you prefer. Take one or the other, each of those two sports have their beauty and skill involved..

[pistonpump]

i think the gloves play a BIG part in the difference between the two. In a way you see alot of skilled techniques in boxing because the guys know they stand a shot at staying on there toes due to the size of the gloves. sometimes in MMA its really just adrenaline, instinct, aggression, and luck that gets guys knocked out because its almost bare fisted...

Id love to just see a boxer step in the mma ring with no ground training and see what its like. then get the same two guys to go at it boxing style and see how that turns out.

[MisterEZE]

Originally Posted by zbtboy

Great article.

I have question though...what is the "rubber guard"? While picking up some books yesterday on jujitsu I saw one called that then see if referenced with Nick Diaz.

It probably referenced Diaz due to his variation on the rubber guard he used to set up the gogoplata on Gomi. Aoki also used the rubber guard to secure the gogoplata on Hansen.

You should probably do a search on Eddie Bravo to find out more about the rubber guard and other "non-traditional" BJJ techniques. In theory, the rubber guard is more defensive against striking than traditional guard, as the opponent is controlled with the feet and knees rather than complete reliance on hand control, which also allows for faster and easier transitions to submissions (hence the gogoplata). However, if you plan on using the rubber guard, you had better be stretching religiously, because it requires a great deal of flexibility.

[Beowulf]

Originally Posted by dannyboy9

I think if anything, MMA fighting would be far more barbaric than boxing but in the end, it all comes down to what you prefer. Take one or the other, each of those two sports have their beauty and skill involved..

MMA definitely looks more barbaric, at least in the striking dept., but it is often argued that boxing is worse. The argument seems logical to me, though a neurologist would probably be the only one qualified to address this. Boxers take repeated head trauma, sometimes suffering several flash KO's in a single fight. Usually, in MMA, if a guy gets dropped solidly, the conclusion of the fight is imminent, such as what happened with GSP and Serra, GSP vs. Hughes, etc. In boxing, the guy gets his count to recover, just to get hit in the head again. MMAists don't take that many shots to the head, but it is easier to get KO'd. So the question for the neurologist is, which one does more damage, sustained head trauma over a greater period of time, with recovery, or getting rocked, pounced, and stopped.

Beyond the striking arugment, there is also the perhaps more relevant fact that some MMA fights are virtually strike free. Look at Randleman and Shogun. They have both proved that they can put guys to sleep on the feet, but when they fought, there was not a single punch thrown. In MMA, some guys end up appearing to be on the brink of death, but a lot of guys come out of it unscathed, win or lose.

I tend to think boxing is worse for your long-term health.

[size]

This was a good article in my opinion. I am glad to see the it made the very important point that the ranges in mma and boxing are quite different. In boxing, the hands are the only concern, in mma, everything is a concern. Consequently, this changes the way one fights. Boxing and MMA are different sports and this needs to be understood.

Another thing that was not discussed in too great detail, is the stance. A boxer stance and an MMA fighter stance is different and the weight in the stance is different. But again, this goes back to the universal point that they are different sports.

It should be noted though, some MMA fighters are terrible strikers. There is no question about it but these fighters tend to be highly skilled in a grappling art. However, I think this sort of fighter will become less common as MMA becomes more mainstream and more of a true professional sport.


About the rubber guard, it is based off the BJJ guard. However, in BJJ many techniques rely on using the gi and hand control(think sleeves on a gi), but in MMA no gi is worn and punches are being thrown. Consequently, the rubber guard is an additional method to control your opponent without using a gi to aid in control. It requires a good deal of flexibility to use effectively. One needs to be able to bring one's knee/leg to ones face or at least rather close as the position requires a leg to virtually be across the upper back or neck. If you are interested in it, JiuJitsu Unleashed by Eddie Bravo is a good read and has good pictures.

[size]

Here is a clip of Eddie Bravo using the rubber guard. Bravo is the guy wearing the head gear.
Rubber Guard by Bravo