Depends on who is doing the transitioning.
Askren transitioning into boxing would be much harder than Anderson transitioning to boxing.
Therefore, a blanket statement cannot be made. If we took a human who’s potential and natural abilities to succeed in MMA and boxing are equal, it’s harder to go from boxing to MMA. In MMA, are least you’re training striking. Boxers typically don’t train any facets of MMA besides cardio, footwork, and obviously striking with hands.
Depends on the level.
I don’t see an MMA’er transitioning to boxing and fuckin with Canelo.
Canelo wouldn’t be able to transition to MMA either.
A great champion boxer has the capacity to one day hold a legit MMA world championship. It can happen. Extremely unlikely, but it’s possible.
No MMA champion will EVER transition and win a legitimate boxing world championship. It is literally impossible. Boxing champions are too high level.
Anderson won a shitty 8 round decision against a washed up former title contender who was honestly never great. And that’s legit the most impressive mma-to-boxing performance of all time, because even him winning that was highly improbable on paper. Chavez Jr just happens to suck insanely bad in terms of mindset and discipline, in addition to his unexceptional boxing abilities.
I’ve heard this before, but I think the differences mostly exist due to the overall poor level of striking in MMA.
They don’t count.
Female pro boxers don’t make anything either.
Pretty much this.
A boxer would only have to be competent in other area. Its harder to become an expert in a particular craft. Adensanya had to become a competent wrestler, a competent grappler to become a UFC champion. It wouldve been many folds harder to sharper his boxing craft and become a boxing champion.
Same applies for freestyle wrestling or BJJ. Would it be easier for prime GSP to become an Olympic champion or for Burroughs to become a UFC champion? So its not that boxing is so special.
To add to what you wrote…Anderson beat a former world champion at 160 pounds, who lost his belt in 2012…so as much as people want to say Silva was washed up, he actually held a world title more recently than Chavez jr did, and did it a weight class 25 pounds heavier.
It was still super impressive, and I truly loved experiencing it, but let’s call it what it was.
This…and also, MMA has many different paths to victory. It’s the same reason SOME world champion BJJ guys have great success in MMA. Look at Damian Maia…never won a UFC title, but was in the top 5 for a while and had multiple title shots. It would be rare for someone who started in MMA to transition to Gi BJJ exclusively and be as good as Maia was in MMA.
Maybe so, but to crack the top 10 you need some real skills. Also, in boxing, 5 or six losses and you’re a journeyman. MMA fighters sometimes have losses equal to their wins and are still ranked.
Both sports are tough. In boxing there is no plan B. Can’t take it to the ground when you’re hurt. MMA has more facets, but we’ve yet to see an MMA fighter legit switch to boxing and become high level. Probably best to stay in one’s lane.
I agree with your point, but the 5 losses thing doesn’t keep people out of the top 10. I just looked really quick at the WBC rankings, and clicked on 160 pounds, because it’s closest to the UFC’s 155 pounds, where Conor was before he boxed Floyd. The number 10 ranked guy in the world (Sam Eggington) is 31-7, and he lost to a dude named Ted Cheeseman (who is 17-3-1) in 2020, along with losing to other guys I’ve never heard of.
The number 7 ranked guy is 22-5-2 (Juan Macias Montiel) and I haven’t really heard of any of the guys he fought.
I agree with most of what you’re saying, you get a bunch of losses and you’re unlikely to ever make REAL money in boxing, but there are tons of guys in boxing with several losses that still get title fights. I guess the difference is, in MMA they can still be stars, and in boxing they’re just another dude who lost a title fight for one of their 100 belts.
That’s no bueno. The sanctioning bodies all have stupid discrepancies like that. Hell the WBO has moved fighters up in the rankings months after they died.
You get far more accurate rankings from “unofficial” sources like Ring Magazine or Boxrec, etc. Even a fan made list nets you better info to be honest.
Excellent points.
MMA fighters are mostly okay with jabs, hooks and crosses from the outside, but deficient in the infighting because they get to do muy thai clinches, hand fighting, grappling, knees to the head, etc. Infighting in boxing is dangerous, complex and takes years to master. MMA guys just don’t need to learn boxing infighting, and trying to catch up in the pro ranks is a little late.
Except MMA fighters rarely do any of that well. LOL I get what you’re saying, though.