The spotlight on MMA in recent times has not gone well with the professional pugilist Jake Paul. Finding himself at loggerheads with the UFC’s key executive, Paul shared his thoughts after a high-visibility bout with ex-heavyweight kingpin Mike Tyson held previous November. He expressed his dissent over the current representation of MMA compared to boxing. According to Paul, MMA no longer holds the charm it once did, and in contrast, boxing is gaining significant attention.
“Compared to its former glory, MMA has lost its essence,” proclaimed Paul. He asserts that boxing is witnessing an unprecedented resurgence. He cited that the preeminent sports event of 2024 was a boxing match, while MMA has started resembling a degraded version of boxing. In Paul’s opinion, MMA has morphed into equivalent kickboxing.
Paul’s critique on MMA centers around the evolution of defensive fighting strategies. He deems that the proficiency of MMA fighters in fending off take-downs and boasting black belt qualifications in jiu-jitsu has led to a lack of subduing maneuvers. Paul articulated that there are extremely few occasions when a fighter is taken down, which according to him are uninteresting. Instead, fighters are primarily focusing on defending take-downs, leading MMA to become similar to kickboxing.
Despite his harsh critique, Paul acknowledged the success of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira. Pereira, originally a kickboxer, has made his mark rapidly in UFC, a recognition that is unusual in today’s saturated MMA world, says Paul, the Ohio-born boxer. He appreciates that Pereira has been exceptional in his performance, making him a standout in the sporting discipline.
Paul highlighted Pereira’s contribution to the sport and emphasized his drawing power. He said, “In MMA, the one who’s hogging all the limelight is none other than Alex Pereira. Why? Because he’s from a kickboxing background, which means he’s adept at scoring knockouts. That’s what happens in every fight, as he’s unbeatable when it comes to take-downs or submissions. He floors everyone by knocking them out.”
Criticizing the dearth of significant decisive strikes per round in MMA matches, Paul underlines the superiority of Boxing. The matches in MMA consist of five-minute rounds, yet they achieve fewer significant strikes than boxing. Hence, Paul firmly believes that boxing will endure the test of time, as it has done over hundreds of years.
He reiterates, “Boxing is a classic sport dating back to the 1500s and has preserved its charm over 500 to 600 years. The evolution of MMA that I’m witnessing gives me the impression it is merely becoming a variant of boxing.” The transformation of MMA into boxing, in his view, is an indicator of boxing’s long-lasting essence and MMA’s wavering popularity.
Following Paul’s comments, UFC CEO White chose not to respond directly. The infamous challenge thrown by White at Paul about undergoing a random drug test, proposed in 2022, was ignored by the boxer. This led to further friction between the two stalwarts of the fighting sports world.
As of now, the likelihood of boxing and MMA co-existing peacefully seems unlikely, except when athletes switch between the two sports. This shift creates some common ground, yet the overall divide between the two sports seems to persist.
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