NOVEMBER has been an eventful month for combat sports. At UFC 167 , Georges St. Pierre defended his welterweight title over Johny Hendricks in a somewhat controversial split-decision. This was followed a week later by the mega-event in Macau on the 24th of November where Manny Pacquiao dominated Brandon Rios, giving the fading popularity of professional boxing another glimmer of hope, and opening up the possibility of another run at the pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather. Boxing has been struggling for a few years now as there are fewer stars that attract huge gates and pay per view purchases, and while Pacquiao’s comeback win could give another lifeline to boxing promotions to sort out their issues and find a way forward, the lure of mixed martial arts (“MMA”) has been steadily captivating more fans globally than boxing has in recent times. While St. Pierre is the biggest star that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has in its fold, he is not the only bankable star that the UFC has in its studded roster. As the UFC celebrates 20 years since in its inception, MMA has become the defining combat sport of this era. MMA, features multi-discipline fights and fighters and the UFC has a virtual monopoly on MMA promotions worldwide. The UFC routinely broadcasts its live fight cards in India and is today the best known promotion in all of combat sports across the world. Accompanied by the broadcast in India of the reality series ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, and with other smaller promotions’ cards being broadcast on Indian television, exposure to MMA and now professional boxing is no longer fraught with barriers to viewership.
Unlike boxing which features a single discipline, MMA has a no holds barred style that has led to its popularity increasing. The frequency with which fight cards are held in MMA and the high quality of the matchups ensures its growing popularity. And, it helps that many Olympians and collegiate champions turn to MMA for their professional careers. With a newly added women’s division with a star champion Ronda Rousey, and young champs in the men’s weight categories such as Jon Jones (Light heavyweight), Chris Weidman (Middleweight) and Cain Velasquez (Heavyweight), the future of MMA looks bright. MMA’s growing popularity is reflected in an Indian promotion- the Super Fight League featuring mostly Indian fighters and broadcasted on a respected sports channel. Now, the UFC is said to be looking at hosting an event in India soon.
In boxing, things are somewhat less certain. While Floyd Mayweather, the pound for pound king recently defeated his closest challenger Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, the diminishing skills and bankability of others is hurting the sport. Pacquiao’s win could help in making Asia the next destination for successful and lucrative fight cards, but it’s unlikely that he will fight beyond 2015, leaving a void that will be hard to fill. There are some fighters who are making waves, such as the hard-hitting Gennady Golovkin or the technically unsurpassable Andre Ward, but most of the best fights aren’t getting made due to a variety of reasons.
Today, professional boxing is faced with certain internal and external challenges that have led to its popularity waning globally. The biggest challenges for boxing recently have been the bickering between the two USA promotions that between them represent the best boxers in the world- Top Rank and Golden Boy. With inter-promotion fights no longer taking place the best matchups get scuttled, even where the fighters are keen to fight each other. Another disturbing trend is the inability of top fighters to agree to terms with each other and make the best fights happen, for example the much publicized dispute between Pacquiao- Mayweather. Between the bickering and the ego battles, the fight never took place, and boxing fans were left wondering what could have been. This has become the norm.
Another issue that is hurting boxing is the dilution of championship belts due to there being a surplus of sanctioning bodies with lightly regarded and irrelevant titles. Boxing still has enough going for it to justify a handful of successful pay per view fight cards each year but a lot depends on the promotions resolving their issues, and finding a sustainable revenue model. Luckily, amateur boxing is still reasonably secure because politics haven’t yet affected it much, and with the World Series of Boxing as well as the World Championships, it remains an exciting Olympic sport. That said, boxing just isn’t tapping its potential optimally today.
MMA is in good shape because the talent pool remains deep, and the best fights routinely get made. The UFC has increased MMA’s popularity and its relevance, and its champions are now household names. Boxing too remains popular and with potential although admittedly there are gaps between the fans’ expectations and the reality in professional boxing. All said and done however combat sports today are exciting and relevant both as Olympic disciplines for each martial art and boxing, as well as in the professional sports realm.