Tomorrow night at UFC 118, boxing and MMA fans will finally see the two sports square off against one another. A world-class combatant, or at least a slightly washed-up world-class combatant, will represent each sport. Randy Couture will be out there trying to prove that MMA is anything but expendable. Meanwhile, James Toney will step into unfamiliar territory, the Octagon, and try to put Captain America’s “lights out.” A Toney victory would represent the sweet science well, opening the door for future boxers to attempt to prove that their sport is the superior fighting brand.
One of the most interesting things about tomorrow night’s AARP clash of the titans is the clashing of the two different styles. Toney will have to contend with wrestling, leg kicks and ground and pound. Even though he’s told us several times he’s not gay, he will almost surely have another man on top of him for most of the night. Meanwhile, if Couture has a weakness besides being older than dirt, it’s his chin. That’s scary considering he’s never faced an opponent with the boxing skills and heavy hands Toney possesses.
The two sports are just as different as the two competitors are. Even Anderson Silva, possibly the greatest MMA fighter we have ever seen, has suffered four losses during his career and nearly lost another fight earlier this month. Sure, he hasn’t lost since a DQ back in 2005, but it still shows you that no fighter can rip through the MMA landscape unscathed. On the flip side, boxers can fight more often and some escape unbeaten, or at least come close. Floyd Mayweather has ever lost. Perhaps the gloves being half as big along with all the submission possibilities combine to result in more MMA upsets? Additionally, the recovery process paired with having to train in multiple disciplines seems to call for longer layoffs. Or maybe boxers just don’t have a Dana White in their face, forcing them to face the stiffest of competition. Instead, they can just pad their record against cupcakes and has-beens, allowing them to fight as often as they like. For instance, Mayweather currently seems to be avoiding Manny Pacquiao. Dude can’t even go to a restaurant that has a Pac-Man arcade game without ducking.
Most importantly, the rules are completely different. I think it’s going to be fascinating to see Toney try to adapt to MMA’s rules, just as I’d find it interesting to see a high-level MMA fighter step inside a boxing ring. I’d love to see Silva box Roy Jones Jr. Hell, we may actually get to see Kimbo Slice fight the latter sometime relatively soon. This event is good for both sports. MMA needs the new eyes and boxing needs a spark. Hopefully, this will just be the first of many boxing-MMA contests.
What better way to prep you for the fight than an infographic primer that not only provides a Couture vs. Toney tale of the tape, but also compares the two sports? FanSided and partner Infographic World (if you like graphics, be sure to check out that site) present Fight Night: Boxing Vs. MMA…
Are you a big fan of infographics? Then definitely be sure to check out Infographic World, official partner of FanSided. Also be sure to follow them on Twitter @InfographicWrld.
Original Story:
http://fansided.com/2010/08/27/fight-...
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