Victory of boxing over MMA?

Was the outcome in last weekend’s Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight a victory for boxing over MMA, considering both combat sports are competing to attract basically the same audience? Mayweather exposed McGregor as unfit for boxing as he toyed with the Irishman in the early going then stopped him in the 10th round. It appeared that McGregor was able to hit Mayweather only when Money allowed in a strategy to punch himself out.

McGregor is 11 years younger than Mayweather but couldn’t keep pace with the 40-year-old boxer. In MMA, the longest McGregor has gone is five rounds and that was only once in a 24-fight career. In boxing, a round is three minutes but in MMA, it’s five. By the ninth round, McGregor had little gas left in his tank, his legs were rubbery, his arms weighed a ton. Two of the three judges scored the ninth 10-8 for Mayweather even as McGregor never hit the deck. It was also evident that with eight-ounce gloves, McGregor packed no sting in his blows. Mayweather either parried McGregor’s shots or walked through the powder-puff punches. McGregor has knocked out 18 opponents in MMA bouts using four-ounce gloves. The bigger the gloves, the less impact in punches because of the heavier padding.

GAB chairman Baham Mitra said the result was inconsequential in the forever debate as to which is tougher – boxing or MMA. Mitra said he’s attended MMA cards organized by ONE Championships and URCC in Manila. “MMA’s become very popular,” he said. “An MMA card is like a social event with guys coming in suits and women dressed up in high-fashion clothes. It’s making a mark in combat sports. But the Mayweather-McGregor fight didn’t make MMA or boxing more or less popular. It was just a show, short of a circus, like an exhibition. It was a business proposition. We all know Mayweather. He wouldn’t have agreed to the fight if not for the money.”

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What Mayweather established in halting McGregor was in boxing, there is more art and science than in MMA. There is more strategy and tactics. And boxers are in better shape to survive the long haul than MMA fighters. However, the rules in both sports are completely different so that it would be unfair to compare how fighters prepare for boxing and MMA.

After stopping McGregor, Mayweather announced his retirement. But credibility isn’t something that Mayweather enjoys in his love-hate relationship with the public. Fans realize he’s unretired at least four times. Mayweather said he stood up to McGregor and engaged because he was criticized for fighting defensively against Manny Pacquiao two years ago. His mention of Pacquiao meant the Filipino icon remains in his consciousness. Mayweather can’t seem to shake off Pacquiao particularly as there’s a cloud of doubt on the legitimacy of his win on points.

And if Pacquiao is still on Mayweather’s mind, maybe a rematch isn’t a far-fetched idea especially if the fighting Senator beats the heck out of Jeff Horn when they meet again late this year. Mayweather is a businessman first and a fighter second. He won’t turn away from another multi-million dollar payday if Pacquiao comes knocking on his door.

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As for the Pacquiao-Horn rematch, tentatively set on Nov. 12, veteran international WBA-licensed ring official Silvestre Abainza said the WBO should designate a competent Las Vegas referee like Kenny Bayless. The WBO is the sanctioning body for the return fight as Horn will be the defending WBO welterweight champion and Pacquiao the challenger. He also said the judges should come from neutral countries – one from Latin America, one from Asia and one from Europe.

“I’m convinced that if (referee Mark) Nelson didn’t allow Horn to do what he did (in their fight in Brisbane last July), Manny would’ve knocked him out,” said Abainza. “Manny almost knocked out Horn in the ninth round but didn’t finish him off. Horn kept leaning on Manny to tire him out. In a rematch, Manny will knock him out if the referee is fair.”

Was Nelson influenced by the hometown crowd? “I don’t think it’s human nature to be influenced by the hospitality of the host country,” said Abainza. “I remember when I was a referee in Panama, it didn’t matter who the hosts were. I went out there to do my job to the best of my ability without being influenced by anybody.”