Mayweather Vs De La Hoya

[M2]

Those MMA guys wouldn't get within 2 feet of the best boxers in the world.

I grew up watching the big bouts of the 1970s and not just Ali fights - Carlos Monzon, Carlos Palomino, Alfredo Escalera, Little Red Lopez, Pip Cuevas, Wilfredo Benitez and, the best fighter who ever lived (IMO) Roberto Duran. I'm proud to say I watched fights like the Thrilla in Manilla, Chacon-Boza Edwards II, Holyfield-Qawi I and Ward-Gatti I when they happened. I've got enormous respect for boxers and their craft.

That said, a quality MMA guy would break a boxer apart in short order. Cyclone's being generous about a boxer lasting 90 seconds on the mat. My guess is he'd be choked out or thrown into a kimura within 15 seconds.

[WMR]

Making the MMA guys fight the boxers while respecting the rules of the sweet science would be more interesting, IMO.

[Steve4192]

Making the MMA guys fight the boxers while respecting the rules of the sweet science would be more interesting, IMO.

Nah.

It would be every bit as one-sided (in the opposite direction) as making the boxers fight under MMA rules.

Boxers spend 100% of their training time trying to maximize their ability to land punches above the belt and avoid their opponent's punches above the belt. MMA guys spend 1/3 of their time on wrestling, 1/3 of their time on submissions, and a final 1/3 of their time on striking. Of that 1/3 that they spend on striking, they have to work on techniques both above and below the belt, and deal with strikes from knees, shins, elbows, fists, and even shoulders. All in all, I'd be surprised if an MMA fighter spends 1/10th of the time training only his hands that a boxer does.

As a result, no one should be surprised that boxers have vastly superior boxing skills and would whoop an MMA fighter in a boxing match. I've never heard a single MMA fighter claim he could beat a boxer in a boxing match, but I have heard plenty of boxing apologists claim a world class boxer could breeze through the inferior competition in an MMA match.

[paintmered]

Comparing mixed martial arts and boxing is like comparing baseball and cricket. Just because both sports require hitting a ball with a stick doesn't mean the skills translate between the sports.

[Cyclone792]

Mayweather ran his mouth, and it now looks like he'll be the one officially deciding if he's going to back it up or not since it appears that the UFC is going to make him an offer. I seriously doubt the fight will happen though as we'll likely see Mayweather change his tune.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

LAS VEGAS – UFC president Dana White said Saturday he plans to make Floyd Mayweather Jr. a multi-million dollar offer to fight his lightweight champion after Mayweather's numerous putdowns of mixed martial arts fighters.

About 90 minutes after Mayweather's victory over Oscar De La Hoya, a bout in which he earned $10 million plus a cut of the pay-per-view revenues that could double that figure, White said he was prepared to match Mayweather with UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk.

White wouldn't be pinned down on a specific number, though he said, "I promise you, I will make it worth his while. I will make it very worth his while."

White was undaunted even after hearing of Mayweather's large payday.

"I told you, we can make him a very, very competitive offer if he still feels he can beat one of our guys," White said.

White was so angry at repeated comments made by Mayweather disparaging the UFC and mixed martial artists during the buildup to his fight with De La Hoya that he brought UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta and Sherk to the MGM Grand Garden to make a case for a fight with Mayweather.

Mayweather sent a peace offering to White via UFC vice president Marc Ratner before Saturday's bout. Mayweather told Ratner to tell White he was only kidding when he was ripping the UFC and its fighters.

"Floyd talked to Marc Ratner and he told Marc, 'Tell Dana I love him and all this talk about the UFC was just hype,' " White said. "Floyd and I used to be really close and I was kind of disappointed and (ticked) off with the way he was talking."

As for Sherk, White said, "He loved being here and seeing the atmosphere, and I think he left here believing he'd beat the living (expletive) out of the guy if he ever got the chance."

Here's more on Sherk attending the fight Saturday night ...

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns

SHERK CHASING FLOYD

It's not unusual when a fighter attends a big match and gets a seat at ringside, hoping to land a fight with the winner of the main event.

It is unusual, however, when that fighter is from a different sport.

But such will be the case Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden when mixed martial artist Sean Sherk, the UFC's lightweight champion, will be ringside to watch Mayweather try to lift the super welterweight boxing title from De La Hoya.

Mayweather has recently made a number of critical comments about the UFC and MMA. UFC president Dana White, who along with owner Lorenzo Fertitta will also be ringside, has agreed to make it worthwhile for Mayweather to prove his point if he gets past De La Hoya.

The lightweight division in MMA has a 155-pound limit, while the super welterweight division in boxing has a 154-pound limit.

White has been irritated by Mayweather's putdowns of MMA and has decided to challenge Mayweather to back his words.

"If Floyd is serious and he seriously wants to do this and he's not shooting his mouth off, I'll make him an offer that is definitely worth his while," White said. "I don't think he'd last three minutes with Sherk. He'd be beaten in three minutes, and pretty likely in under a minute, and it would probably be by stoppage or tap-out."

[Roy Tucker]