Couture vs. Toney; is not UFC vs Boxing...Your Thoughts, PLEASE?

Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts or more directly The U.F.C. have had somewhat of a rivalry for the last few years,and ever since the emergence of The U.F.C as a mainstream sport that rivalry has only gotten bigger.

Everything from U.F.C and W.E.C fighters calling out Boxers to Boxers suggesting that they could easily compete in Mixed Martial Arts to Boxing and M.M.A being on the same showcase.

Rather we as Boxing fans admit it or not M.M.A. is a growing sport and has to some degree invaded grounds that was once reserved for just Boxing.

Recently James "lights Out" Toney made the transition from Boxing to M.M.A and in his first fight they match him with Randy Couture of all people, so here you have in Toney a fighter that's never had any type of experience in M.M.A or ground fighting against a former world champion and Olympic wrestler.

For someone on the outside looking in it really seams like Dana White has a hidden agenda here, he gets a well know Boxer into the ring with a marquee name fighter, gets him beat up and their you have it a Boxer can't compete in the U.F.C and our guys are tougher than yours.

I'm a fan of M.M.A but to think someone like James Toney who hasn't been in great shape for Boxing match with weights well over 250 is going to step inside the octagon and beat an All-Time Great in Randy Couture is totally unrealistic.

I think this fight is nothing more than a set up.

I am quite interested on the emerging rivalry between the MMA and Boxing. James "lights out" Toney had his moments during his boxing career, the same goes to Randy "the Natural" Cotoure. But as every one said, MMA (UFC) and boxing are very differrent sport. If you will notice:

1. Rounds are few in UFC (3-5?) and then boxing before has more than 15 rounds (now 12). If I am correct Boxing has a 50 rounds back then but because of the concern on the welfare of the boxers, it was tone down to just 12 today.

2. The weight class of boxing & UFC are quite also different. i.e. UFC's welterweight limt is 175 while boxing has a Jr. Welter at 140 and welter at 147 and super welter at 154.

3. The dominant battle position in UFC is at the ground. Meaning almost all of the time spent during rounds, fighters are lying in the floor are trying their best to prevent submissions and bad positions that may lead to serious beatings. Some kind of a wrestling match although in some cases KD and KO may happen when fighters decides to fight in upright standing positions. While in boxing, the battle is in standing position always, the bout will be dictated who has the best of the following: offense (ability to get points), defensive skill (blocking and dodging punches), agility (dancing on their practiced footwork), stamina (compared to UFC, boxers must have high level of stamina to continue noxing up to more than 10 rounds). What is common on both UFC and boxing is that a big PUNCHER have an advantage on fights, Also you can site SPEED as both can be used on both.

So if two things have different inherent characteristics, rules, pointing system, you can't compare apples with lemons. Two are both fruits but can be tasted differently.☺Humbleop

Both are combat sports with different set of rules. Mixed Martial Arts means that the sport uses as many techniques as a combatant (competitor) within a set of rules to include boxing or dirty boxing, to karate, jiu-jitsu, muay thai, and many other art forms with each discipline hard to master. In boxing comes your traditional sport with a lot of history and science behind it. It is a martial art form that is hard to master and requires time and sparring with quality fighters. An MMA fighter may be proficient in boxing but may never be in the caliber of seasoned pro or even an experienced amateur. While Anderson Silva may be the number one pound for pound fighter in MMA as of the moment, it is true that he once was a boxer who lost to ordinary fighters not to long ago.

Toney is the better puncher but that’s it, Couture is the better fighter. The only chance Toney has is a lucky flash KO in the opening few seconds. Couture will own him.

Wow, UFC & Boxing are entirely different sport.. I'm curious what kind of rules they'll make to make both ends fight fair-and-square and i can't seem to imagine that a boxer would be taken down & put into submission & forces him to tap out..lols

James Toney is the one saying that its UFC vs Boxing

I've already seen UFC vs. Boxing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUx9OE7DZAo

@Cool Guy: Yeah I know Tim Sylvia was a bit out of it, but his time was a lot more recent compared to Mercer who was in his 40s! And Kimbo was in his prime!

@ ragdefen

Ray mercer got his a$$ kicked by kimbo slice, a street fighter, tim sillvia was never that good, I want u 2 put any boxer against lesnar or any mma fighter with a wrestling background.

That fight will only show how over the hill they are.