10 reasons why boxing is better than the UFC

My last top 10 list described why, in my view, the UFC is better than boxing. Here are my top 10 reasons why boxing is better than the UFC:

Number 10. The Olympics. It doesn't really matter that mixed martial arts is not an Olympic sport, it's the amateur program to get there. Fighters who make an Olympic team are a big deal. Some of them become successful professionals, some don't. Regardless, the guy at number 9 below would not have been "golden" without the Olympics.

Number 9. Oscar De La Hoya. I know he's number 9 on the other list; however, he was a one-man pay-per-view wrecking crew for this decade and last--years of amazing growth for the UFC. Oscar alone proved that boxing is not dead, dying, or critically injured.

Number 8. The legends. Out of fairness to the UFC, I'm only looking at boxing legends from 1993 through today, which includes Lennox Lewis, Roy Jones, Jr., Julio Cesar Chavez, Bernard Hopkins, Felix Trinidad, Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Manny Pacquiao, and countless others. Can you name a UFC fighter who has had a similar impact? I can see arguing for Dan Severn, but nobody else. Mark Coleman is in the UFC Hall of Fame and his MMA record is 15 wins, 9 losses. Ken Shamrock is in as well with a 26-11-2 record. Randy Couture? Yeah, he's in with a 16-9 record. A lot to becoming a legend is exposure. UFC guys simply aren't around long enough and don't win enough.

Number 7. "The sweet science." I cringe every time a UFC announcer describes a fighter as having a "boxing background" because I have yet to see any of them display any boxing ability. Can they punch? Sure, in a Ricardo Mayorga sort of way. The better question is can UFC fighters defend against a punch? Sure, in a Ricky Hatton sort of way. Box, wrestle, monkey kung fu, who cares, just show some sweetness.

Number 6. The champions. UFC championships seem to trade hands on a daily basis. Bernard Hopkins was middleweight champion for a decade. His successor, Jermain Taylor, was champion for over two years. The main who took the belts from Taylor, Kelly Pavlik, has been champion since 207. I get it that UFC fighters go to war more often, but that's to be expected in a sport that only has 5 rounds.

Number 5. The history. Joe Louis v Max Schmeling, Sugar Ray Robinson v Jake LaMotta, Evander Holyfield v Riddick Bowe, Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier, Thomas Hearns v Sugar Ray Leonard, Gerry Cooney v Larry Holmes, Manny Pacquiao v Juan Manuel Marquez. I think you get my point.

Number 4. Earth. If the sport of boxing depended on the United States for survival, then I would send flowers to its grave site. Thankfully, we have champions and top contenders from all over the globe. By comparison, the UFC is predominately an American sport that has hosted just a handful of events outside of the States.

Number 3. HBO, Showtime, and ESPN. I fully understand that I am critical of them most of the time; however, I recognize the need for all three. HBO's coverage is normally superb with Showtime keeping pace. ESPN's Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas are the best commentators in the business. Argue with any point on my top 10 list, but the three networks destroy the UFC's commentators. Who are they again?

Number 2. The fans. I rate boxing fans higher than UFC fans for one simple reason--most of them inherited the sport. The UFC has not been around long enough to see it pass from one generation to another and, frankly, it may not be.

Number 1. Manny Pacquiao. I rewrote this paragraph more times than I refill my glass of Jack Daniels on a daily basis. Disclaimer: Manny Pacquiao would not be number 1 on my list without Gerry Penalosa--his idol. Disclaimer: Manny Pacquiao would not be number 1 on my list without Freddie Roach. Now that I've given credit where it is due, Manny Pacquiao IS number 1 because he is not only a future hall-of-famer, but he is on the cusp of history. I'm not talking financial history and I'm not talking about PPV buy records. I am talking boxing history, sports history. Above all else, and perhaps because of everything else, the UFC will never have its version of Manny Pacquiao.

The bottom line is that boxing and mixed martial arts are two different sports with very few similarities. To suggest that one is better than the other, as I have done on purpose, misses the point. A boxer can win by knocking his opponent down. A UFC fighter may only be able to win by voluntarily going to the canvas--apples and oranges. Above all else, however, survival equates to money and money equates to fans. Something both sports need to always remember.