By Erwin Lastimosa
Boxing and MMA (mixed martial arts) are both entirely different sports with different sets of rules, the only thing they have in common is they are both fighting sports and combative in nature.
According to a report by Michael David Smith UFC head honcho, Dana White, told famous sports talk radio host, Dan Patrick, that if Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao entered MMA they wouldn’t succeed.
Dana White was on the show promoting the Saturday May 29, UFC PPV between Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans.
The irony of Dana White’s comment is that he signed aging boxing legend, James Toney, to a UFC contract, and rumors are Toney’s first opponent will be UFC vet, Randy Couture. If a boxer has no shot in MMA why sign James Toney?
Dana White claims to be a boxing fan, but signing James Toney and throwing a one dimensional boxer with no ground game against one of the sports more experienced fighters and top wrestlers looks like a “Freak Show” type match, and suggests ulterior motives like using Toney in a way to belittle the sport of boxing.
These type of matches make MMA look like a spectacle more than a sport.
Freddie Roach long time boxing trainer of James Toney also feels that the UFC is just using James Toney to say MMA is better than boxing.
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Erwin Lastimosa is a long time boxing fan and enjoys boxing discussion with his peers. Some of his favorite fighters are Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Muhammad Ali, Flash Elorde, Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao.