Within 5 years the UFC will be more popular and have more mainstream acceptance than Boxing.

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May 02, 2007 11:07 AM ET
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Levon (9-5-2) vs TheChampOfSportsTalk.com (9-3-1)

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Levon said 05/02, 11:07 AM
Boxing is more crooked than a politician. Outside of DeLaHoya, no boxer gets any mainstream attention. Fewer and fewer athletes are even starting in boxing. The UFC runs regular programming on Spike, has a deal in the works with HBO and their pay-per-view buy rates continue to climb.

The UFC really has that ???anything can happen??? vibe that made boxing so special (see, Buster Douglas, Foreman winning the title in his 40???s, etc.).

TheChampOfSportsTalk.com said 05/02, 08:06 PM
Boxing has been around for at least 100 more years than the UFC, so I think it will take more than 5 for the UFC to surpass boxing, if it ever does. When there is a big boxing match, its an EVENT, the who's who of society come out, and its front page headline news; as opposed to a UFC title match that goes under the radar, only catching page 2 headlines at best. Boxing is not in the glory days of 20-30 years ago, but is still way more popular and accepted by the mainstream than UFC.

Levon said 05/03, 01:04 PM
What is the next marquee fight after the DeLa Hoya fight? UFC continues to climb in PPV buys while Boxing is declining.
"
The UFC broke the pay-per-view industry's all-time records for a single year of business and generated over $200 million in revenue during 2006, according to two credible media outlets.

Both the Associated Press and the Wrestling Observer have reported that Zuffa's pay-per-view revenue in 2006 exceeded $200 million"

TheChampOfSportsTalk.com said 05/03, 03:43 PM
We arent debating the past, we are debating the now, and in the next 5 years. My point had nothing to do with the past, it has to do with the fact that boxing has been established and mainstream for a long time, so it will not be overtaken by the UFC in 5 years. The Heavyweight Champ is considered the king of the fighting world, not any champ of any weight class in the UFC. Boxers are household names and are part of a tradition that goes way deeper than UFC. UFC has some ways to go.

Levon said 05/03, 10:54 PM
ask the average fan to name a heavyweight outside of Tyson-Hollyfield-Lewis. I consider myself a pretty knowlegable fan and I can't tell you who is the heavyweight champion right now. I know there are too many, of that I am certain. Granted UFC doesn't have great mainstream exposure now, but they are growing and I would venture that within the 18-25 year old crowd UFC is much more popular and well known than boxing, it's mostly the old and out of touch that still kling to the idea that Boxing is relevant. The UFC Dominates in PPV buy rates and revenue, get's primetime exposure on SPIKE, what does Boxing have? The Contender bombed on NBC, despite Stallone and Leonard, what other exposure does boxing get, the graveyard shift on ESPN 8?

TheChampOfSportsTalk.com said 05/03, 11:09 PM
The proof is in the pudding. This fight on saturday is going to be watched by millions, is covered by the mainstream press, and is going to be talked about by all the sports outlets. The biggest fights in the UFC, like Lidell VS Ortiz dont even get a blip on the radar. Until the UFC has some real fights that people care about, and actually get some press, then there is no contest. Boxing is Americas fighting sport

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May 2, 2007 08:17 PM ET

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Most people cant even name one UFC guy. It will never surpass the legacy of Ali, Frazier, Joe Louis, Tyson, Holyfield, Foreman, etc.
Smoke em' Champ.

Mac is the Demon of…

Fort Hood, TX

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May 3, 2007 01:06 PM ET

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I'm not debating the past. Absolutly, Boxing has a rich tradition, but I am talking about now and in the future.

Levon

Pawling , NY

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May 3, 2007 06:24 PM ET

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Say that in your next post not in the Comments

Chuck Norris

Scranton, PA

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May 3, 2007 11:03 PM ET

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Sorry Chuck, they only give you so many character's and I was really responsing to Mac's comment, so it seemed appropriate here. But since I'm in the comment section again and I'm out of posting space above, please allow me to summarize my position:

The facts are indisputable, The UFC routinely blows boxing out of the water in PPV buys, revenue for PPV events and TV exposure. Obviously popularity is harder to quantify, I'm confident that if you ask anybody under the age of 30 they could name 5 UFC fighters a heck of a lot easier than they could name 5 current top contenders in boxing.

I don't want to make it seem that I am anti-boxing, I love the sport, some of my favorite memories were watching Hagler-Leonard, Tyson-Spinx, Tyson-Douglas, the list goes on. But the fact is, Boxing is dying before I very eyes, the UFC is fresh and everything boxing use to be, when boxing actually mattered.

Levon

Pawling , NY

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May 3, 2007 11:12 PM ET

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even still, your arguement was that it will surpass boxing in 5 years, and I think it will take more like 15-20 to be a true competitor as Americas favorite fighting sport . Boxing is a sport of Legends, and UFC has yet to produce a true sports world legend. they dont promote their fights well enough, and even though it is making so much money and popularity, it stil ldoesnt carry the weight of boxing

TheChampOfSportsTalk…

The Bay Area, CA

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May 3, 2007 11:23 PM ET

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Obviously the DeLa Hoya fight is going to be huge but to me it feels more like a last hurrah. What other fight is out there that people will care about? Nobody has answered that question yet.

Boxing is a sport of Legends but who is there to carry the sport forward? DeLa Hoya is almost done who does that leave?

I think the UFC just needs one "special" athlete that captures the public's imagination, like Ali and Tyson did for boxing.

Levon

Pawling , NY

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May 4, 2007 12:51 AM ET

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I think that my point is made in the fact that it doesnt matter who the next big fight is, there will always be one. I hear Lewis will come out of retirement to face Klitcschko, but it matters not! The UFC, like you eluded to, is still not in possession of any 'special' athlete/personality to bring the sport into the mainstream the same way that boxing is

TheChampOfSportsTalk…

The Bay Area, CA

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