Saturday night, May 5th, two battle-hardened combatants entered the ring in Vegas to fight the fight many were anticipating would be the biggest boxing match of this decade. With three years remaining, that is yet to be seen. But, judging by the way boxing has allowed cartoonish characters like Don King to steal any and all suspense from the sport, it seems a fair assumption. Indeed, many are not only calling this the biggest, but also the last, big bout of the decade. Unless, of course, there is a rematch.
Enter the UFC, the leading power in Mixed Martial Arts, the fastest growing sport in America and much of the rest of the world.
The UFC seems to be making many in the boxing world feel a little defensive about the integrity of their long and storied sport. Everyone from Floyd Mayweather Jr. himself, all the way down to writers like Mike Freeman from CBS Sportsline, have felt the need to jump to the defense of an aging sport that seems to have lost its punch.
Mayweather, for his part, calls UFC a piece of human excrement and said he would give Chuck Liddell, the reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion a million bucks out of his own pocket if Liddell fought against, and beat, a similarly weighted pure boxer. Of course, he would only agree to promote the fight and guarantee the purse if Liddell agreed to do it under the banner of Mayweather Promotions. One could realistically assume this is because he understands that he might be an old man before any two boxers would have the drawing power such a match would have.
Freeman’s vindictive anti-UFC columns are entirely laughable, and pretty much reversible. He calls many UFC fighters thugs and ruffians. He is, of course, right. But so are many boxers, which he fails to mention. He overlooks the fact that most people, in general, who decide to make a career out of hurting others could be labeled as thugs or ruffians by those of us who choose otherwise.
Freeman’s anger at the UFC is biased to the point that his diatribes are a blemish on sports writing and an embarrassment to those of us who take pride in our work. His lack of education shines like a beacon to those of us who have one, although he may lay claim to one himself.
Even a “human cockfighter,” a “former nightclub bouncer, knuckle cracker and parolee” like Chuck Liddell – to use Freeman’s descriptions of UFC fighters - would quickly dismiss Freeman as a joker. Then again, Liddell is actually educated, having an accounting degree from Cal Poly.
Freeman also called Saturday’s fight a “glorious bout,” and waxes fantastical about De La Hoya and Mayweather as if they were holding this fight together as a show of strength and support for the sport they love. Right. I’m sure that is why they are there, and not the tens of millions of dollars they stood to reap.
Basically, his whole article is so punch-drunk and one-sided, one must assume he was told to write something that would stir the boxing vs. UFC pot, while boxing still had a stick to stir with. The parent company of CBS is Viacom, which also happens to own Spike TV, the stepping stone upon which the UFC owes its popularity. Any publicity is good publicity, right? Freeman’s rants certainly did get picked up on by other media, with most – even boxing – publications finding it unrealistic, low-brow and a low blow.
Some on the boxing side of this UFC vs. boxing argument have but one side. They refuse to even consider the possibility of giving respect to the “fad” fighting sport that is UFC. They are dinosaurs, and this is what they say: “We are better. You guys suck.”
That’s it. Think they would try to back up what they say? I doubt it, that ain’t their style. If you think they have the nerve to actually climb into a ring with a UFC fighter, though, you can bet on that possibility, and the results, in the BetUS.com sportsbook.
UFC President Dana White has offered to have Mayweather fight UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk, who weighs in at 155 pounds. Regarding Mayweather’s comments about UFC, White had this to say, “"I used to talk like Floyd Mayweather when I was involved in boxing. I talked just like him, until I educated myself about this sport. These guys are amazing athletes, Floyd Mayweather is one of the best boxers ever, (and) Sean Sherk will whoop his ass in under two minutes."
Mayweather, after his win by split-decision over De La Hoya, apologized to Dana White and the owners of UFC, saying he was only trying to stir hype and that he has full respect for UFC fighters. He also said he has no plans to fight mixed martial arts.
Of course he would say that. He knows he stands a much better chance of getting hurt fighting MMA for five minutes than he does by standing in a boxing ring, circling around with Oscar De La Hoya for over half an hour.
I mean, come on, people. When the supposed two best fighters in their weight class in boxing both come out of 36 minutes of “fighting” each other and neither has barely a scratch? Those of us not trying to pull the wool over sports fans’ eyes might call it dancing. A UFC fighter might call it napping. Someone looking for an exciting boxing match would definitely call it a waste of time.
So, will Mayweather step up to the plate and accept a challenge to fight a UFC fighter? BetUS oddsmakers have that chance listed at -250. In other words, they think there is a good chance it will happen. I am not so sure.
Just like I don’t think it very likely that a “journalist” like Mr. Freeman can write either well, truthfully or objectively, neither do I think it likely that Mayweather will have the balls to accept a fight in an arena where a real one would actually take place.
If you believe White, when he says Mayweather will get absolutely destroyed if he accepts White’s challenge, you can get +1000 odds that Mayweather will be knocked out in under two minutes.
That’s something I’d put my money on! And I would be willing to bet that Mike Freeman, for all his trash talking and name-calling, would do the same.
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