Justin Gaethje gave boxers a reality check about entering the Octagon. Read on to find out what he said about the crossover battle.
Justin Gaethje is one of the most violent fighters in the UFC. The former interim lightweight champion is fresh off an impressive knockout win over Dustin Poirier. And in every conversation between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, Gaethje expressed his opinion on the concept of crossover martial arts.
Also read: Why do MMA stars step into the boxing ring when boxers avoid the MMA Octagon?
Last week, the fight between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou became the talk of the sports world. Despite a great performance, Ngannou lost a controversial split decision. And the heavyweight bout made him one of the biggest crossover martial arts events in history.
‘Less money, more pain’ – Justin Gaethje reveals why boxers don’t step into the Octagon
While there is an ongoing debate about MMA and boxing, the fact remains that MMA fighters step into the boxing ring. Additionally, no MMA fighter has ever won a major crossover match in a boxing ring. But Gaethje has an interesting perspective on the issue.
Speaking to ESPN MMA and Marc Raimondi ahead of the Fury vs. Ngannou event, The Highlight said, “That’s like saying boxing needs an MMA win. That’s not going to happen.” That shouldn’t happen. can? Of course! But that won’t happen. ”
The former interim champion explained why boxers never step into the Octagon. “Why on earth would they (boxers) do that?” Less money, more pain, more embarrassment, much less opportunity…absolutely not. That would be stupid of them,” Gaethje said.
These comments may seem a bit harsh, but I couldn’t agree more. That’s not to say boxing isn’t a dangerous sport. Boxing has also seen some serious injuries and life-threatening situations. However, MMA offers more opportunities for attacks and therefore higher risk.
Concerns about kicks, takedowns, chokes, and the fact that fighters can pursue knockdowns with ground and pound make MMA even more dangerous. Moreover, that amount is only a fraction of what boxers earn in events of similar size. So Justin Gaethje is right. It’s hard to imagine a situation where a boxer would switch to MMA.
What do you think about these comments by Justin Gaethje? Do you think he is biased against mixed martial artists?
