[Amorphis]

ESPN has been dabbling around with the UFC for quite a while now. If you remember, ESPN broadcast the live weighin back at UFC 44 for Tito and Randy. If you watch the bonus crap on that DVD, they talk about that. And over the past year or so, there have been many MMA related interviews done on ESPN. Bas Rutten was interviewed before he was supposed to fight Kimo, Matt Hughes has been on, GSP, Dana White, etc... And ESPN's Page 2 has had a bunch of UFC related articles over the past couple years.

[kevincoplen]

Originally Posted by Monster33

Floyd wouldn't get in the ring or the octagon with Chuck Liddell. Not in a million years. His opinion means jack to me. UFC is the future. Boxing is the past. For me he nail in the coffin was when I heard Evander Holyfield talking about the UFC and saying that he doesn't want anybody kicking him. He sounded a little scared and it's obvious he knows that he'd be S.O.L. against an MMA fighter. A real fighter.

Floyd is a lot smaller than Chuck, but that being said he wouldn't want to fight anyone his size in mma.

[registered2001]

Good news.

[chadnuzum]

It would be nice to see the UFC on Sportscenter. Then we know the sport is "mainstream"

[AZMMA81]

Originally Posted by DeadManWalking

dana white would stomp don king. fuck i would pay to see it

I don't know, I think Don King just might shank him. He's done it before :-/

As for the article, I think it's great to see mainstream people sticking it to boxing in favor of the UFC. The numbers don't lie and the numbers in the US say that people in the target demo (Males 18-49) much prefer the UFC (and MMA by proxy)over professional boxing. While PBF v DLH will undoubtedly bring in a massive audience, thats become the exception rather than the rule. MMA is here to stay and is on the fast track to becoming the undisputed #1 combat sport in the world!

[sublimeonskunk]

Originally Posted by jjj83

Floyd has a point. Most contending boxers would need only 1-2 years of TDD and grappling training to become serious championship UFC contenders. On the other hand, would any of the top MMA guys be any threat to a boxing title holder?? Give Floyd a year and he'd demolish the 156 lb class.

Right now, an MMA fighter would beat a top boxer. But that top boxer is "just around the corner" from annihilating most MMA fighters. CC (though he's a former kickboxer) learned TTD and look at him now. Butterbean even beat a Pride fighter.

Learned TDD my ass, man the is natural, no one else has natural TDD like him, that is ludicrious who else can you give an example of, plenty of other kickboxers have come in and noone has really had sucess like Crocop, that just stupid, Not everyone can wrestle or knows how to control their body like it is nec. to not get taken down, and even fewer can do that and throw standing. Which makes MMA special in my opinion. Im sorry, but what you said is just ignorant. Most people for that matter cant stop the takedown for someone who can wrestle so the BJJ better be up to par. Sorry man, but fuck no.

[IAHawkeye]

Although this might have been the easiest article to spot, it isn't quite the first. I actually read about the PRIDE acquisition on ESPN.com, and as Amorphis stated, there's been a few articles written in the Page2 section of the website, including an article by this same journalist a few months ago. It is definitely good to see, however, and I'd love to see MMA get a sub page.

[jerryseinfeld]

floyd is a jackass. he shouldn't be disrespecting mma athletes, its far harder than boxing. i think bruce lee said something once along the lines of 'the more rules it has, the less like a real fight it is' and thats all i really have to say about boxing.

[Ninja>Shogun]

Originally Posted by Summoner10

...... Did pretty boy Floyd just get owned by some EPSN chick writer?

Yes, yes he did.

[Prodigal Son]

Originally Posted by jjj83

Floyd has a point. Most contending boxers would need only 1-2 years of TDD and grappling training to become serious championship UFC contenders. On the other hand, would any of the top MMA guys be any threat to a boxing title holder?? Give Floyd a year and he'd demolish the 156 lb class.

Right now, an MMA fighter would beat a top boxer. But that top boxer is "just around the corner" from annihilating most MMA fighters. CC (though he's a former kickboxer) learned TTD and look at him now. Butterbean even beat a Pride fighter.

Not sure why people assume that a boxer or even a decent striker is going to learn such great takedown defense in such a short amount of time, lots of fighters are great strikers, superior to many MMA fighters but not that many have made the transition and have that solid takedown and sub defense.