Justin Gaethje is one of the most violent fighters in the UFC. The former lightweight interim champion is fresh off a scintillating knockout win over Dustin Poirier. And amidst all the Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou talk, Gaethje has had his say on the concept of crossover combat sports.
READ ALSO: Why MMA Stars Step Into Boxing Rings, While Boxers Shy Away From the MMA Octagon?
The Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou was a big talking point in the sport over the last week. Despite putting on an impressive, Ngannou lost a controversial split decision. And the heavyweight clash became one of the biggest crossover combat sports events ever.
“Less Money, More Pain”- Justin Gaethje Reveals Why Boxers Don’t Enter the Octagon
Justin Gaethje gets brutally honest about boxers
While there is a constant debate about MMA and boxing, the fact still remains that MMA fighters come over to the boxing ring. Moreover, no MMA fighters have won in the boxing ring in any of the big crossover fights. However, Gaethje has an interesting take on the matter.
Speaking to ESPN MMA and Marc Raimondi ahead of the Fury vs Ngannou event, ‘The Highlight’ said, “That’s like saying boxing needs a win in MMA. It’s not going to happen. It’s not supposed to happen. Can it? Of course! But it’s not supposed to happen.”
The former interim champion then explained why boxers will never enter the octagon. “Why the hell would they [boxers] do that? Less money, more pain, more embarrassment, plenty less chances… absolutely not. That would be stupid of them,” said Gaethje.
While these comments may seem a little harsh, we cannot agree more. It’s not that boxing is not a dangerous sport. We have witnessed some extreme injuries and life-threatening circumstances in boxing. However, with MMA, the risk is higher since there are more ways to attack.
Having to worry about kicks, takedowns, getting choked out, and the fact that fighters can follow up knockdowns for ground and pound makes MMA much more dangerous. Moreover, the money is a fraction of what boxers make for a similar scale of events. Therefore, Justin Gaethje is right. It is difficult to see a situation where a boxer moves to MMA.
What do you make of these comments from Justin Gaethje? Do you think he is being biased towards MMA fighters?
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