Originally Posted by
MD
Mixed martial arts isn't boxing. "Training MMA" is a new concept; the majority of successful mixed martial artists have been training in martial arts since they were young, but have only been training concepts specific to the sport for a short amount of time. Brock Lesnar was one of the greatest heavyweight collegiate wrestlers of all time. The skills that it takes to succeed in MMA are different to the skills it takes to succeed in boxing, because less-athletic guys can use strategy and intelligence to beat more athletic guys to a greater degree than is possible in boxing. With more variety comes a greater opportunity for wiggle room when it comes to athleticism. I'm not sure how long that will last, as the overall standard of athleticism is going up rapidly.
Another concept that would probably be difficult for you to understand if you don't watch MMA is that it's often pointless to approach MMA striking from the perspective of, say, boxing or kickboxing. World-class strikers can be completely outclassed by guys who have been striking for just a couple of years, because when grappling, clinching, and other MMA-specific factors are considered, the striking game becomes a lot more complex. If James Toney actually had a gameplan and had any desire to try and beat Randy Couture, he probably would have went in with his hands down by his waist for the entire fight in an attempt to stop takedowns. In that position, how likely is it that Toney, an ageing world champion boxer with a big size edge, out-strikes Couture, an even more ageing former army boxer? "Not very" would be my answer. Floyd Mayweather would stand almost no chance against Jose Aldo (the UFC's 145lb champion) in a kickboxing match, as Aldo would stand almost no chance in a boxing match against Mayweather.
tl;dr MMA is an art unto itself and it's difficult to compare it to boxing.