Do high level boxers have way better cardio than mma guys?

by **BrockTheBroccoli** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:13 pm

Do high level boxers have way better cardio than high level mma guys?

I don't watch a whole lot of boxing but they seem to be moving a lot crisper and throwing cleaner punches into the 9th 10th 11th 12th round etc.... whereas most MMA fighters are gassed after 3 rounds.

Is it simply due to the different fighting style or do mma guys just not train as hard as boxers or something?

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by **Cornbread Mafia** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:16 pm

boxers get to rest a minute every 3 minutes of fighting whereas mma fighters rest after 5 minutes, that could be part of it

by **mingjuice** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:19 pm

Boxers only have to deal with standup and then only punches. Takedown defense/offense takes a big toll on a persons cardio.

by **TaeKwonDolt** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:25 pm

mingjuice is right.. working off your back or shooting for a take down is hella exhausting..

Boxers also get a lot of breathing time clinching and separating..in fact they can get away with it a lot of the fight if they wanted to

I think the biggest difference though is the time they're able to rest along with the shorter rounds compared to mma which is more like a 15 minute sprint than a dozen plus round marathon

by **Soo__Fuego** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:30 pm

All true.

Also, knowing they have so many rounds to fight, they tend to not throw everything they have into every punch. Most mma fighters throw every punch and kick with everything they have.

by **LiamHillen** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:58 am

Boxers don't wrassle , it's the wrasslin' that takes it outta you

by **Fearless6691** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:04 am

Cornbread Mafia wrote:boxers get to rest a minute every 3 minutes of fighting whereas mma fighters rest after 5 minutes, that could be part of it

Boxers have a lot more rounds

Boxers cardio is more aerobic base
MMA should have a strong anaerobic base

It is just a whole different game, a boxer will be able to come to MMA practices and recover their lungs very well, but if you grapple them their whole body will tire quickly because they do not have that anaerobic engine.

by **agonzalez1** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:13 am

of course

by **likes2fightguy** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:22 am

No... Boxing is an aerobic sport, MMA for the most part is anaerobic.

The most fit of MMA fighters would be able to box 12 rounds imo, whereas boxers would tire significantly in an MMA fight.

by **randomuser** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 4:09 am

likes2fightguy wrote:No... Boxing is an aerobic sport, MMA for the most part is anaerobic.

The most fit of MMA fighters would be able to box 12 rounds imo, whereas boxers would tire significantly in an MMA fight.

Well you're contradicting yourself there because the anaerobic body would find it just as hard and vise-versa but anywho...

I've trained and sparred in boxing on/off since high school but have never competed due to a bunch of factors that I wont get into.
I last year started trading my boxing services (sparring) for grappling so I came to appreciate the hard work that also goes into the grappling side of it. I would say that the thing which wore me out MOST was the short extreme bursts of energy (anaerobic as others mentioned). Different sport so you're last question is actually your answer - "Is it simply due to the different fighting style"

by **likes2fightguy** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 4:38 am

randomuser wrote:
likes2fightguy wrote:No... Boxing is an aerobic sport, MMA for the most part is anaerobic.

The most fit of MMA fighters would be able to box 12 rounds imo, whereas boxers would tire significantly in an MMA fight.

Well you're contradicting yourself there because the anaerobic body would find it just as hard and vise-versa but anywho...

I've trained and sparred in boxing on/off since high school but have never competed due to a bunch of factors that I wont get into.
I last year started trading my boxing services (sparring) for grappling so I came to appreciate the hard work that also goes into the grappling side of it. I would say that the thing which wore me out MOST was the short extreme bursts of energy (anaerobic as others mentioned). Different sport so you're last question is actually your answer - "Is it simply due to the different fighting style"

I should have clarified my statement. MMA can be largely anaerobic, however Most MMA fighters are aerobically fit, where as Boxers are not anaerobically fit , because their sport doesnt require them to be ( generally speaking )... If you compare the two, the aerobic source is the least powerful, and cannot produce enough ATP per second to allow performance of maximal intensity.. But it can supply a virtually limitless supply of energy over a long period of time, which is why Boxers can fight 12 rounds without totally gassing.

So when the OP asks if Boxers have better Cardio, IMO no they dont. They may have slightly better aerobic cardio specific to their sport, but Conversely a well conditioned MMA athlete will be both aerobically and anaerobically fit.

by **JonB** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 8:36 am

Fearless6691 wrote:
Cornbread Mafia wrote:boxers get to rest a minute every 3 minutes of fighting whereas mma fighters rest after 5 minutes, that could be part of it

Boxers have a lot more rounds

Boxers cardio is more aerobic base
MMA should have a strong anaerobic base

It is just a whole different game, a boxer will be able to come to MMA practices and recover their lungs very well, but if you grapple them their whole body will tire quickly because they do not have that anaerobic engine.

This.