Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold can join the ranks of those unimpressed by Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. Jake Paul and his brother Logan quickly entered the consciousness of fight fans all over the world, taking their knack for relentless self-promotion and applying it to the world of combat sports.
Luke Rockhold might know Jake Paul’s name, but he doesn’t think much of him. Rockhold told DC & RC that not only is Jake Paul not a real fighter, but boxing is barely real fighting.
Rockhold: Jake Paul is “not a real fighter”, but not for the reasons you think
“Jake’s tough. Real in what sense? Real, he’s not a professional boxer. He’s a tough kid, and he showed he can withstand and take some shots and keep going. If anything, he’s a decent boxer.
Fighting’s different. Boxing is not fighting, we all have to identify that. You put on gloves onto two guys, to dumb down their version of combative skills to overcome each other, to perform. Boxing is not fighting. Boxing is a performance, it’s a dumbed-down version of fighting.
He’s not a real fighter, no he’s not a real fighter. If he wants to be a real fighter he can step in the game with four-ounce gloves and we can do business, but that’s not the case.”
The notion among mixed martial artists that boxing is a small facet, or inferior version, of fighting, is nothing new. By its nature, boxing is limited only to strikes using the hands. With no kicks, knees, elbows, or grappling, it certainly is limited in scope compared to the broad array of weapons available in MMA.
Of course, mixed martial artists rarely find success against boxers when they step into the ring, so perhaps there’s more to the sweet science than meets the eye. Certainly, the two sports are very different, demanding different disciplines and approaches to fighting.
Besides, one could make the case that MMA is similarly limited as unarmed combat, with many rules and restrictions around the types of strikes allowed. Eye gouges, throat strikes, and groin strikes are all banned in mixed martial arts, with good reason. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to simulate violence in a sporting context.
It should go without saying that, for as long as Jake Paul is training for the boxing ring, he won’t be stepping into the Octagon with four-ounce gloves. However, considering his undefeated record against mixed martial artists – albeit mixed martial artists whose style favored wrestling – perhaps there’s more to Paul than meets the eye.
Do you agree with Luke Rockhold? Is Jake Paul the real deal as a boxer? Is boxing real fighting? Let us know in the comments.
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