Combat Showdown: Boxing vs Martial Arts - The Key Differences

The differences between boxing and martial arts explained

Boxing and martial arts are similar combat sports yet differ greatly in the types of strikes, styles, techniques and rules.

In recent years, we have seen many crossover stars, such as Conor McGregor and Francis Ngannou who transitioned from the UFC to professional boxing, and it also goes the other way too, with Claressa Shields and her British rival Savannah Marshall both competing in MMA bouts during 2024.

So when these sports so often converge, it must mean the skills required are obviously similar and transferable, which is true, but there’s also a lot of differences too. Read on to find out what they are.

Rules

Firstly, the rules involved are hugely different. Boxing only allows punches, whereas martial arts can be a mixture of kicks and punches, as well as takedowns and holds.

In combat sports such as MMA, karate, muay thai, judo and taekwondo, a mixture of kicks, punches, open-hand strikes, including use of hands, elbows, knees, even backfists, are all permitted, as well as throws, locks and takedowns.

In boxing, the rules are very strict, fighters are only allowed to use punches, which have to be kept up above the belt line. Referees in boxing are very hands-on when officiating bouts to ensure the fights are as safe as possible, regularly warning boxers to keep their punches up, to not hit around the back of the head, to not hold excessively, to watch the use of their heads and more. 

Referees can even warn boxers for showboating. Flashy light-heavyweight Ben Whittaker has been warned by refs for spinning around as he puts on a show for the crowds; he’s even been reprimanded for showing off excessively too!

The Differences Between Boxing and MMA

Weights – Boxing has 17 weight classes, but MMA has less with 14. The most popular MMA promotion, the UFC, only has seven weight divisions

Rounds – Boxing has three-minute rounds, with one-minute breaks in between each round, and these range from four-rounds all the way up to 12. MMA has three five-minute rounds, with one-minute breaks. 

An MMA championship match is extended to five five-minute rounds, meaning it could last up to 25 minutes. A world championship contest in boxing consists of 12 three-minute rounds, lasting up to 36 minutes.

Gloves – Boxing gloves are mostly 8oz and padded, but in MMA they use open-finger gloves to allow fighters to grab and grip. These will offer far less protection at 4-6oz.

Rings – Boxing rings are squared shaped, usually between 16-24ft. MMA fights take place in a steel cage, the UFC notably using the octagon shape, usually around 36ft in diameter.

When analysing the two separate lists above in numbers, it’s evident to see that successful MMA fighters do not necessarily become successful boxers, with just one from the list of five enjoying a winning record in both sports.

The most likely reason for this is that boxing is just one part of MMA training and not a full-time discipline, so when crossing over and focusing on this one fighting ability, it’s going to be hard to compete with athletes that have been honing their boxing skills for many years. 

When viewing the boxers that have crossed over to MMA, their results have been more fruitful, with nearly all of them collecting winning records in both disciplines. 

This could arguably be down to the other disciplines outside of boxing, such as takedowns, wrestling, grappling and holds requiring less skill to master.