Daniel Cormier compared two major combat sports events on September 13 and came away convinced that MMA offers a better spectacle than boxing.
That night, boxing took center stage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as Terence Crawford moved up two weight classes to defeat Canelo Alvarez in a blockbuster Netflix main event for the undisputed super middleweight title. Widely billed as one of the sport’s biggest matchups in recent memory, Crawford’s victory cemented his legacy among boxing’s all-time greats.
But while the bout had star power and high stakes, Cormier found himself more entertained by the UFC’s Noche UFC card in San Antonio, headlined by Diego Lopes’ victory over Jean Silva.
“After watching ‘Bud’ fight Canelo, which was a good fight, I realize more and more that MMA is just a much funner sport,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I know we didn’t have the name recognition on Noche UFC, but I just had a much better time watching the MMA fights as opposed to the boxing fights. And that was one of the best fights we could have had in boxing.”
Cormier acknowledged that Alvarez vs Crawford delivered but argued that MMA consistently produces more excitement. “It wasn’t a boring fight, but MMA was just much more fun. At times, boxing gets ridiculous — Gervonta Davis is fighting Jake Paul,” he added.
Cormier also cast doubt on UFC CEO Dana White’s plan to reshape boxing with Zuffa Boxing in 2026. White has proposed a boxing version of the Contender Series, where top prospects would face tough competition much earlier in their careers.
“Does that work in boxing? … Most boxers, especially the good ones, they don’t start seeing real competition until 18, 19, 20-0. Dana’s now saying, ‘I want these guys to fight each other much sooner,’” Cormier said on ESPN’s Good Guy/Bad Guy. “I don’t know if you can apply that to boxing. Boxing is just different.”
