Sweet Silence: Why the Debate was Over before UFC 118

Although tonight's main event at UFC 118 will feature a rematch after the somewhat controversial Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn title fight from Abu Dhabi, it seems that most eyes are concentrated on the co-main event. A fight that brings years of comparison and debate to a head. A fight that embodies the spirit of the argument itself -- MMA vs. Boxing.

Many eyes will be on Randy Couture vs. James Toney, especially those belonging mainstream sports writers and pundits from both sides of the divide. James Toney has been extremely vocal about his desire to KO Couture and make a statement about the more dominant sport. His interviews have been brash and boastful enough to make even Chael Sonnen blush. Couture comes to the fight with his same soft-spoken demeanor and unwavering confidence. He has said little with regard to the sport vs. sport debate, and he doesn't need to. His stance is that he has a job to do, and that job is to win.

James Toney is a great talent in the boxing ring. His pugilistic career spans 20 years, and at a 72-6-3-2 record, he has walked away with a raised hand in nearly 87% of his fights. That doesn't come by accident. In a sport where anyone has a puncher's chance (See Serra vs. GSP), he has the opportunity to KO Couture. He has the chance to make the statement he things he will.

And none of that matters, because Toney's odds of winning are about as good as the chance of an Art Jimmerson comeback.

This is not a one-dimensional sport. By that, I mean there is so much more to it than striking. I understand there are variant boxing styles. There are power strikers, technical strikers, multiple stances, it is a complex and dignified sport. I can't take that away from the sport. However, while the fight itself hearkens back to the style vs. style days of the earliest UFC events, much has changed about the promotion, and the sport once simply known as NHB (No Holds Barred).

This is not like Royce Gracie's vs. Jimmerson, where it's the Jiu-Jitsu master versus the Golden Gloves champion. MMA has evolved by necessity. To be successful, one must master multiple crafts. Striking, grappling, submissions, clinch work, cage control... it is a more dynamic sport for these reasons.

Boxing has not drastically changed since the early part of the 20th century. While the caliber of athletes to put on the gloves may have escalated, the same principles remain.

That being the case, unless James Toney is a savant, he doesn't have a prayer. And the sport of MMA will forever be a more challenging sport for fighters.

It is perhaps serendipitous that just this week, Kimbo Slice announced his intent to make the jump from the cage to try his hand at boxing. While his street fighting knockouts are well documented, his MMA career is even more notorious for his shoddy ground game.

That is why UFC 118, while it promises to be entertaining, will not ultimately matter in this debate. The truth has been out there for years.

Additionally, from a business perspective, the UFC has had boxing's number for years. Since the rapid ascent of the UFC into the mainstream from the mid-2000's on, the sport of MMA has been eternally compared to the sweet science. It is a fact that UFC owns 8 out of the top 10 sports PPV's annually. One of the other spots belongs to WrestleMania, and the top spot typically belongs to a boxing event, featuring either Manny Paquiao or Floyd Mayweather, both of whom have wrested the box office crown from Oscar De La Hoya.

It is also a fact that boxing will never truly "die." That said, its popularity has faltered dramatically.

Lackluster PPV's. A title scene about as clear as mud. Few recognizable mainstream names. And a superfight that may never happen.

It doesn't matter where this decline began. You could argue it began with Mike Tyson's imprisonment. Or his fight with Evander Holyfield. Or perhaps back even further with Don King's influence. The fact is, boxing is no longer what it once was, and another sport has ascended as the top combat sport. And Zuffa are the kings of the cage between UFC and WEC.

While MMA may forever be linked to boxing because of the spectacle, the venues, the atmosphere, the verdict was delivered a long time ago. All hail the king.