Are Boxing Fans Too Obsessed With Undefeated Records?

A fighter loses, and fans suddenly label them a ‘fraud’ or ‘overrated’. The classic ‘I told you so’ line comes out of the shadows, and the fighter has been ‘exposed’.

It’s clear that combat sports fans—boxing and MMA—place too much emphasis on the elusive ‘0’, and it sometimes harms their career. Some fighters don’t truly push themselves in fear of losing their undefeated record. The attention that undefeated fighters generate is undeniable and sensible. It’s certainly exciting that someone’s 0 has got to go!

Boxing and MMA betting and casino platforms like JackpotJoy prove that entertainment is even more exciting when risk is involved. Betting on a seasoned fighter who remains undefeated is almost too good an opportunity to pass up.

The Undefeated Record

The Perfect Fighter

The undefeated record is an appealing aspect to a fighter, both for fans and for the promotion. For fans, they view the fighter with an illusion of invincibility. Understandably so, no one has ever defeated the fighter in question. The aura that the fighter possesses is huge.

Each sport, boxing and MMA, have examples of ‘near-perfect fighters’.

For boxing fans, it’s hard to pass up a shot at watching Terence Crawford (42-0), Gervonta Davis (30-0-1) or Oleksandr Usyk (24-0). These fighters almost transcend the sport, having carried the torch for perhaps the greatest of them all, Floyd Mayweather.

In the UFC, Khamzat Chimaev is a world champion, having not lost a fight. At 15-0, no one has been able to better the middleweight champion, and he only appears to be getting stronger. What makes Chimaev interesting is that, despite his undefeated record, his fight with Gilbert Burns highlighted some weaknesses. This proves that, although he’s dominant, dangerous and undefeated, he has his flaws.

The promotion can also benefit from a fighter being undefeated when building the fight. They can rightfully state that no one has ever beaten the fighter, build them up to be an all-encompassing killer, and it helps sell tickets.

Comparison to Boxing

The allure of an undefeated combat sports record and its importance comes from boxing. Floyd Mayweather’s 50-0 record is unlike many; however, it is something that he relies on to sell fights. It makes sense, the promoter and Mayweather himself can sell the fight as the person fighting for the chance to take his undefeated record. Just look at the draw of, say, Mayweather vs Pacquiao.

With that being said, take Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson or George Foreman. All elite, well-respected legends of the game, all with several losses on their records. Do these losses make them any less respected? No. Many see Ali as the GOAT. It’s about your style, the willingness to take risks and the mindset to take on all comers, which makes fighters go down in history.

Take Donald Cerrone in the world of MMA. Anyone, anytime, anywhere—17 losses, but a stellar career. There are many more ways to lose in MMA than in boxing, which suggests that it’s a sport not designed for undefeated fighters. Perhaps there are more intangibles?

Are MMA fans forgetting that Losses Build Fighters?

Some of the greatest fighters in history don’t have an undefeated record. The GWOAT, Amanda Nunes, has five losses to her name. What makes her the greatest? She learned from the losses and became better. The loss to Julianna Pena at UFC 269 saw her blitz past her in the rematch, scoring three knockdowns on the way to one of the most one-sided title fights in history.

George St Pierre lost to both Matt Hughes and Matt Serra; he went on to dominate both men in rematches and become a two-weight world champion.

The Khabib Nurmagomedov argument is where things get murky. The Dagestani retired with an undefeated record of 29-0. On paper, this looks phenomenal. He entered the UFC with a record of 16-0. Prior to the UFC, Khabib faced opponents with a combined record of 65-48. When he was 14-0, he fought someone making their debut - Not a great look.

As a result of wanting to keep his undefeated record, he became risk-averse. He never moved up in weight, despite a number of fighters doing so to chase greatness. The dominant Russian will now always have the asterisk next to his name, as he didn’t truly challenge himself in a different weight division.

Losses Make Fighters and Fans Need to Realise This

MMA fans need to recognise that losses make fighters. Some of the biggest names in MMA history have losses, often multiple, on their records. Conor McGregor is the sport's biggest ever star. He entered the UFC with two losses to his name, both via finish. Brock Lesnar lost his UFC debut and went on to headline five UFC PPV events, including UFC 100.

Legacy isn’t about staying unbeaten in MMA. It’s about the manner in which people fight, it’s who they take on, and it’s the response to adversity that makes a legend.