Ricky Hatton: "We Can Learn From the UFC"

by RoyalB on Nov 17, 2008 11:03 AM EST Comment 5 comments

Fronted by Luke Thomas.

Boxer Ricky Hatton was among the many fans at UFC 91 and tell The Daily Star that boxing can learn a thing or two from the promotion:

Hatton was at ringside in Las Vegas to see Randy Couture lose his world heavyweight title to man-mountain Brock Lesnar, who beat him with a second-round stoppage.

And ‘The Hitman’, who faces Paulie Malignaggi at the MGM Grand Arena next Saturday, told me: “The presentation and general approach of the UFC is something that boxing can learn a great deal from.”

It was Hatton’s first taste of live UFC action and he said: “The whole aspect of it was great and, rather than boxing ignore it, it should take a leaf out of the UFC book.

“For instance, they have big screens around the arena with pre-fight interviews which really get the crowd involved. Why can’t we do that at boxing matches in the UK?

“I was really, really impressed. I know that the UFC sells out wherever it is – but to be present at this fight night was an eye-opening experience.”

Hopefully, Hatton is the first step in helping the sport of boxing improve as well as helping the two sports get respect and peacefully coexist.

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Comments

I always liked Ricky Hatton. I was really rooting for him to put the stamp on Mayweather but it didn’t exactly pan out that way. Glad to see that there are those in the boxing community who aren’t still living under a self-made rock.

by dropkick101 on Nov 17, 2008 11:09 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Love The Hitman. Him and Pacman are about all I have left to watch after ODH hangs em up.

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Nov 17, 2008 11:46 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Someone called Breen the other day asking if Hatton would ever move to MMA. I literally LOL’ed.

by Chris Nelson on Nov 17, 2008 12:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yea that call to the Breen show was pretty comical. I’d be like Michael Jordan trying to play baseball after he retired from basketball……. wait…… nm.

Anyway, Boxing’s problem is it doesn’t try to build fighters and cards like MMA does. Sure, the big fights (in MMA and boxing) puts the butts in the steats and sells the PPVs at the end of the day. But to build a casual fan base you need impressive cards, not 1 fight events.

by Dexerion on Nov 17, 2008 7:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs