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MMA and Boxing will always draw comparisons due to the nature of the sports. It's pretty easy to recognize the similarities between the two sports when someone is punched in the face, and it's even easier to realize the differences when someone shoots a double leg takedown.
Boxing is a major fighting style utilized by many MMA fighters. MMA and the UFC also draw their organizing roots from boxing; current UFC president Dana White was originally a boxing coach before becoming president of the UFC. So the roots of MMA and the UFC are intertwined with that of boxing. With that being said, in actual competition, the sports differ greatly.
10 SIMILAR: Weight Classes
In the early days of the UFC, weight classes weren't a thing; it was every man for themselves. Realizing this limited their competitive pool to those big enough or brave enough to step into the cage with the monsters they had as athletes, the UFC decided to implement weight classes a model based on that of Boxing.
Although the weight classes of Boxing and MMA are not the same -there are many more in Boxing than in MMA- the idea for weight classes in the UFC stems from Boxing's implementation of weight classes.
9 DIFFERENCE: Gloves
Boxing gloves are meant to protect the face and hands of the fighter. They vary in weight from 12-16oz, they also cover the entire hand of the competitor, allowing them only to form a fist during the fight.
MMA gloves, on the other hand, are very light and cover only the knuckles of the competitor. They allow for the opening of the hand to be used during grappling, the MMA gloves are only intended to protect the bones in the hand of the fighter cushioning each blow.
8 SIMILAR: 10 Point Scoring
Both Boxing and MMA utilize a 10 point must scoring system when judging fights. This is how fights are decided if they go the distance: 10 points are awarded to the winner of the round and 9 or less given to the loser of the round. These points are then totaled at the end of the fight and the fighter with the higher score is given the decision victory. This is a scoring system that was originally implemented in Boxing and brought over to MMA.
7 DIFFERENCE: Ring vs Cage
One of the most obvious differences between boxing and the MMA/UFC is the arena in which they fight. Although some fringe MMA organizations still use the boxing ring, the most famous MMA fight area is the Octagon from the UFC, and it is a stark difference from the traditional Boxing ring.
Boxing rings have ropes to keep the fighters in and much more narrow corners which fighters utilize to trap their opponents. The Octagon is more round and allows for easier circling out for fighters. It also has cage walls to allow for easier grappling.
6 SIMILAR: Pay-Per-View
Similar to the 10 point scoring system and weight classes, Pay-per-views are also a system that was originally used in Boxing that was brought over to the UFC and MMA. A pay-per-view is a television service that requires viewers to pay to watch the event. Both Boxing and the UFC use this for their biggest fights of the year. The UFC will put out roughly 12 pay-per-view cards per year.
5 DIFFERENCE: Knockdowns
Knockdowns are one of the biggest differences between MMA and Boxing. In MMA there is no 10 count, there is no time to recover, taking a knee cannot allow you to get your wits about you. Although both have a similar impact on the scoring of a fight, Boxing and MMA have a very different approach to what happens after a knockdown occurs.
In Boxing, the fighter is given to the count of 10 to recover and then continue the fight. In MMA most often the opposing fighter rushes the knocked down fighter in an attempt to put them away with strikes.
4 SIMILAR: Punches
One of the biggest influences in MMA that Boxing has is fairly simple and true to the form of both sports, punching. The style of punches thrown, and the terminology used to describe punches are pulled directly from Boxing.
Throwing a jab means the same thing to both an MMA fighter and a Boxer. Corner-men even use some of the same terminologies when coaching fighters in the middle of a fight, referring to punches as numbers, for instance throwing a 1,2 means throwing a jab then cross.
3 DIFFERENCE: Boxing Federations vs UFC
The UFC is the premier MMA organization throughout the world, it has the best of the best in terms of talent. Boxing on the other hand has 5 major recognized organizations/associations each of which has a world title for every weight class in professional Boxing.
Where this makes the largest impact is in terms of big fights, since the UFC has signed the majority of the biggest and best fighters it is easier for them to match up fighters to have big fights more often. Whereas in boxing promoters and associations get involved which makes it more complex to make a big fight.
2 SIMILAR: 5-Minute Recovery Period
A similar rule in both Boxing and MMA is the 5-minute recovery period. When a fighter in either boxing or MMA is hit with a low blow, they have the option to take up to 5 minutes to recover.
This 5-minute rule is also used for the unfortunate circumstance in MMA of eye pokes. The 5 minutes are used to allow the fighter to recover and determine if they can continue to fight.
1 DIFFERENCE: Rounds and Times
A UFC fight has a round length of 5 minutes and has either 3 rounds or, for championship/main event fights, it will have 5 rounds. Five minute rounds allow fighters to implement a more cardio intense strategy.
Boxing has 3-minute rounds and anywhere from 4 to 12 rounds per fight. Fighters usually begin their career with four rounds, working their way up to 12 round championship bouts.