Combat sport crosses many cultures and comes in various forms. The most popular mainstream combat sports are; Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Muay Thai and Kick Boxing, which the sports betting odds indicates as well. There are many others, but they don’t enjoy the same popularity and fan base these other top combat sports enjoy because they don’t necessarily share the same excitement for the viewer.
What Makes A Legendary Fighter?
The most fascinating part is that all of these combat sports have produced their own legends; athlete and combatants that have risen over the rest of the competition significantly, to be revered as the absolute best during their time. If you think boxing, the following names will more than likely be dropped in any conversation surrounding the sport; Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, pioneers and legends that have impacted the sport tremendously.
Mike Tyson Had It All
In the case of Mike Tyson, his legendary status is less attributed to the level of competition he faced, but instead for his ability to punch through his competition in devastating and spectacular fashion. He in fact was a black mark on the sport for many years due to his antics outside of the ring, but the world accepted him for who he was – the most vicious, most controversial televised fighter on the planet. This, including his tremendous knockout real, made him legendary.
Legend Status
Generally, a legend has earned his status over many years of battle and more importantly, wins. A fighter that doesn’t win, will be forgotten. As the saying goes, no one remembers second place. And as the story of time continues to unfold, the biggest legends will be whittled down to the few therefore legendary fighters of today, might not be spoken about as commonly in the future. Legendary is now a tag line that attracts the masses to certain fights, but in truth, only time can decide this ultimate factor. Popularity today, does not mean it will stand the test of time even if all fighters want to chase greatness.
And this is what makes legendary fighters so unique – they stand out in the history books, over time. Muay-Thai legends such Buakaw Banchamek, Saenchai, Namsaknoi rose in popularity and shed fame on the combat sport, which also contributed to their now legendary status. They not only fought, but brought fans to the sport and made it mainstream.
First One To Bet Makes The Profit
Nowadays, the most popular combat sport of our time continues to dominate the news and sports betting, especially the upcoming fight for Mike Tyson. The match ups in other combat sport are nowhere near as exciting, heavily advertised or as frequent. Neither are the betting odds. Whilst boxers at the very top of the sport seem to enjoy the fruits of the sport, it’s fighters in the sport of MMA that are heavily swaying fans in their favour due to the mind blowing knockouts and rivalries it is producing, and betting sites are not late to follow. This keeps fans engaged and even if the sport is relatively young, fighters like Jon Jones, Randy Couture, Anderson Silva, George St. Pierre, are all revered as legendary fighters. The main promotion, the UFC, even has a Hall of Fame that inducts their most valuable and notable fighters of all time.