UFC Star Ethyn Ewing Says MMA Fighters Are Getting Boxing’s Most Basic Weapon Wrong

The boxing vs. MMA debate feels like it’s never-ending. Boxers always boast about how big, popular, and lucrative the sport is, while MMA fighters take shots at them, calling boxing a one-dimensional sport rather than a full combat sport. On the other hand, UFC star Ethan Ewing has made a completely different point, pointing out the most frustrating thing in MMA, which boxers do perfectly.

Ethyn Ewing Blasts UFC Fighters for Ignoring What Boxers Do Better

Recently, speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience, Ewing shared what he wants to improve in the MMA fighter’s game. Coming off a knockout win over Rafael Estevam, he talked about one thing that bothers him when he watches MMA fights. He feels many fighters don’t use their jab enough and instead throw big overhand punches, even though they have two hands to work with.

Ewing said, “I think that’s the most frustrating thing when I watch MMA or UFC fights, and watch the majority of the guys never use a jab. It’s always this big overhand right, I’m like ‘what are you doing?’ You have two hands.”

The jab is not just a simple punch. It helps fighters find their range, set up bigger shots, and keep their opponents moving backward. It also helps control distance without putting too much strain on their balance or defense.

Reacting to this, Rogan was also visibly in agreement with his point. While Ewing did not say that no fighters use the jab properly, he feels that most of them don’t really use it. Additionally, relying only on power shots makes a fighter one-dimensional, which is not good for them.

Ethyn Ewing Claims Wrestling Is the Best Foundation for MMA

As MMA has many disciplines within the sport, there are so many debates about what the best base is for any MMA fighter. From striking to jiu-jitsu and others, many feel that wrestling is probably the best base for any fighter, as it gives a massive advantage in taking down and controlling the whole fight.

Similarly, Ewing feels about the sport, and according to him, wrestling is the ultimate foundation for any fighter. As per Ewing, “I think if you got elite wrestling cardio, then you can do all the rest of it. You'd be able to strike, you'd be able to do the jiu-jitsu.”

Not just Ewing, but fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov and even Joe Rogan have said many times that wrestling is the best base.