Are you a Conor McGregor or a Manny Pacquiao? A Sylvester Stallone or a Bruce Willis? From boxing to MMA, find out which fighting style is right for you

Dec 2 , 2019

Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather collide in the boxing ring here – but that’s far from the only Western combat sport worth investigating. Photo: AP

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are boxing professionals and Conor McGregor is all MMA, while actor Bruce Willis does wrestling and Keanu Reeves practises Brazilian jiu-jitsu – what’s your niche?

Many martial arts forms are believed to have originated in the East, but the West has its fair share of combat sports that are more or less just as lethal. Using a mix of original and borrowed techniques from other martial arts forms – from hand-to-hand combat to grappling on the ground – find out which Western martial arts form is best for you:

1. Boxing

What is it? One of the oldest sports known to humankind, boxing is a combat sport where two people fight hand-to-hand in a boxing ring for multiple rounds, overseen by a referee. Although fist fights have existed since the dawn of time, boxing as an official sport dates back to Ancient Greece when it was first introduced at the Olympic Games in 688BC.

Who does it? Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Sylvester Stallone, Will Smith

Any safety issues? Besides bruises to the face and body, boxers are also susceptible to fractures, cuts, dislocation of the shoulders and concussions (or worse, brain damage) if they get knocked out.

How fit do I have to be? Due to the fast pace of boxing and its high cardio demands, it helps to have a good base level of fitness, plus flexibility and agility.

Recommended for? Fans of Rocky movies and fist-to-fist combat.

2. Brazilian jiu-jitsu