> Don't boxing refs stop the fight when they think the fighter can't continue (e.g. can't answer/focus)? I'm pretty sure I've seen that.
Yes they do. However the important difference is that they allow you 10 seconds to recover. In MMA when you get dazed the fight is usually over because you don't get a chance to recover. IIRC your brain is more vulnerable directly after a concussion.
> However the important difference is that they allow you 10 seconds to recover.
Not always[1].
1: http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/3/9/5486930/canelo-vs-angulo...
> Don't boxing refs stop the fight when they think the fighter can't continue (e.g. can't answer/focus)? I'm pretty sure I've seen that.
No. In Boxing, the ref has a mandatory 8 count.
I'm pretty sure that depends on what organization they are fighting with and the specific rules. It's not hard to find articles about controversy when a referee stops a fight[1]. In the linked case, there was no count, nor even a knockdown. Obviously there are cases, at least in some boxing organizations, in which a ref can stop a fight without a full count.
1: http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/3/9/5486930/canelo-vs-angulo...
Don't boxing refs stop the fight when they think the fighter can't continue (e.g. can't answer/focus)? I'm pretty sure I've seen that.
> Also, you can look at the number of deaths per year in each sport. Boxing has around 10 per year. The UFC has never had a death, but MMA has had a few, over the last few years.
Boxing is equivalent to MMA, not the UFC. I think people on both sides of this particular point aren't being very clear on the distinctions unless it's beneficial to their specific point.