Does size matter in MMA and boxing?

[Joker]

I got into a debate at school about boxing and UFC in which the main focus was the whole small man v. big man debate. In short, if a small, lets say 200 pound even guy faced a 250 or 260 guy, in which sport would he be able to win? Also assuming that they are the same height.

What most said is that in MMA he could win, because he could submit the big guy, but knocking him out would be impossible. Same in boxing, only since you can't submit in boxing, they said the small man would lose.

Opinions?

[Nathan Versus]

A fight between a 200lbs boxer and a 260lbs boxer will be determined by training and conditioning, not size.

If both fighters are evenly matched in this department, it really depends on the direction of the fight. Will the lighter, and presumably quicker fighter opt to stand and trade punches with the stronger, but slower opponent, thus playing into his hands? Or will he focus on placing his punches and moving, dictating the flow of the fight, and making it difficult for his opponent to fight back?

It also depends on the strength of the chin and the punch, which is not determined by the size of a person. Some people can take a punch, some can’t, some people have heavy hands, some don’t. That’s life. You can improve the strength of your punches significantly, through repetition, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to end up like Rocky Marciano, regardless of your size.

As for MMA, the same applies; training and conditioning is the key to success.