This is essentially what it boils down to.
It's sort of a shame because it creates a "Us vs Them" mentality from some 'boxing only' fans against MMA, which is ironic because that's what MMA was created as; an arena where techniques from all professionally contested combat disciplines are allowed in order to allow practitioners to compete against each other.
I can appreciate that some people prefer standing fights but it puzzles me that they can in no way appreciate that a world class boxer can be so easily dominated in a fight, whatever techniques are used.
Another thing is that I can't really see how boxing can be someone's outright favourite sport. What is so detestable about kicking (or kneeing and elbowing) that stops them from favouring kickboxing (or muay thai)?
I can appreciate the way Toney was dominated. I'm a boxing fan that accepts a MMA fighter would beat a boxer in a street fight/MMA fight 99/100.......but it's boring how they do it.
Favouring MMA over boxing is like favouring the decathlon over the 100 metres or gaelic football over football.