[Smasharoo]

He doesn't have to "adapt to boxing". He studies boxing enough to be competent and keep his hands up and deliver punches or slip/counter them. It would be a detriment to his training to *only* study boxing because after a while, diminishing returns sets in and he will have a difficult time defeating people with more rounded skill sets. Becoming a better boxer only helps him if he's going to participate under boxing rules. When you allow kicks, knees, takedowns, and submissions, the whole game changes.


You're missing the point. The point isn't that he's not good at boxing because he chose not to study it, the point is that if he could have been a world class boxer, he'd have to be an idiot not to have become a boxer instead as the finacial reward is enormously higher, as is the social recognition etc. etc.



Will you at least concede that if the fight wound up on the ground, the boxer has almost no chance against a skilled MMA fighter?

With that level of vagueness, no. I'd concede that if the fight STARTED on the ground, that the skilled MMA fighter would almost certainly be a heavy favorite.