Boxing is an exciting sport, especially for the macho types, and quite attractive to most young male students in high schools and colleges. It is a sport that expresses masculinity and brawn and demonstrates power and courage.

Boxing is popular across high school and college gyms acting as a common denominator for the bright in class and the not so smart. It engenders a sense of unity for sparring partners and promotes respect among peers. Among many other reasons for the popularity of boxing for students, here are four top ones.

https://unsplash.com/photos/OQm9IafkvGU

1. Boxing helps relieve stress

Students face multiple stress loads, especially during exam times that can compromise their performance. Besides pressures to excel in exams, they face various personal and relationship issues and general stresses of growing up. This is where hitting the gym for a boxing workout or sparring is a good option besides having a good time with friends.

The intensity needed in a punching bag workout is heavy and stimulates a generous flow of endorphins. These body chemicals, when released into the bloodstream, act as a natural anti-stress and anti-anxiety drug.

The effect relieves the mind and leaves you feeling good and with a sense of well-being. It is a simple way to exercise and relieve stress and a boxing ring is freely available to students in most high school and college gyms.

Using EduBirdie is another good way of relieving yourself from the stress of writing assignments that are either difficult or to be submitted in tight deadlines. From essays to thesis and dissertation to coursework, the professional writers there can take care of every type of assignment for you.

Mainstream betting is the new norm and punters are making a killing out of it. If you are a dedicated online punter, you need to get your house in order and embrace the new changing wave. You can place wagers on MMA fights in a seamless process with an ultimate guideline. It would be best if you had a clear mind to increase the available odds and be a decorated MMA bettor within no time. You need to avoid monotonous errors made by casual punters if you wish to go pro. Here’s the ultimate go-getter’s guide to MMA betting.

Shop

Here’s an easy step that most punters put off. With a myriad of online bookies, you certainly don’t expect them to be the same. Each casino or bookie has odds which are slightly different from their counterparts. If you intend to wager a bet on any sport such as MMA, you need to shop around regularly. Line shopping is very fundamental and integral if your vision is to become a hawk-eyed bettor. Be sure to note any adjusted odds and weigh the line’s ultimate value for any upcoming event.

One great thing to get into is of course, contact sports. They are great for your physical fitness, and sports like Muay Thai and mixed martial arts are great for building a strong mind-body connection so you can become better at controlling your body.

But what can contact sports do for your mental health? Why do they matter? Read on to find out the benefits of contact sports on a mental plane, rather than just on a physical one.

Helps Build Confidence

Contact sports require you to control your body in order to hit the opponent or the bag.  When you do it correctly, it can help you feel better about yourself.

For some of us, especially if we think we’re “small” or “weak” this can be a huge confidence booster. Being able to control your body in such a way proves you’re powerful, and for many people, it’s that boost of confidence that they need. If you really want to feel good about yourself, consider getting into some contact sports, for it can help you learn skills and help you understand your body.

It also is good to know because if you’re in a situation where you’re fighting someone larger, being able to take them down and knowing how to disarm them is incredibly valuable, and worth learning as well.

The boxer walks to the ring in slow but steady strides, wearing in a shining robe with a name embossed in back of it. The atmosphere is electric; excited crowds cheer for their favorite boxer. In the middle of the ring, the two fighters stand toe to toe; eye to eye waiting for a ferocious battle. As the bell sounds the two pounce on each other. As the match begins the anticipation, the temperature rise, few sports match the excitement and feverish pitch of boxing. The bettors around the world watch every foot movement, every punch, every glorious moment.

Middleweight Championship (185)
[#1/#10P4P] Israel Adesanya (18-0-0, -272) vs. [#5] Yoel Romero (13-4-0, +217)
Israel Adesanya is the All-Time #13 ranked Middleweight fighter.
Yoel Romero is the All-Time #10 ranked Middleweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Israel Adesanya (3-0-0)
2019-10-05: W vs. [#3MW] Robert Whittaker (20-5-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:33 of round 2
2019-04-13: W vs. [#9MW] Kelvin Gastelum (15-5-0) via UD (48-46, 48-46, 48-46)
2019-02-09: W vs. [#31MW] Anderson Silva (34-10-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Yoel Romero (1-2-0)
2019-08-17: L vs. [#2MW] Paulo Henrique Costa (13-0-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2018-06-09: L vs. [#3MW] Robert Whittaker (20-5-0) via SD (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)
2018-02-10: W vs. [#12LHW] Luke Rockhold (16-5-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:48 of round 3

Odds Favorite (Implied): Israel Adesanya – Win%: 69.85
Elo Favorite (Standard): Israel Adesanya (2300.34) [+296.60] – Win%: 79.50
Elo Favorite (Modified): Israel Adesanya (2251.89) [+211.23] – Win%: 71.60
Glicko-1 Favorite (Adj): Israel Adesanya (2225.31) [+159.88] – Win%: 76.30
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Israel Adesanya 154, Yoel Romero 203
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Israel Adesanya leads 3-2
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Women Strawweight Championship (115)
[#1/#3DD/#3P4P] Weili Zhang (20-1-0, -181) vs. [#3/#7DD/#8P4P] Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-3-0, +150)
Weili Zhang is the All-Time #21 ranked Women’s fighter.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is the All-Time #4 ranked Women’s fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Weili Zhang (3-0-0)
2019-08-31: W vs. [#2SW/#5DD/#7P4P] Jessica Andrade (20-7-0) via TKO (Knees and Punches) in 0:42 of round 1
2019-03-02: W vs. [#20SW] Tecia Torres (10-5-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2018-11-24: W vs. [#38SW] Jessica Aguilar (20-8-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 3:41 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Joanna Jedrzejczyk (2-1-0)
2019-10-12: W vs. [#10SW] Michelle Waterson (17-7-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)
2018-12-08: L vs. [#1FLY/#2DD/#2P4P] Valentina Shevchenko (19-3-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
2018-07-28: W vs. [#20SW] Tecia Torres (10-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Odds Favorite (Implied): Weili Zhang – Win%: 61.68
Elo Favorite (Standard): Weili Zhang (1874.18) [+154.26] – Win%: 66.93
Elo Favorite (Modified): Weili Zhang (1848.41) [+128.90] – Win%: 63.74
Glicko-1 Favorite (Adj): Weili Zhang (1874.48) [+168.06] – Win%: 77.66
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Weili Zhang 189, Joanna Jedrzejczyk 147
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 4 win(s) against common opposition.
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Lightweight (155)
[#18] Beneil Dariush (17-4-1, -164) vs. [#33] Drakkar Klose (11-1-1, +136)

Last 3 Fights: Beneil Dariush (3-0-0)
2019-10-26: W vs. [#143LW] Frank Camacho (23-8-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:02 of round 1
2019-03-09: W vs. [#36LW] Drew Dober (22-9-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:41 of round 2
2018-11-10: W vs. [#115LW] Thiago Moises (12-4-0) via UD (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)

Last 3 Fights: Drakkar Klose (3-0-0)
2019-08-17: W vs. [#55LW] Christos Giagos (17-8-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2018-12-15: W vs. [#75LW] Bobby Green (24-10-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2018-07-07: W vs. [#34LW] Lando Vannata (11-4-2) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Odds Favorite (Implied): Beneil Dariush – Win%: 59.45
Elo Favorite (Standard): Beneil Dariush (1895.67) [+62.04] – Win%: 57.04
Elo Favorite (Modified): Beneil Dariush (1878.97) [+70.20] – Win%: 57.62
Glicko-1 Favorite (Adj): Beneil Dariush (1894.69) [+80.73] – Win%: 64.40
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Beneil Dariush 133, Drakkar Klose 203
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Invented in Thailand in the 14th century for actual combat, Muay Thai has gone on to be a professional and international sport today.

The exhilarating, heart-pumping, and adrenaline-packed sport has caught the attention of thousands. The combined technique of hands, elbows, knees, and shins drew people in. The stand-up, all-out combat has people holding their breaths. Though this sport has had some controversy, that doesn’t stop people from wanting to learn it.  If you are one of these people, the good news is that there are so many Muay Thai training schools around the world now.

Even if you don’t want to become a professional fighter, you might get a kick out of learning the skills and techniques. But before you even begin, you need the right Muay Thai gear. At PunchPrime, they have created in-depth reviews of the most essential Muay Thai gear so you can find out which brands and styles are best for you.

People will argue that you don’t need all the gear if you just want to practice. But remember that this equipment is there to help and protect you.

Notable Info

• Women’s Strawweight expanded to Top 75 (from 60).

Last posted this about 6 weeks ago… was a fun list, so here’s an update.

I bolded any fighters who’ve entered since..

Green fill shows unanimous at an age.