Even just within boxing itself, there are different styles, different stances, different guards and different strategies. Oftentimes, these variables change the way fighters throw punches. Then when we add things like kicks, elbows, knees, backfists, sweeps, spinning attacks, takedowns, submissions and more, those variables can change the punching technique exponentially.
The format of the sport will, of course, have a big effect as well. Professional boxing rounds are generally 3-minutes long, with 1-minute rest in between, and fights can be anywhere from 4-12 rounds. Most of the fights you see on TV will be at least 8 rounds. In Muay Thai, their rounds are also 3 minutes long but they usually get a 2-minute break in between and 5 rounds in total. Most kickboxing competitions use 3-minute rounds, with 1-minute breaks in between, and go for 3 rounds (some promotions will do an extra 4th round if it is a draw by the end of 3). MMA rounds are 5-minutes in length with a 1-minute break in between, anywhere from 3 or 5 rounds depending on whether it is a championship/headliner match (which would be the 5-round version). This might not seem like it would have a specific impact on the way fighters throw punches but it actually can. The biggest example is when it comes to the jab, which becomes much more important in a fight with more rounds than it would in say, a traditional kickboxing match. Therefore boxers will use their jab very differently than kickboxers. Everybody's scoring systems are different too, which will affect things even more.
But mostly, it is the technique for each sport that makes the punches different and it all starts with the stance and the guard. The Muay Thai stance is often high, with feet relatively close together and most of the weight loaded on the back foot. The hands are often up high, above the shoulder, leaving the body uncovered. The reason for this is to always be ready to check front leg kicks, block high kicks and while the body is exposed, this can be a trap as they will reign down elbows if you try to get inside for body shots or just generally clinch. This stance and guard is not going to lend itself to power punches at all though. The weight primarily on the back foot prevents them from really committing and having to start and end all punches from higher-than-chin level will slow things down. While Muay Thai is definitely the art of 8 limbs, there is no doubt that kicks, elbows and knees are much more used, especially by the fighters actually from Thailand. Some boxers, particularly the Dutch, have brought more punching/boxing into Muay Thai but the fists are far from their primary weapons. The punching combinations will never be as nuanced and the hands really function more to set up everything else.
A regular kickboxing stance is similar but the hands aren't as high and there is a little more bend in the knees. It is still considered to be a tall stance and neither footwork nor head movement is not a big part of what kickboxers (or Thai boxers) do. This is another huge difference as footwork and head movement are absolute cornerstones of boxing. In all kickboxing iterations ,there is a lot of standing and trading and head movement can present a problem where kicks and knees are involved (eg if you try to roll under a hook, you could run right into someone's knee).
Then an MMA stance is much lower and hence, wider. The MMA guard can vary quite a bit but more often than not, the hands are out a little wider too. The main reason for this is the takedown. Fighters need to always be ready to defend a takedown attempt or make one themselves. Hands may be low for that as well. Sometimes you will get a fight where neither combatant is interested in grappling and it becomes more like a kickboxing match but they can never put it completely out of mind. Because of this, and the kicks, an MMA fighter generally has their weight on their back leg as well. These things will have a big effect on punching. Another thing that does is that the fighters wear fingerless, 4-ounce gloves so a single punch can do more damage in MMA than it usually can in boxing or kickboxing. This can make the punching more significant but it changes the approach. Instead of trying to land a volume of punches or good combinations, it's more about landing a single, (sometimes wild and loopy) power punch. This is something a disciplined boxer would pick apart completely but in mixed martial arts, good technique and form is usually less important as you don't have to worry as much about the other person out-boxing you too much so long as you can time your strikes well.
The same is mostly true for kickboxing and Muay Thai, though they are rarely wild and loopy with their punches. Ultimately, a boxer's punching technique will always be sharper than those who do other forms of combat. Their hand speed is generally going to be much higher too. As well they both should be! Boxers only throw punches so it makes sense that their punching skills are going to be advanced and more nuanced. And of course they have more time to devote to their punches too, especially compared to MMA-ers who train in kickboxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu as well. A boxer will also use their head and feet to set up their punches as well as avoid punches in ways that other fighters just cannot because they have other things to think about. So for the most part, I think it's unfair to view a kickboxer or mixed martial artist's punching through the lens of boxing because their sports are just different. Some fighters can compete in all 4 disciplines but they definitely can't fight the same and their entire boxing mindset will need to change for them to have any kind of success.
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