Boxing became a modern Olympic sport in 1904. The first televised UFC event was in 1993. Their origins can't be argued, but their current popularity certainly can be.

UFC has overshadowed boxing in recent years, creating stars like Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. Dana White also lured Brock Lesnar into the fold, a fighter who has now become one of the most talked about UFC combatants.

Boxing was once elevated by its heavyweight division, lead by boxers such as Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield. Now boxing relies on its strong welterweight and middleweight divisions. Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Kelly Pavlik are young and exciting fighters, but no one knows if they will be able to sustain the entire sport.

Fans will argue each sport’s entertainment value, equity, relevancy and history until the cows come home. It’s impossible to say which side is correct in almost every sense.

But now at least we have the videogames to judge. UFC 2009 Undisputed was released on May 15 and Fight Night Round 4 on June 25. Let’s get ready to rumble.

Fight Night Round 4 is ready to take on UFC 2009 Undisputed.

The soundtracks cater to their audiences, and the menus are easy to navigate. The commentary is well done in both games. UFC does offer more in the way of hyping up the fights while FNR4 has entrances and ring music.

This one is a tie.

10-10

Every game has problems with online quitters -- both of these games fit the bill. However, they both translate to the online arena well enough and neither has serious lag issues. FNR4 offers more non-gameplay-related options, such as Boxer Share and some upcoming DLC. It also has championship belts that you can challenge for (depending on your rank). UFC has the usual leaderboards and a nice scouting report of you and your opponent.

Still, FNR4 takes round 2 because of the more in-depth choices it gives you.

10-9 Fight Night Round 4

Neither game is perfect, but both games do a swell job of representing their respective sports. In this case, the fans will decide which one they like better because they both have very different gameplay styles.

This round is a tie.

10-10

FNR4 sports the better player models; UFC has the better faces. The tiebreaker is the ringside graphics. UFC's arenas all look similar, while FNR4 has multiple venues that each have a different look.

Fight Night takes this round.

10-9 Fight Night Round 4

UFC 2009 Undisputed has to pick it up in the late rounds or risk a blowout.

Career Mode

The highlights of each career mode are being in the ring or Octagon. Still, you must spend time training, which is why FNR4 has the advantage. I say that because the training is tough in both games, but you can skip it in FNR4. On top of that, the game doesn't bog you down with useless things like cred. It also offers multiple titles and the ability to move up weight classes. While UFC’s career mode is also solid, there is definite room for improvement.

Fight Night takes another round.

10-9 Fight Night Round 4

This round goes to the game that does a better job teaching you how to play -- rather than simply choosing the game that is easier to get into. Both games have training modes that teach you the basics (and then some). Teddy Atlas does a good job teaching you the facets of the game in a gym ripped straight from Rocky III. The UFC training arena doesn’t have the same charm, but when you consider all the different fight styles, you realize that there is ton to learn in Undisputed, and the game does a good job teaching you everything you will need to know.

This is a tight one, but I’ll give it to UFC.

10-9 UFC 2009 Undisputed

There are plenty of tricks to both games. FNR4 is no slouch here, but the nature of MMA gives it a huge advantage.

This is a knockdown round for UFC.

10-8 UFC 2009 Undisputed

This round is all about prognostication. UFC gives you a good amount of options when it comes to creating fighters, but FNR4’s Boxer Share allows you to create just about anybody you want. There is also the Fight Night Round 4 store that promises new boxers.

With a new game probably on the horizon for UFC, and the supposed lack of DLC coming in the future, FNR4 gets a knockdown here.

10-8 Fight Night Round 4

Time for Fight Night fans to shake a bit...this fight is going to be extremely close.

UFC sports many customization options. FNR4 has that element and Boxer Share. While Boxer Share doesn’t always work right, it’s an interesting avenue to take. Plus, boxing allows for more colorful characters -- you can customize gloves and boots along with your ring shorts.

This round goes to Fight Night.

10-9 Fight Night Round 4

Boxing is shown across many different platforms, while UFC is one distinct organization. Fight Night Round 4 did the best they could with what they have, but UFC 2009’s commentary, pre-fight analysis, referees and ring girls are pulled straight from a UFC PPV.

Give this round to UFC.

10-9 UFC 2009 Undisputed

With every round in the books, it’s time to do the math and announce the winner.

And the winner is…

96-94 Fight Night Round 4

It’s only July and it’s already clear that these two titles will be at the top of their class at the end of the year -- both titles are just that good.

But at the end of the day, it's hard to defeat the reigning champ. Either way, it's a testament to the quality of UFC 2009 Undisputed that the final score was this close. And the great thing about this matchup is that there will certainly be rematches in the future (it's just too much of a money-making matchup for there not to be multiple encounters).

In the meantime, let us congratulate the champ and give Fight Night Round 4 the recognition it deserves.