Why is Martial Arts more useful and/or safe than boxing?

One of the topics I chose that interests me a lot is Martial Arts. One of the controversial issues today, among many fans and athletes themselves is "what is more dangerous: boxing or mixed martial arts?" In my opinion, both have risks involved, being that both are heavy contact sports. I believe that both have dangerous things about them, and precautions must be taken in order to prevent serious injury. Granted, neither are completely safe, but Martial Arts is something that is not targeted at a small part of the body. Boxing mostly targets the upper body, and mainly the head. Statistics show that many more have had more serious injury and many more have died from boxing than Martial Arts. Since Martial Arts has more variety of technique, there is less of a chance for concussion or other serious injury. Mixed Martial Arts involves battling it out on the ground and standing up. This means that there are more techniques for submission where a fighter can win. Whereas, in boxing, one is judged on blunt force, and knocking the opponent out. Rounds in boxing are normally much longer than Mixed Martial Arts bouts. I know that there are a lot of fans of boxing and has been around longer as a means of entertainment. Mixed Martial Arts is quickly becoming one of the most popular sports in the world. I also believe that Mixed Martial Arts is more useful than boxing. Unlike boxing, there are more techniques that were developed for self defense that don't take years and years of training and punching a bag. Overall, I believe that knowing more about Mixed Martial Arts may change one's views on boxing.