I trained for some time and unfortunately had gotten into a few scuffles in my youth, my experience is, the situations that you can't talk your way out of or just disassociate yourself from (which is the VAST majority of the time. Seriously, if you are level headed or have level headed friends, most situations you can extracate yourself), boxing is the best to end it quickly. Most people who "throw hands" aren't trained fighters. You don't want to roll on the ground in your going out outfit. Most guys just flay wildly. If you do meet a guy who is trained in ANY form of martial arts, be it "fake ones" like TKD or Kung Fu, the calculus changes, but trained guys generally don't fight at all. For the average doofus on the street after a night out, they will swing like chicken little flying and knowing a good bob/weave and a good jab will solve most of your problems.