Is MMA Safe?

In a Renegades Extreme Fighting bout in 2007, Sam Vasquez took on Vince Libardi. The fight was over after a punch to Vasquez in the third round which saw him lose consciousness, suffer a blood clot and remain in a coma for 42 days where he then died. RIP SAM

It is a great tragedy for someone to die doing what they enjoy. When the UFC first started, people saw it as brutal and unacceptable. It was labelled as human cock fighting and still some see it as completely unsafe. But is this the real case?

Compared to boxing gloves MMA fighters use smaller ones which don’t hold enough padding. And this is exactly why they are safer than boxing gloves. Because boxing gloves hold lots of padding, more punches can be absorbed, which means a fighter can be hit more times. These constant hits over the course of a fight can leave a traumatic effect to a fighter’s head. If you watch a boxing match most of the hitting is done to the head area. Few people attack the body much as the best way to knock someone out is through head strikes. In MMA fighters don’t limit there striking to just the head. They strike the legs and body also as kicks are allowed, so less blows are absorbed to the vulnerable head area.

There is no standing 8 count in MMA. In boxing if a fighter is in trouble, the ref will momentarily stop the fight via a standing 8 count allowing the fight to recover slightly but then the fight resumes allowing for further possible punishment. In MMA if a fighter is in trouble, the fight will be stopped, allowing for no further punishment.

Rarely, you see fighters choked out or get injured due to not tapping out. This is there own fault. If you are caught in a submission hold you should tap out. The ones that don’t are silly and risk injury. But if this happens not only will the ref instantaneously break the hold, but doctors are on hand to examine any injuries.

Where there could be accidental injuries is through falling. Slams, throws, and take downs are all allowed in MMA. Although there are rules regarding these, such as you cant drop an opponent onto his head or neck, accidents may happen. But it has to be remembered that MMA athletes are used to falling and getting thrown. They learn the correct method in break falling and these types of accidents are very rare.

This discussion could go on and on, and with various people, it shall. What is a fact though, is that MMA has been around for a number of years. Rules are kept so as major injuries can be prevented and up until now they are proving successful.

Instances such as Sam Vasquez are rare. Injuries happen in most sports and will continue to happen, but long as we train safe and train smart, major injuries can easily be prevented.

Marks

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