Studies For Damage By MMA

Although a lot has been documented regarding MMA in the press, remarkably little study has been accomplished on the damage by MMA.

There are limited reports in the medical books concentrating on MMA injuries.

The first report was an endeavor to decide if specific techniques employed during MMA placed the spine, specifically the cervical spine, in danger.

They utilized kinematics and biomechanical prototypes to evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively the possible risk for fighters to incur cervical spine and associated soft tissue damage.

From their models, the writers concluded that MMA fighters were employing tactics that put the cervical spine in considerable danger.

The Four Techniques Examined

We should mention that all four techniques examined are legal practices in Olympic grappling sports like Judo and wrestling. While the figures appeared to reveal that MMA fighters were at a higher chance of suffering from cervical spine damage, no information or analyses existed at that time to put the hypothesis to the test.

1. The O Goshi Judo Hip Throw
2. The Suplex Wrestling/Jiu-Jitsu Takedown
3. The Souplesse, a throw similar to the suplex
4. The Guillotine Drop, a jiu-jitsu choke hold

Documented Analysis on MMA Injuries

The first medical paper to even document the damage in medical books was issued in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. In the report, the author examined video footage of 642 MMA competitions between 1993 and 2003 to specify the grounds for competition stoppage. The results indicated that direct trauma to the skull was a standard reason for contest stoppage and fighters in MMA are in danger of head damage.

The only additional report to examine MMA injuries was printed in 2006 in The Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. The writers of this report examined the statements made by the ringside doctors and the results of 171 matches in Nevada. The outcomes were compared to previous analyses utilizing the exact procedures that examined boxing damage in that state.

The results of this investigation revealed a damage rate of 28.6 per 100 fighting match participants, equivalent to the previously documented boxing rate of 17.1 per 100 match participation. The most typical way of finishing a fight in MMA was revealed to be a technical knockout TKO, followed by a tap-out TO. When the ratio of KOs in MMA was compared to boxing, MMA had 6.4% of contests completed in KO while boxing had 11.3%.

What The Results Reveal

The results of all three of these MMA investigations show the necessity for additional study on this critical matter. No longitudinal investigations have been done on MMA athletes, so much remains unknown about the actual long-term effects of this sport.

Pundits VS Supporters

Although there is a shortage of data, this has not prevented both pundits and supporters of MMA from considering the relative safety of the sport. Pundits of MMA have compared MMA to “a bar-room brawl.” They say the use of elbows and knees as striking tools are a potential problem. In the USA and most MMA fights, knees to a competitor, while he is on the ground, are prohibited but elbow strikes are permitted.

Supporters suggest fewer rounds. Most MMA fights are three rounds with championship fights going five rounds. Also, the absence of a “standing eight count”, similar to the rule in boxing that lets a fighter resume the fight after he is concussed are two measures that help assure the safety in MMA. Also, via the usage of the tap-out, MMA supplies a respectable means for fighters to terminate the fight if they are caught in a submission grip or are taking excessive harm. The tap-out is the second most typical finish in most MMA fights. It should be mentioned that although there have been multiple casualties in other combat sports, there has never been an MMA casualty in an authorized MMA competition. The only MMA casualty to note is an American fighter who clashed in an unauthorized fighting event in Ukraine in 1998.

MMA is a fast-growing combat sport with well-conditioned & highly trained athletes from a variety of environments. More study is required to clarify the actual threat of MMA, but initial analyses appear to show that it’s as safe as other combat sports concerning striking.