Risk of Death in Mixed Marital Arts No sport gained more popularity in the nineteen nineties than the sport of mixed martial arts. With its new popularity politicians such as Senator John McCain of Arizona and New York Governor George Pataki began to take notice and call the sport of mixed martial arts unsafe. Although these politicians called for legislation to make mixed martial arts illegal they still supported such fight sports as boxing and kickboxing.
Although both mixed martial arts and boxing are dangerous sports the potential for death is much higher in boxing than in mixed martial arts because fighters do not receive repeated blows to the head and are allowed to submit gracefully.
Repeated blows to the head is one reason boxing is more deadly than mixed martial arts "During the nineteen nineties twenty-four boxers and only one mixed martial artist died from repeated blows to the head."�(Postell)
Two fighters grappling in a mixed martial arts eve...
English:
Mixed martial arts boutUnlike boxing in mixed martial arts fighters do not wear gloves. Contrary to what most people think gloves were introduced to the sport of boxing to protect the fighters hands. Protected hands allow a fighter to throw repeated blows to an opponent's head; as Todd Hester states, ""æno- gloves is safer than actually wearing gloves. This is because no-gloves limits the amount of punishment a fighter can dish out to his opponent's head before the hand breaks."� (Hester).
Another reason mixed martial artist do not receive as many blows to the head is because it is legal to strike any part of the body in mixed martial arts. Many opponents of mixed martial arts say that the ability to strike to any part of the body is what makes the sport more dangerous than boxing. Actually the ability to strike any part of the body England 2 makes mixed martial arts safer than boxing. "Boxers and mixed martial artist exchange 30-40 blows per round."� (Kodi). In mixed martial arts these blows are normally landed on different parts of the body but in boxing most of the blows are landed on the head.
Probably the most important reason mixed martial arts is safer than boxing is fighters are allowed to submit gracefully whenever they feel they have had enough punishment in the ring. Although it is not illegal to submit in the sport of boxing if a boxer were to submit he or she would probably punished by the state boxing commission as Todd Hester states "If you try to tap out in boxing when you're getting pummeled and you'll have your purse withheld and will probably have your license suspended."� (Hester).
Although both boxing and mixed martial arts and boxing are both dangerous sports mixed martial arts is the safer of the two. The ability to submit and the fact that mixed martial artist receive less repeated blows to the head greatly reduces the potential for death.
Works Cited Hester, Todd. "The McaCain Effect"� Grappling July 2001.
Kodi, Brian. "Death and Mixed Martial Arts"� Journal of Combative Sport July 2000.
Postell, Robin. "The Long and Winding Road"� MA Training May1999.
A trainer attends to a fighter following a loss.
Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan
A fighter wraps his hands prior to putting gloves ...