Basic question about UFC

[Akrazotile]

I know virtually nothing about UFC so maybe there is a simple answer here that I'm missing, but how do UFC fighters not suffer more severe injuries during fights??

I mean in everyday life, people can die or get put into comas or have facial bones broken etc. from just a single punch. I realize everyday people are not "trained professional MMA fighters" but I don't see how you could train to absorb heavier impacts to the skull anyway.

I mean in boxing, you have the big gloves, and the majority of the hits are mostly indirect. And obviously in boxing you still have longer-term brain issues and injuries etc.

But when I see a UFC fight, guys are just getting pounded in the face and head at point blank range over and over. That kind of stuff usually puts people in the hospital, sometimes on life support. These dudes are getting kneed in the face, punched repeatedly in the back of the skull. I just don't see how guys aren't geting knocked out cold more often? Or even killed?

Why does it seem like guys don't suffer the kind of severe injuries you would expect from such a savage beating??

[9erempiree]

No severe injuries because the ref stop it. In boxing they let guys fight hurt as long as they beat the count. On the UFC they stop it immediately once a guy is hurt.

[L.Kizzle]

It's like wrasslin, the blows aren't real.

[gigantes]

No severe injuries because the ref stop it. In boxing they let guys fight hurt as long as they beat the count. On the UFC they stop it immediately once a guy is hurt.
actually, the refs are supposed to stop it when one fighter is not intelligently defending themselves... and they do a pretty good job of that IMO. plenty of fighters do in fact get dazed or hurt badly and even cut up and turned in to a bloody mess, but are still allowed to fight.


anyway, OP-- MMA is not the only sport in which athletes receive regular head trauma which doesn't knock them out right away but does lead to brain damage over the long run. also, in MMA damage is being done to a greater body area... fighters also train specifically to slink away or turn from blows even if they can't entirely avoid them. in other sports like football and hockey i think there is a much higher chance of a big impact being a blindside. always helps if you can see or sense a blow coming.

sometimes judges can get sold on a lot of damage being done when in fact little was done. judges blow scoring and damage all the time.

another thing is that the UFC has generally the best fighters, which also means generally the toughest fighters. that's not always a good thing for their future, of course.

[tpols]

Most are juiced to the gills and on a million supplements.. Their bones are probably a lot denser from all that. Plus half of mma fights are just wrestling grappling matches.. The more you swing for the fences the more you risk getting taken down or putting your arm/body out there for a submission.

[KyleKong]

I saw a statistic someone posted on Sherdog (MMA forum) that Chuck Liddell has taken less power punches to the head from his entire career then Manny Pacquiao has taken in one fight.

[gigantes]

I saw a statistic someone posted on Sherdog (MMA forum) that Chuck Liddell has taken less power punches to the head from his entire career then Manny Pacquiao has taken in one fight.
liddell's chin dropped off pretty quick, which correlates to studies on accumulated head trauma. alistair overeem, chris leben and other fighters have arguably shown this as well.

[KyleKong]

liddell's chin dropped off pretty quick, which correlates to studies on accumulated head trauma. alistair overeem, chris leben and other fighters have arguably shown this as well.

Very true.

But I was just stating how less MMA fighters are actually subject to power punches then boxers. Which leads to head trauma and brain injuries, etc etc.

[BurningHammer]

Most are juiced to the gills and on a million supplements.. Their bones are probably a lot denser from all that.
Probably not. There have been at least 3 cases of broken legs during fights in UFC alone already. Remember Anderson Silva?

[gigantes]

Very true.

But I was just stating how less MMA fighters are actually subject to power punches then boxers. Which leads to head trauma and brain injuries, etc etc.
yeah, interesting. going out now, could you post the link?

[Akrazotile]

I saw a statistic someone posted on Sherdog (MMA forum) that Chuck Liddell has taken less power punches to the head from his entire career then Manny Pacquiao has taken in one fight.


This surprises me tbh because anytime I'm in a bar or wherever MMA is shown, it always looks like guys are just punching each other straight in the head over and over. Especially when they're tired and neither guy is doing much to defend himself. They just take head shot after head shot. Maybe Chuck Lidell is unusually skilled at avoiding them but I feel like I've definitely seen plenty of guys just get their domes pummeled.

Like remember that guy Todd Bertuzzi the hockey player who sucker punched someone and broke his vertebrae and all that. And random punches do serious immediate damage to people all the time. I know getting sucker punched is different than being prepared for it but with all the punches these guys take, especially from all sorts of angles, seems really surprising that you don't hear of a catastrophic injury during the actual match nearly as much as you do. In fact, I practically never hear of it. Just seems like a surprising phenomenon to me.

[AlphaWolf24]

I know virtually nothing about UFC so maybe there is a simple answer here that I'm missing, but how do UFC fighters not suffer more severe injuries during fights??

I mean in everyday life, people can die or get put into comas or have facial bones broken etc. from just a single punch. I realize everyday people are not "trained professional MMA fighters" but I don't see how you could train to absorb heavier impacts to the skull anyway.

I mean in boxing, you have the big gloves, and the majority of the hits are mostly indirect. And obviously in boxing you still have longer-term brain issues and injuries etc.

But when I see a UFC fight, guys are just getting pounded in the face and head at point blank range over and over. That kind of stuff usually puts people in the hospital, sometimes on life support. These dudes are getting kneed in the face, punched repeatedly in the back of the skull. I just don't see how guys aren't geting knocked out cold more often? Or even killed?

Why does it seem like guys don't suffer the kind of severe injuries you would expect from such a savage beating??


answer

- some MMA fighters do/have died during/after a fight

- Pro fighters have to be cleared by Doctors / take multiple tests that show they are healthy enough to fight, get licensed.

- Pro Fighters usually have many years of training and some sort of amateur background to help condition their bodies

- referee's try and stop the fight as soon as a fighter cant defend him/herself ( to avoid continuous open blows to the head)

- anyone can get knocked out/die from a blow to the head, some people do get hit and die on the street......not sure what those people medical conditions were beforehand??

[MavsSuperFan]

I know virtually nothing about UFC so maybe there is a simple answer here that I'm missing, but how do UFC fighters not suffer more severe injuries during fights??

I mean in everyday life, people can die or get put into comas or have facial bones broken etc. from just a single punch. I realize everyday people are not "trained professional MMA fighters" but I don't see how you could train to absorb heavier impacts to the skull anyway.

I mean in boxing, you have the big gloves, and the majority of the hits are mostly indirect. And obviously in boxing you still have longer-term brain issues and injuries etc.

But when I see a UFC fight, guys are just getting pounded in the face and head at point blank range over and over. That kind of stuff usually puts people in the hospital, sometimes on life support. These dudes are getting kneed in the face, punched repeatedly in the back of the skull. I just don't see how guys aren't geting knocked out cold more often? Or even killed?

Why does it seem like guys don't suffer the kind of severe injuries you would expect from such a savage beating??



I mean in everyday life, people can die or get put into comas or have facial bones broken etc. from just a single punch. I realize everyday people are not "trained professional MMA fighters" but I don't see how you could train to absorb heavier impacts to the skull anyway.

People who cant take a punch dont go far in trying to be a pro fighter.

Also most people wouldnt get killed by a single punch.


I mean in boxing, you have the big gloves, and the majority of the hits are mostly indirect. And obviously in boxing you still have longer-term brain issues and injuries etc.

I dont know directly, but from what I have heard the gloves are more to protect their hands than anything esle. Also I have no idea what you mean by the hits are mostly indirect. Typically boxers have much better hands than MMA fighters. Eg. hit more accurately, quickly, cleanly, and with more power

Also a boxer takes a lot more hits in a boxing match than an mma fighter. Many MMA fights are grappling based. All boxing matches are striking based.

Also ground and pound doesnt hit with the same impact as a fighter hitting from a standing position.

[MavsSuperFan]

This surprises me tbh because anytime I'm in a bar or wherever MMA is shown, it always looks like guys are just punching each other straight in the head over and over. Especially when they're tired and neither guy is doing much to defend himself. They just take head shot after head shot. Maybe Chuck Lidell is unusually skilled at avoiding them but I feel like I've definitely seen plenty of guys just get their domes pummeled.

Like remember that guy Todd Bertuzzi the hockey player who sucker punched someone and broke his vertebrae and all that. And random punches do serious immediate damage to people all the time. I know getting sucker punched is different than being prepared for it but with all the punches these guys take, especially from all sorts of angles, seems really surprising that you don't hear of a catastrophic injury during the actual match nearly as much as you do. In fact, I practically never hear of it. Just seems like a surprising phenomenon to me.
Nope, compared to boxers, lidell has very poor head movement and defense.

MMA fighters are usually much worse at boxing than boxers.

[$LakerGold]

Don't know which sport has more severe injuries, boxing or MMA, but I'm definitely sure that MMA has a worse case of cauliflower ears than boxing. Go look at the current cover of UFC magazine and check out them ears. Like, 3/4 of them got that cauliflower ears. Rousey has hers covered with her long hair.

Yuck!!!!

:roll:

That's a battlescar, my bro.

[Cactus-Sack]

Because mma is basically just an excuse for dudes to dry hump.

http://i43.tinypic.com/35b77sj.jpg

[tontoz]

One day i played golf with a guy on a public course who turned out to be one of the top heavyweight boxing contenders. He told me that the real problem wasnt the fights themselves, it was all the sparing that they did which caused long lasting damage.

The guys name was Tony Thompson. He was such a nice, laid back guy i never would have guessed he was a fighter. I thought he was an ex bball player since he is pretty tall.

[gigantes]

Because mma is basically just an excuse for dudes to dry hump.

http://i43.tinypic.com/35b77sj.jpg
more like it's an excuse for you to be a clueless moron, as usual.

[AlphaWolf24]

Nope, compared to boxers, lidell has very poor head movement and defense.

MMA fighters are usually much worse at boxing than boxers.

because Boxing is only 1 aspect of fighting ( Punching)....

If a MMA fighter knows how to shoulder roll and Duck his head every other second.....but doesn't know how to square up and drop his hips to avoid a take down ......then what's the point?


MMA Fighters need to know how to Punh,Kick and Wrestle.....most MMA fighters don't need to incorporate shoulder rolling and ducking ( as it opens them up for takedowns and head kicks)

I'm not saying head movement isn't important......just not as focused or polarizing as it needs to be in boxing.

[Godzuki]

because some real life people are weak as fukk, and uncoordinated, slow, etc. where they got zero defense and just let punches get thru and get pounded. real life people get jumped, hit in the back of the head, etc. in UFC its always 1 on 1, they all have hands up usually, and a ref comes in to stop it once someone is showing zero defense.

that said UFC fighters do get broken jaws, noses, etc. all of the time. you just don't read about it since the fights over and thats all anyone cares about. they get like 6+ month breaks between fights generally....

[Godzuki]

because Boxing is only 1 aspect of fighting ( Punching)....

If a MMA fighter knows how to shoulder roll and Duck his head every other second.....but doesn't know how to square up and drop his hips to avoid a take down ......then what's the point?


MMA Fighters need to know how to Punh,Kick and Wrestle.....most MMA fighters don't need to incorporate shoulder rolling and ducking ( as it opens them up for takedowns and head kicks)

I'm not saying head movement isn't important......just not as focused or polarizing as it needs to be in boxing.


not to mention leg kicks throw punchers off where head bobbing isn't the only defense, on top of lidells arm reach and straight away flurries being so sick.

lidell imo could've beat a lot of boxers iin boxing....

boxing is a joke to me when it comes to talking about real fighting, its funny how people pretend its equal to UFC.

[pauk]

Boxing is actually MUCH more severe for the head/brain due to the 24-7 headshots.... AND its completely harmless for your knuckles to smash your hands against somebodies skull over and over with boxing gloves, hell you can punch a wall 24-7 with those, which means you can generate maximum power without hurting your knuckles/fingers/hands, which means you can more easily knock somebody out with boxing gloves... KO'ing somebody is not about the gloves but how much energy you can send to the guys brain and you do that much better with boxing gloves and have 10000 x more chances to do it in the sport of Boxing.... the MMA gloves are as such due to the grappling aspect...

Bleeding in MMA happens only due to cuts that almost never happened after a full on impact, but a barely grazing finger/hand or elbow... dont even notice you got cut...

In MMA its mostly also ground fighting/BJJ/wrestling involved.... Yes sure MMA looks more dangerous/exciting because it is as close to a real fight you can get, but because of that you can also defend & retaliate in almost unlimited ways and end up winning the fight quickly without any of you taking ANY damage.... a BJJ expert will just jump on you, grab your arm and its over.... thats not how a boxing match can end, its instead millions of rounds of who can take the most head trauma....

Boxing does FAR more vital damage.

[AlphaWolf24]

not to mention leg kicks throw punchers off where head bobbing isn't the only defense, on top of lidells arm reach and straight away flurries being so sick.

lidell imo could've beat a lot of boxers iin boxing....

boxing is a joke to me when it comes to talking about real fighting, its funny how people pretend its equal to UFC.


I don't think Lidell beats any top 20 boxers ( in a pure Boxing match) in his weight division...

Not saying Lidell can't "box"...... in his prime he had a granite chin and could rely on kicks and wrestling to set up his Right hand...

but his speed isn't there ( compared to top level boxers) and he wouldn't be able to set up his hands with kicks and take downs.

Put Lidell in a cage with a boxer with MMA rules and it's a different story....Lidell was a div 1 wrestler..and very good Kickboxer.....

he would do anything he wanted vs a pure boxer "in a MMA" match.