| There has been a lot of bad press surrounding MMA | | | | victory option is knockout, but fighters can also win by |
| fights and the UFC. Many critics say that mixed martial | | | | submission or referee stoppage, two options not |
| arts are barbaric and gruesome and are nothing more | | | | available in boxing. Instead of going at it until irreparable |
| than amateur street brawls. The beginning of the MMA | | | | damage is done, many MMA fights end when a fighter |
| movement in America and the inception of the UFC | | | | submits or the referee stops the fight before serious |
| did not help matters at firs as they promoted the sport | | | | injuries occur. This seems like a much safer option. |
| as the most violent combat sport available and only | | | | Critics that say that MMA is barbaric and dangerous |
| helped to further the negative serotype. Originally, | | | | must not realized that there have been no deaths in |
| MMA fights were banned in many states but after | | | | sanctioned MMA fights ever. No MMA fighter has ever |
| stricter rules were put in place and new UFC owners | | | | died during a fight; the same cannot be said about |
| worked to change the barbaric stereotype, the MMA | | | | boxing a sport that has lost hundreds of fighters. |
| movement has gained huge popularity. | | | | Injuries are also infrequent, as well as brain damage |
| But are mixed martial arts dangerous, at least any | | | | because submission and referee stoppage is a victory |
| more dangerous that other combat or contact sports? | | | | option. The same is not true in boxing, many fighters |
| Sure, in the beginning the sport itself claimed to be | | | | end up with long term problems, brain damage, or have |
| extremely violent but things have changed since then. | | | | their careers halted abruptly because of injuries. Even |
| To really answer the question of the danger in MMA | | | | non combat sports like football and hockey see more |
| fights, one would have to understand the rules of the | | | | serious injuries than MMA fights such as broken and |
| UFC and compare it to other sports. | | | | fractured bones, spinal damage, and concussions. |
| Mixed martial arts is just that, a mixture of many | | | | While MMA fighters do receive injuries, they are not |
| different fighting styles from boxing to wrestling, to jui | | | | usually severe. |
| jitsu, most of which have ancient roots and were at | | | | Critics that initially called the game barbaric and |
| some time a part of the Olympic Games. Critics | | | | dangerous spoke of the lack of rules and regulations. |
| against the UFC and MMA fights say that it teaches | | | | MMA fights have over gone rule changes and |
| kids that fighting is ok or honorable. Some of these | | | | additions, and although still allow for a great variety of |
| same critics agree that all combat sports are bad and | | | | fighting techniques, the fighters well being is considered. |
| other single out MMA. The truth is, when compared to | | | | No matter how many people think that MMA fights are |
| boxing MMA is not as bad. The object ion boxing is to | | | | dangerous, the sport will continue to grow and attract |
| beat your opponent until they are unconscious or so | | | | fans. |
| badly injured that they can no longer get up. In MMA a | | | | |