How Dangerous Is MMA?

I was a pretty good football player in high school. And in one game I suffered a concussion (was ko’ed briefly), dislocated finger, separated shoulder, and a large gash on my chin. And those were hardly the only injuries I suffered in my high school career (torn shoulder muscles, complete tear of the hamstring, a few more concussions, I have arthritis in a few of my fingers from the sheer amount of times I broke and dislocated them…etc)

But it is so much more dangerous to participate in MMA than football.

are just that.. visually appalling but not quite the medical emergency that it may look… unless if the broken bones are your neck and spine.. Is MMA dangerous? very much. There’s the constant threat of having neurologic damage and even death. But compared to others sports, or American Football for that matter, not that much. It may even be safer. In a sport where the athletes participates knowing that they’ll get hurt or will be hurt, they’re not only physically but also psychologically prepared to take the hits of their opponents. They would know how to react to each and every blow of their opponents. In football, however, they have this false sense of security with pads and helmets. They would go all out in tackling their opponents thinking that they would not get hurt since they have their gears on. Just compare it Rugby, I don’t have the numbers but I know Rugby players has lesser injuries than in American Football.

He has said at numerous events.

He also doesn’t want fights to be stood up if the action is stalled.

I remember one game in a high school state soccer tournament with the same list of maladies. And that was just my team (KO was goalie’s head meeting goalpost during a scuffle for the ball—self-inflicted concussion, head gash was from dirty play going up for headers, broken nose was from head butt in altercation after the game, broken hand was actually broken thumb from messy landing after a tackle with guys on top… OK so no dislocated shoulder, but still… plenty of blood from elbows and cleats). And that’s a wussy sport like soccer… ;) Why would we demand pro MMA to be safer?

Fun stuff is dangerous. Armor is boring. Let us play!