especially those who are not superstars … but I’m not sure what you can do about depression and/or head trauma. Forrest Griffin says in his book that most fighters come from broken homes and had horrible childhood (of course there are exceptions like BJ Penn and Florian) , so to most fighters it’s the depression that made them fight not vice versa.

Great article and some points made in this article reminds me why I have been so concerned about Herschel Walker being allowed to fight. Such as this here:

Concussions have been inexorably linked to depression — as many as 40 percent of head injuries could result in neurological disruption leading to behavioral changes or mood suffocation, according to a study at Montreal Neurological Institute of McGill University.

So if Herschel Walkers gets KO’d there is a 40 percent chance it could result in neurological disruption leading to behavioral changes or mood suffocation. I’m not sure that is a good thing for someone with multiple personality disorder. I hope whatever Athletic Commission has to sanction Herschel Walker consults qualified doctors to get their opinion on the dangers of allowing him to fight.

In this economy even more fighter can suffer from depression if financially they don’t have all their expenses covered not having that financial security and knowing that your career could end at any moment can be a lot pressure for one human being

I’m going to have to respectfully disagree with a lot of the commentary on this article. For one, three fighters simply isn’t representative of the whole population of MMA fighters, and therefore, it is extremely hard for me to conclude that MMA really had anything to do with the tragedies that happened to them (you can even name twenty fighters, and that is still not representative of the population of MMA fighters). Junie Browning didn’t all of a sudden develop bipolar disorder on TUF 8, so to say that it was MMA that caused him to do what he did and ignore his documented troubled past is really pointing the finger at the wrong person/thing. Maybe, and only maybe, being in the UFC and its limelight gave him added emotional pressure, but I have a hard time believing that this MMA lifestyle caused him to do what he did.
Two, what is the MMA lifestyle, and what is it that is so negative? I know that the professional wrestling lifestyle includes being on the road for most of the year and temptation happens because there is no one to check up on you like in the Wrestler. I understand that training camps can be 8 to 12 weeks, but for many (not all) fighters, they still get to see their family after training or at least not be in some unfamiliar city unlike professional wrestlers.
Three, using the Wrestler as an example of what can happen to an MMA fighter is almost comparing apples to oranges. Like I said, the professional wrestling lifestyle includes being on the road for most of the year with no one to keep a wrestler in check and doing bumps almost on a daily basis. Yes, MMA fighters have to spar in the gym and that does cause damage to the head or body, but there is protective gear and light sparring for a reason.
I will agree that the emotional pressure is overwhelming and physical punishment piles it on, that is just undeniable. There is also cause for alarm about concussions in this sport even though I feel it is safer than boxing. But at the same time, that is just the nature of the sport of MMA. I sympathize, but I also know that that is something that cannot really be changed, and that is the risk that fighters have to face when they signed on to be an MMA fighter.

Hey Jake, SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Be quiet, we need the facts hidden as best as possible =)

If for no other reason than I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen the word peripatetic used outside of a Calvin & Hobbes strip.

“Out of the 400 who responded to his petition to take an online questionnaire, nearly a quarter exhibited symptoms of depression.”

I’d imagine these days a quarter of north american society being depressed in any sample size survey would probably be an optimistic figure.

That’s just the way it is. Any sport where hitting each other in the head is going to result in some brain damage, let’s just face it. Concussions are a favorite way for the NYT’s to whip the NFL, joint wear and tear on pitchers, boxing head trauma, you get the idea.

A fighter’s union is never going to solve this. Their representation can only insure a minimum amount of pay and some health benefits, they’re not going to be interested in dialing down the dangers in the sport. The NFL’s player union does little to insure the pay and safety of some of its lowest members. Median NFL pay is only 800k a year, which I would argue is just a little higher than UFC yearly pay (with sponsorships, bonuses, multiple fights ect. et al).

Sports are a tough way to make a living, a lot of natural talent, hard work and right place/right time elements are involved. What we should really question is whether we want to watch two people who are voluntarily risking their future for our own entertainment or not. For myself, I feel comfortable turning the mirror around and putting up my hard earned dollar and time for the athletes. Individual choice is the deciding factor for me.