If someone were to watch mixed martial arts on television, they might automatically wonder, “Is MMA safe?” That’s a fair question, and one that needs to be answered objectively. In short, just like any other sport, MMA is as safe as the instructors, referees, and fighters make it out to be. Granted, it wasn’t always like this. Back before MMA was regulated, there were a lot of injuries associated with this sport. Fortunately, today it’s deemed quite safe, despite being labeled a combat sport.
Is MMA Safe?
Reason #1 For Why MMA is Safe: MMA Allows for “Tapping”
In MMA, it’s very common for a fight to end via submission. If one fighter places another fighter into a dangerous choke, arm lock, or leg lock, then that fighter has the choice of “tapping”, which is the equivalent of saying, “I give up”. For this reason, it’s safe to assume that getting an arm or leg broken, or even getting choked unconscious, is very rare, especially with how responsive referees are at noticing when a fighter taps.
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Reason #2 For Why is MMA Safe: Referees Are Constantly Watching
During an MMA fight, referees are constantly on the lookout for fighters who aren’t able to properly defend themselves. If they notice that a fighter is in a dominant position over the other, and the less superior fighter can no longer defend themselves, then the referee has the right to stop the fight right then and there. This drastically reduces the risk of injury, preventing the losing opponent from sustaining any more hits or submission attempts.
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Reason #3 For Why MMA is Safe: Strikes Are Directed to All Parts of the Body
One might think that since strikes are directed to all parts of the body in MMA, and since elbows, legs, hands, and knees can be used to strike as well, that this is a very dangerous sport. But this statement actually proves that MMA is less dangerous than say, boxing, which encourages 90% of strikes to an opponent’s head.
Is MMA Safe?
In essence, the “damage” is getting spread out over the course of one’s entire body – not just their head – meaning that there is a lessened chance of injury during any given fight. Plus, MMA involves a great deal of grappling, which is also considered relatively safe compared to boxing. So if the question ever arises, “Is MMA safe?” you’ll now have some reasons for why it is.