[JohnnySparta]

This article discusses the recent assertion that MMA is actually safer than Boxing. It's conclusion?

MMA definitely appears to cause fewer major injuries such as "Punch Drunk Syndrome", Paralysis, Brain Damage, etc and in addition it also has a lower risk of death than Boxing by a margin of at least 8 times.

However... the risk of smaller injury is in fact much larger in MMA than it is in Boxing. Per this article, "...a 2006 study in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine found that MMA produced 28.6 injuries per 100 fight participants compared to 17.1 injuries per 100 fight participants in boxing."

These injuries include (but are not limited to) "...facial cuts, broken noses, ribs, hands, and orbital bones..."

The entire article can be found here:
MMA WEEKLY - Your #1 Source for Daily MMA News, Interviews, Multimedia, and More

[LeedsLad]

Including facial cuts and broken noses etc and i would imagine boxing probably is more dangerous than MMA. But i think MMA would probably cause more damaging injuries because they can kick and all sorts in that ****.

[JohnnySparta]

You would think, but not according to that study.

[SugarShane]

It has been proven that MMA is safer than boxing. A lot of the punishment taken by MMA guys comes while their head is supported. Boxer's heads are never supported when they are punched repeatedly to the head. Head shots add up.

[JohnnySparta]

Originally Posted by PrettyBoyFloyd

It has been proven that MMA is safer than boxing. A lot of the punishment taken by MMA guys comes while their head is supported. Boxer's heads are never supported when they are punched repeatedly to the head. Head shots add up.

True, hence the difference in major injury or death between the two. The study found however that MMA is more likely to cause minor injury.

Apparantly the NFL is worse than both.

[KNUCKLE UP]

I think a lot has to do with gloves also. With the padding they have in gloves it allows them to usually get hit more often. The gloves they have in mma is almost like bare knuckle. It does not take as much to get KOed. Plus many lose by tapping which means a lot less punches to the head.

[SugarShane]

Originally Posted by KNUCKLE UP

I think a lot has to do with gloves also. With the padding they have in gloves it allows them to usually get hit more often. The gloves they have in mma is almost like bare knuckle. It does not take as much to get KOed. Plus many lose by tapping which means a lot less punches to the head.

The major difference is the shots to the head boxers take. It gets your brain sloshing around while unstable while MMA guys heads are usually stabilized. Hell, neither one is particularly safe.

[goju-joe]

I read somewhere that the main damage in boxing comes from the hundreds/thousands of hours of hard sparring that a boxer must do acquire the skill.

I can grapple for hours and not worry about injury but the cumulative damage to the head through hard sparring.

[TysonJones]

sparring/boxing are basically the same, the repition of getting hit in the head is what causes all the damage. mma guys get hit flush once adn they seem to be out, and they hardly get hit in the head/face at all. that is the main thing boxers get hit in.

[JohnnySparta]

Originally Posted by tysonjones

sparring/boxing are basically the same, the repition of getting hit in the head is what causes all the damage. mma guys get hit flush once adn they seem to be out, and they hardly get hit in the head/face at all. that is the main thing boxers get hit in.

I'll agree as long as you're not suggesting that MMA guys have weak chin's. I could name a long list of iron jawed MMA fighters.