While there is some data suggesting brain injury rates and severity may be lower in MMA than in boxing, there is no reason to believe that the brain rattling from MMA does not lead to the disease. There is a growing list of proven and suspected cases of CTE in former MMA athletes. Researchers have … More MMA Legend Frank Shamrock Pledges Brain For CTE Research
One of the most promising regulatory trends in the last year are numerous State, Tribal and Provincial athletic commissions sharing key information with the industry about concussion and CTE which are some of the biggest occupational hazards professonal fighters face. It makes perfect sense that regulators, who are in charge of health and safety issues, … More Wyoming Latest Commission To Share CTE and Concussion Information with Fighters
Adding to this site’s combat sports safety study summaries, a recent study was published in the Journal of Sports Medicine reviewing MMA fighter brain volume measurements and their association with sparring frequency. In the article, titled Sparring and the Brain: The Associations between Sparring and Regional Brain Volumes in Professional Mixed Martial Arts Fighters, the … More Study – MMA Fighter Brain Volume Not Decreased Based on Self Reported Sparring Frequency
I’ve spent a lot of time on this site discussing the standard of care of combat sports coaches and the possibility of negligence lawsuits. This week headlines broke illustrating such concerns are not merely academic. A California based brazilian jiu jitsu club was ordered to pay substantial damages to an injured student following jury findings of … More Jiu Jitsu Club Ordered to Pay Paralyzed Student $46 Million in Damages For Negligence
In the near 30 year history of modern Mixed Martial Arts last night may have given the sport the most neglectful late stoppage involving a grappling exchange. The headlining bout for Fury FC 76 ended in submission via armbar. It took place in San Antonio, Texas. Gianni Vasquez was strangled unconscious in a triangle. The referee … More Texas Appears Indifferent to Neglectful MMA Bout Stoppage
This week Conor McGregor confirmed he is not in USADA’s anti-doping testing pool but that he is in constant communication with USADA and all he has to do is provide two negative samples and he is cleared to return. USADA replied noting they have no meeting scheduled with Conor and generally returning athletes must be … More Conor McGregor UFC Return and USADA Anti-Doping Waivers
An interesting article was published this month in Frontiers of Neuroscience exploring the possible connection between the delayed (and progressive) symptoms of CTE and micro trauma from the normal beating of the heart. There is ample evidence that CTE is caused by repeated brain trauma from external forces (think repeated hits in combat or contact … More Do Years Of Heartbeat “Pulse Trauma” Explain Delayed Onset of CTE Symptoms?
Headgear does not prevent concussions or other brain injuries. Nor does it stop the progressive disease CTE which is linked to repeated concussive and sub concussive impacts. Despite this many athletes don’t understand the limitations of headgear. Because of this some observe that athletes take more hits to the head with headgear on. A recent … More Study – Fighters Take “Statistically Significant” More Head Shots When Wearing Headgear
Update February 28, 2023 – After writing this article I decided to conduct a quick poll to inquire about people’s knowledge about headgear when they first sparred. Although Twitter polls are not scientific this poll largely mirrors my discussion with many combat sports practitioners. The majority mis-understand the safety benefits of headgear. And many wrongly … More Headgear Manufacturers Would Be Wise To Have Concussion Warnings
Today MMAFighting reports that Diego Sanchez is filing a formal appeal with the New Mexico Athletic Commission seeking to overturn the result in his recent loss to Austin Trout in BKFC over allegations of greasing. As with all combat sports appeals the laws of the jurisdiction in question need to be scrutinized and here New … More Liberal New Mexico Greasing Rules And the Diego Sanchez Bare Knuckle Boxing Appeal
Combat Sports Law 