Anyone who has every watched one MMA fight can see that injuries are just part of the sport. While bruises and cuts heal fairly quickly, broken bones and concussions are not uncommon. The rules of MMA do protect fighters in the main, but there is always an inherent risk in this combative sport. Here are a few of the most notable injuries and a few tips on how to prevent injuries in general.
While fans don't really wish to see fighters hurt, there is undeniably a fascination with the unique injuries inflicted on MMA fighters. Perhaps even more impressive than the injuries themselves is the defiance of the fighters to succumb to these injuries. Case in point would be a match between Gabriel Gonzaga and Randy Couture during UFC 74 in 2007. During the third round, Gonzaga snaps Couture's left ulna with a sharp kick, yet Couture just shifts his energy to his uninjured arm and ends up throwing Gonzaga down and punching him until the fights ends via TKO.
Broken bones are definitely not an unusual occurrence in MMA, and Frank Shamrock has been on both the giving and receiving end of bone breakage. Long ago, in the midst of a 1995 Pancrase bout, Shamrock locked onto his opponent Allan Goes' ankle and literally just tore it off the tendons. Surprisingly, the bout ended in a draw with Goes continuing the battle all the way to the end. Three years later, Shamrock ended the career of Igor Zinoviev after he threw Zinoviev to the mat causing him to break his collarbone and knocking him unconscious during UFC 16. In 2008, Shamrock got a taste of his own medicine when his opponent Cung Le snapped Shamrock's ulna.
There are dozens of interesting pictures showcasing some truly gruesome MMA injuries, where fighters are shrouded in blood with huge bumps swelling on their heads and cuts that look impossibly deep. An example would be a UFC 80 bout between Joe Stevenson and BJ Penn. Penn delivers a razor-sharp elbow to Stevenson, slicing his head open and drenching him in blood. Stevenson lost the bout by submission, but not during that round. Despite the injury, he continued to fight for another round. Stevenson obviously spent some time in the ER that night, but it was not nearly as bad as the result of a fight between Jorge Rivera and Nate Quarry, which ended with Quarry in the hospital for reconstructive facial surgery.
There are some pictures that really just stand out in one's mind, such as the horrific bone break suffered by Corey Hill during a UFC fight in 2008 against Dale Hart. Several minutes into the fight Hill delivers a kick to Hart and Hart blocks it with his knee, snapping Hill's leg bones pretty much in half. The picture definitely tells the story, as you see Hill's leg just dangle as if it were made of rubber. Still, Corey Hill did return to the ring to fight again in 2010 and continues to fight to this day and has had two losses and three wins since the injury.
While the aforementioned injuries do occur, there are ways to limit injuries in general. Obviously you can't prevent every injury, but the stronger you are both mentally and physically, the less likely you will be to suffer from problems. Avoiding excessive weight cuts can protect your muscles from deteriorating, and proper stretching before bouts can protect your shoulders and neck from serious injury.
Proper nutrition is another key element, so if you are serious about fighting, sit down with a nutritionist and plan out a balanced diet and plan out strengthening meals for the days leading up to a fight and the day of a fight itself. Proper hydration is also equally important, especially prior to and immediately following a bout. Perhaps the best way to avoid injury is to simply become a better, stronger fighter with great agility. Avoiding contact from your opponent and taking control of a fight certainly lowers your own risk of injury.
While fans don't really wish to see fighters hurt, there is undeniably a fascination with the unique injuries inflicted on MMA fighters. Perhaps even more impressive than the injuries themselves is the defiance of the fighters to succumb to these injuries. Case in point would be a match between Gabriel Gonzaga and Randy Couture during UFC 74 in 2007. During the third round, Gonzaga snaps Couture's left ulna with a sharp kick, yet Couture just shifts his energy to his uninjured arm and ends up throwing Gonzaga down and punching him until the fights ends via TKO.
Broken bones are definitely not an unusual occurrence in MMA, and Frank Shamrock has been on both the giving and receiving end of bone breakage. Long ago, in the midst of a 1995 Pancrase bout, Shamrock locked onto his opponent Allan Goes' ankle and literally just tore it off the tendons. Surprisingly, the bout ended in a draw with Goes continuing the battle all the way to the end. Three years later, Shamrock ended the career of Igor Zinoviev after he threw Zinoviev to the mat causing him to break his collarbone and knocking him unconscious during UFC 16. In 2008, Shamrock got a taste of his own medicine when his opponent Cung Le snapped Shamrock's ulna.
There are dozens of interesting pictures showcasing some truly gruesome MMA injuries, where fighters are shrouded in blood with huge bumps swelling on their heads and cuts that look impossibly deep. An example would be a UFC 80 bout between Joe Stevenson and BJ Penn. Penn delivers a razor-sharp elbow to Stevenson, slicing his head open and drenching him in blood. Stevenson lost the bout by submission, but not during that round. Despite the injury, he continued to fight for another round. Stevenson obviously spent some time in the ER that night, but it was not nearly as bad as the result of a fight between Jorge Rivera and Nate Quarry, which ended with Quarry in the hospital for reconstructive facial surgery.
There are some pictures that really just stand out in one's mind, such as the horrific bone break suffered by Corey Hill during a UFC fight in 2008 against Dale Hart. Several minutes into the fight Hill delivers a kick to Hart and Hart blocks it with his knee, snapping Hill's leg bones pretty much in half. The picture definitely tells the story, as you see Hill's leg just dangle as if it were made of rubber. Still, Corey Hill did return to the ring to fight again in 2010 and continues to fight to this day and has had two losses and three wins since the injury.
While the aforementioned injuries do occur, there are ways to limit injuries in general. Obviously you can't prevent every injury, but the stronger you are both mentally and physically, the less likely you will be to suffer from problems. Avoiding excessive weight cuts can protect your muscles from deteriorating, and proper stretching before bouts can protect your shoulders and neck from serious injury.
Proper nutrition is another key element, so if you are serious about fighting, sit down with a nutritionist and plan out a balanced diet and plan out strengthening meals for the days leading up to a fight and the day of a fight itself. Proper hydration is also equally important, especially prior to and immediately following a bout. Perhaps the best way to avoid injury is to simply become a better, stronger fighter with great agility. Avoiding contact from your opponent and taking control of a fight certainly lowers your own risk of injury.
About the Author:
Nolan Barias loves writing about mixed martial arts benefits. To get more information about mixed martial arts lessons in San Diego or to find local coaches teaching jiu jitsu lessons in San Diego, please visit The Arena MMA site today.
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