There must have been a sweet spot--somewhere between the decline of professional boxing and the rise of professional mixed martial arts (MMA)--when brain damage injuries dipped to historic lows. If you sit and watch an entire bout in either sport, it’s truly amazing to realize that fighters are even able to get through a match, let alone a career, given the blunt force head trauma they accumulate. To justify the abuse, some might pose an argument along the lines of: “It only looks bad; they aren’t actually getting injured.” Unfortunately, a brain damage injury lawyer knows that recent research on MMA fighting begs to differ.
The Data
Any brain damage injury lawyer up to date on the literature will know that University of Toronto researchers recently assessed seven years of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) matches, looking at scorecards, which indicate the results of the fights, and watching video. They found that, in UFC, athletes face 15.9 incidents that could potentially cause traumatic brain injuries. Put simply, athletes are exposed to a concussion-like injury in 32 percent of matches. By comparison, football players face about half that amount, and hockey players about an eighth.
Solutions to the Epidemic
The authors of the University of Toronto study recognize that the sport (or perhaps “blood-sport” is a better term) of MMA will need to face drastic changes to limit athletes’ exposure to long-term brain injury. At the very least, rules should be adjusted to prevent athletes from repeatedly striking a downed opponent. Further, they suggest banning young people from participating in the (admittedly growing) sport.
Contact a brain damage injury lawyer if you’ve suffered a serious injury, and get the compensation you deserve. Toronto personal injury lawyers will give you a free consultation at your convenience.
Sources:
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/mma-fighters-suffer-traumatic-brain-injury-in-almost-a-third-of-professional-bouts-study