| The stigmas associated with mixed martial arts are | | | | there that cloud society's vision. Mixed martial arts |
| hard to shake but quite easy to dispel. Many ask how | | | | draws a lot of negative attention due to the size of |
| could anyone want to watch, much less regulate, a | | | | the gloves the fighters use. The gloves in mixed |
| sport that allows men to punch, kick, elbow, knee | | | | martial arts are 4 ounces while the average gloves in |
| and incapacitate their opponents. Moreover, you | | | | boxing are 8 ounces. The misconception is the larger |
| often hear detractors claim that this spectacle | | | | the glove the more it protects the fighter. This is |
| shouldn't even be considered a sport and should be | | | | partially correct. A larger glove (more padding) will |
| forced to cease to exist. Much like many other | | | | allow a fighter to absorb more punches without |
| events and issues in our society, the media isn't doing | | | | causing any cuts. What most people don't understand |
| their part to educate us consumers. The majority of | | | | is that gloves were not invented to protect the |
| the opinions and ill will harbored by people towards | | | | fighter's faces they were in fact invented for |
| mixed martial arts, honestly comes from simply being | | | | protection of the hands! The impact of a larger glove |
| uninformed.One can only imagine the amount of | | | | is much more traumatic then that of a smaller one |
| deaths that there have been in a sport that allows | | | | due to the increased surface. Boxing matches consist |
| such violence. Any sport that allows you to knock or | | | | of two men repeatedly hitting each other for as |
| choke out your opponent must have the highest | | | | much as twelve three minute rounds. Mixed martial |
| death toll and critical injury rate of all sports. I hate to | | | | arts, on the other hand allows a fighter to hold or |
| break it to all the sceptics but the fact is, there has | | | | take their opponent to the ground where the power |
| never been a death in a sanctioned mixed martial arts | | | | in a blow is drastically reduced. Boxing also allows a |
| fight. There has in fact been one death in all of mixed | | | | fighter who has been knocked down, the opportunity |
| martial arts but this occurred many years ago in an | | | | to recoup and continue fighting once they can beat |
| unsanctioned fight. You may be wondering what the | | | | the 10 count. Mixed martial arts on the other hand, |
| difference is. A sanctioning body is an organization | | | | end a fight when a fighter has been knocked down. |
| that is responsible for the proper implementation of | | | | The significance of this is the fact that the most |
| weight limits, rules and medical examinations. They | | | | damage done to the brain of a fighter is after they |
| make sure that the 2 fighters are within their weight | | | | suffer the initial concussion. Every blow after this |
| limits and that they're physically fit to fight. The | | | | point is highly detrimental and extremely |
| event where the participant died did not have a | | | | dangerous.I'm not trying to discount boxing as a |
| sanctioning body, which in turn means it didn't have a | | | | sport. I'm merely trying to show you how safe a |
| proper weigh in or physical. The opponent died of a | | | | sport mixed martial arts is. Boxing has had three |
| blood clot they had sustained from a fight in an | | | | deaths alone this year. If that makes you wonder |
| earlier event. The fact is if the event had been | | | | how anyone could allow any of these combative |
| sanctioned, this fighter would have had to have a | | | | sports to exist, I guess you haven't heard that high |
| physical which includes a brain scan. This would have | | | | school football averages four deaths per year and |
| resulted in the fighter not being cleared to fight. | | | | that doesn't include the number of paralysis victims |
| Mixed martial arts actually uses the same sanctioning | | | | per year. Mixed martial arts is far safer then it looks |
| bodies that boxing does.Why is it that boxing, which | | | | and statistically safer then football, which is a sport |
| is much more of a brutal sport, is universally more | | | | that we not only embrace, but often sign our children |
| accepted then mixed martial arts? The fact is again | | | | up for. If mixed martial arts isn't safe how do we |
| there are many myths and false information out | | | | feel about football? |