Combat sports are no stranger to injuries, and this is certainly true of mixed martial arts. While the current rules do a much better job of protecting fighters from serious injuries, bruises, bumps and cuts are part of the journey for an MMA fighter. Usually those types of injuries are as bad as it gets, but there are some classic examples of truly horrific injuries at MMA bouts.
Like a moth to a flame or a NASCAR fan to a car wreck, so are MMA fans drawn to the details of the worst injuries of the sport. One notable injury occurred during the UFC 74 fight between Randy Couture and Gabriel Gonzaga in 2007. Gonzaga kicks and Couture checks the kick, which snaps the ulna in his left arm. Rather than tap out, Couture just used his other arm and threw Gonzaga to the ground, punching him until the referee put a stop to it.
Frank Shamrock has had a long career in mixed martial arts and has broken many bones along the way, although usually they tend to be the bones of his opponents. During a Pancrase fight in 1995, Shamrock tore his opponent's ankle so badly it was ripped from its tendons. The opponent, Allan Goes, still managed to fight it out, and the bout was declared a draw. In 1998, Shamrock ended his opponent Igor Zinoviev's career with a particularly vicious throw to the ground. The impact knocked Zinoviev unconscious and his collarbone was shattered. Of course, it cannot always work out in Shamrock's favor; his ulna was broken during a 2008 bout against Cung Le.
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.
They say you are what you eat, and a warrior needs to have a healthy diet in order to remain strong. In addition to having the fight skills and strong mental focus, your diet should be a key component to your life as a fighter. If possible, find a sports nutrition expert and draw up some diet plans to help keep you on the right track. Improving your skills as a fighter is another way to lessen your risk of injury. The better you are at anticipating your opponent's next move, the easier it will be to avoid kicks and punches. When you are in control of the fight, your risk of getting hurt is significantly lower than if you are scrambling against an opponent.
Like a moth to a flame or a NASCAR fan to a car wreck, so are MMA fans drawn to the details of the worst injuries of the sport. One notable injury occurred during the UFC 74 fight between Randy Couture and Gabriel Gonzaga in 2007. Gonzaga kicks and Couture checks the kick, which snaps the ulna in his left arm. Rather than tap out, Couture just used his other arm and threw Gonzaga to the ground, punching him until the referee put a stop to it.
Frank Shamrock has had a long career in mixed martial arts and has broken many bones along the way, although usually they tend to be the bones of his opponents. During a Pancrase fight in 1995, Shamrock tore his opponent's ankle so badly it was ripped from its tendons. The opponent, Allan Goes, still managed to fight it out, and the bout was declared a draw. In 1998, Shamrock ended his opponent Igor Zinoviev's career with a particularly vicious throw to the ground. The impact knocked Zinoviev unconscious and his collarbone was shattered. Of course, it cannot always work out in Shamrock's favor; his ulna was broken during a 2008 bout against Cung Le.
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.
They say you are what you eat, and a warrior needs to have a healthy diet in order to remain strong. In addition to having the fight skills and strong mental focus, your diet should be a key component to your life as a fighter. If possible, find a sports nutrition expert and draw up some diet plans to help keep you on the right track. Improving your skills as a fighter is another way to lessen your risk of injury. The better you are at anticipating your opponent's next move, the easier it will be to avoid kicks and punches. When you are in control of the fight, your risk of getting hurt is significantly lower than if you are scrambling against an opponent.
About the Author:
Nolan Barias enjoys writing about mma 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 go to The Arena MMA site now.
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