MMA vs. Boxing Safety (Fatalities)

**Left-Hook** · Posted On: 6/27/2004 3:14am

ok you're right about that one. But I still feel as though, the body is a constantly passed up target that should be exploited more often.

**X_plosion** · Posted On: 6/27/2004 3:17am

Boxing uses huge padded gloves that minimize the cuts which usually prompt a fight stoppage. Unfortunately, the impact still jars the brain, without any immediate obvious signs. Getting popped this way over a long career, something's gonna give sooner or later. Sadly, it often happens long after the professional has hung up his gloves.

**Punisher** · Posted On: 6/27/2004 1:01pm

Recently I posted a link for a another great resource for boxing deaths statistics.

http://bullshido.net/forums/showthre...threadid=11441

This resource chronicles 1200 boxing deaths from as far back as 1741, with about 500 hundred or so in the last 50 years. Currently there are about 5 deaths a year in boxing. Most of the people that die are guys you never heard of.

While I believe the MMA is safer than boxing, one has to take into account that are a whole lot more boxing matches each year than MMA and MMA as we know it is only ten years old. One or two deaths may actually jump the deaths per fight into comparable levels with boxing.

**LLL** · Posted On: 6/27/2004 2:20pm

Originally posted by Punisher
Recently I posted a link for a another great resource for boxing deaths statistics.

http://bullshido.net/forums/showthre...threadid=11441

This resource chronicles 1200 boxing deaths from as far back as 1741, with about 500 hundred or so in the last 50 years. Currently there are about 5 deaths a year in boxing. Most of the people that die are guys you never heard of.

While I believe the MMA is safer than boxing, one has to take into account that are a whole lot more boxing matches each year than MMA and MMA as we know it is only ten years old. One or two deaths may actually jump the deaths per fight into comparable levels with boxing.

True; I think boxing is more dangerous, BUT that doesn't mean people won't die in MMA as well... Because they will...

Then again, I'm pretty sure the most dangerous sport is actually bicycling (you can check this). Yet bicycling will generally be seen as a good and wholesome pastime.

**alex** · Posted On: 6/27/2004 2:59pm

in new zealand at least, fishing off a boat is the most fatal "sport"

**Jammin James** · Posted On: 6/27/2004 3:25pm

Hmm, the statistics got me thinking about the over all number of people participating in each. Its hard to figure out which statistic is most importan though, ratio of deaths to:

-number of people who fought as a pro in given time period
-number of people who fought as amatuer and no more
-then the rest of the people in odd categories like, Toughman competitions, gym sparring etc..

Hard to find stats so that they may be compared boxing/mma in this manner unfortunately.

I imagine the ratios of deaths are similar with the pro level/long term tier.

To sum it up:
You prolly have 1 in 100 die in either sports, but there are like 20 times as many boxers. These figures are just made up ofcourse, but I think you get the idea.

**Ronin** · Posted On: 6/28/2004 7:26am

While the biggest difference between MMA and boxing may well be the quanity of people doing them, and its pretty onvious that their are more boxers in the world than MMA, and just THAT alone will give you many more deaths, the fact is, boxing is about knocking someone out or hitting them in the haed and body over and over and over, to accumulate points for a victory, and MMA is, more often than not, about getting the other gut to submit.
Choking a guy of arm barring him is alot "safer" then hitting him in the head a couple of hundred times.

**Jammin James** · Posted On: 6/28/2004 4:05pm

Originally posted by ronin69
While the biggest difference between MMA and boxing may well be the quanity of people doing them, and its pretty onvious that their are more boxers in the world than MMA, and just THAT alone will give you many more deaths, the fact is, boxing is about knocking someone out or hitting them in the haed and body over and over and over, to accumulate points for a victory, and MMA is, more often than not, about getting the other gut to submit.
Choking a guy of arm barring him is alot "safer" then hitting him in the head a couple of hundred times.

Haha, good point.

**Antagony** · Posted On: 6/28/2004 4:17pm

Even in MMA fights where someone KOs their opponent, it (generally) happens much faster as compared to boxing.

Faster KO = Fewer punches to the head.

**Left-Hook** · Posted On: 6/28/2004 4:53pm

Originally posted by Antagony
Even in MMA fights where someone KOs their opponent, it (generally) happens much faster as compared to boxing.

Faster KO = Fewer punches to the head.

Padding of the gloves is a factor in that.

It's the absorbtion of multiple blows that causes brain damage. Think about it, boxers throw an average of about 150 or more punches a round, times that by 12 rounds.

Which is the beauty of MMA, it's like Vernon White said, "If a guy doesn't want to get hit he can take it to the ground." And since almost all fights go to the ground at some point in MMA, you get a break from those punches.