MMA is an amazing sport where people beat the very living breath out of one another. It is often an individual sport, called mixed martial arts, where the rules are scarce, other than hitting another in the groin. MMA tends to be very entertaining for the fans. It is like boxing, but without the large gloves, with kicks and chokes. MMA has lots of tournaments worldwide and is an immensely popular sport. But, some people consider it to be very unhealthy and even brutal. Other fans consider it entertaining and fun. Which one is it? Here is our take.
MMA – Working Out Can be Hard
When training to become an MMA fighter, you need to learn how to take a punch and kick. That means sparring sessions which will be similar, if not completely the same like a tournament fight. The only thing missing will be the audience and stakes of a tournament win or loss. Regardless, even training to become an MMA competitor, one can get hurt. Yet, one probably starts their MMA journey with that very thought embedded in their head (sometimes literally), so the idea of getting hurt should be one a fighter is aware of.
MMA – First Class Entertainment
MMA is arguably very entertaining. People fighting, giving it their all in a ring which you cannot escape unless you want to forfeit the match. When you see a fight go for 5 rounds, it means that both fighters are equally skilled and trying their best to win or not to lose. Knockdowns are always entertaining, but submission holds can also be fun. Apart from that, when you see a fighter give it their all to hit an opponent Jean Claude Van Damme style, spinning hook kick, things become almost serene.
Brutal Injuries
Some of MMA’s worst injuries range anywhere from dislocated shoulders and elbows, to broken fibulas and tibias, to a fractured skull. It is very disturbing to watch a person’s leg start swinging around like it’s made out of jelly after a blocked kick. This has happened at least 3 times in professional MMA matches, live streamed, of course. Broken elbows and dislocated shoulders happen too often. Submission holds and stubbornness lead to these injuries, such as not tapping out when you can see that your limb is under too much pressure. A skull fracture is a rare injury, but can happen.
Fun or Brutal
Depending on what you prefer, brutality versus entertainment will always be a matter of perspective, especially since nobody is being forced into the ring, not knowing the risk of such a fight and an adrenaline rush. With that in mind, MMA is a very injury-prone sport and people should be aware of that if they plan on learning MMA or even considering professional competition.
On the other hand, things can be very entertaining because you get to see some of the best individual skills in any fighting sport.
Brutal or not, it is entertaining. The debate will probably live to see many more years.
