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Radio 1
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15-01-2009 3:31pm#1
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http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2009/pc/pod-v-150109-46m22s-liveline.mp3
hilarious altogether
The medical evidence on boxing is well known. Both the British Medical Association and the World Medical Association have called for a ban on boxing. The latter stating “boxing is a dangerous sport. Unlike most other sports, its basic intent is to produce bodily harm in the opponent. Boxing can result in death and produces an alarming incidence of chronic brain injury. For this reason, the World Medical Association recommends that boxing be banned.” In 1991, eleven national medical associations (including Ireland) confirmed their opposition to boxing and a wish to see the sport banned.
Notwithstanding the merits and drawbacks of the arguments as to whether MMA could be safer than boxing in chapter 3, the following is the medical evidence on MMA. In the first ever report of the incidence of injury in MMA competitions, which was carried out by the John Hopkins University, it was concluded that “the overall injury rate in MMA competitions is now similar to other combat sports, including boxing. Knockout rates are lower in MMA competitions than in boxing. This suggests a reduced risk of traumatic brain injury in MMA competitions when compared to other events involving striking.” The reason for this is that as already explained, securing a submission is the second most common means of finishing an MMA bout. “This unique characteristic, combined with more options of attack when competing, is thought to help explain a knockout proportion in MMA competitions that is almost half of the reported 11.3% of professional boxing matches in Nevada.” In the same vein, “with MMA competitions, the opportunity to attack the extremities with arm bars and leg locks and the possibility of extended periods of grappling could serve to lessen the risk of traumatic brain injury.” The report also finds that the rate of TKO’s are similar between boxing and MMA.
Contrastingly, the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that in MMA “the proportion of matches stopped because of blunt head trauma exceeded that documented in other studies of combat sports, including boxing and kickboxing.” Perhaps the reason for such a discrepancy would seem to come from the fact that this report was based on MMA bouts between 1993 and 2003 on events that took place in the U.S. and Japan, whereas the latter article concerned only events that took in place in Nevada after 2001, by which stage the UFC had re-invented itself with a keen emphasis on safety. The study also found that head impact was a salient medical issue.
The same journal also found that there is a risk of cervical injury from four common manoeuvres in MMA. The techniques in question are forms of takedowns i.e. a move designed to put an opponent on the floor and come from both judo and jiu-jitsu. It was found that two manoeuvres (hip-toss and souplesse) “revealed strong correlations with rear end motor vehicle impact injuries” while the other two (suplex and guillotine choke drop) suggested a strong risk of injury. It concluded that “there is a significant risk of whiplash injuries in this sport, and there are no safety regulations to address these concerns.”
Finally, and most importantly it would seem, the British Medical Association has called for a ban on MMA on two occasions. In March 2000, the BMA opposed MMA as it was then with few rules citing that a lack of regulation was exposing participants to serious injury. The BMA’s science and ethics advisor Dr. Bill O’ Neill stated “there is clearly an intention to inflict injury on one’s opponent in total fighting and that includes serious and significant brain damage.” The BMA have also called for a ban on MMA as it exists today with more stringent rules and safety regulations. In September 2007, the BMA issued another call to ban “no-holds fighting” as they put it. Dr. Vivienne Nathanson, BMA science and ethics advisor made the BMA’s views on MMA perfectly clear. “This kind of competition hardly constitutes a sport. The days of gladiator fights are over and we should not be looking to resurrect them.” She continued “ultimate fighting can be extremely brutal. As doctors we cannot stand by while violent fighting tournaments are allowed to take place.”
The BMA also concentrated on MMA in its latest publication on boxing. The report begins “The BMA has renewed its call for action against boxing because of the growing commercialisation of no-holds barred fighting events (euphemistically called mixed martial arts), which have the sole aim to cause physical harm and injury to an opponent until they are unable to continue: the primary goal being to knock the opponent unconscious.” As we have seen, the primary goal is not to knock the opponent unconscious. The BMA explains in no uncertain terms the dangers which are present in MMA.
“Because of its no-holds barred nature, the UFC fighters are open to a myriad of injuries, including subdural haematoma, thought to be the most common cause of fatalities in boxing. In addition to fractures, tears, sprains of the ligaments and muscles, primarily knees, shoulders and ankles, there is also the risk of subclinical electroencephalographic perturbations due to the use of neck-holding manoeuvres. Injuries sustained in full-contact fighting arts, in particular martial grappling arts and professional MMA competitions have not been well catalogued in peer-reviewed medical and scientific research methods. There is however, some evidence of increased risk of brain and joint injuries; with brain injuries more common in striking sports while joint injuries are more common in grappling sports.”
The report then goes on to mention the death of Douglas Degde in 1998, at the time the only reported death in MMA. The BMA explains that the fact there has been only one death should be put into context as MMA is still in its infancy. However, what the report did not mention is that the death of Douglas Degde took place in an unregulated, unsanctioned bare-knuckle contest in the Ukraine with the victim reportedly having a medical condition and being unable to fight in the U.S.A. on that ground. It was “little more than an organised bar fight” said a spokesperson for the UFC.
Since the publication of the BMA report however, the first death in licensed, regulated MMA has occurred, that of Sam Vasquez on 30th November 2007 in Houston, U.S.A. Vasquez who was licensed to compete by the Texas Boxing and Wrestling Program received numerous blows to the head from Vince Libardi in what was his third professional MMA bout in the Renegades Extreme Fighting organisation. After the fight, Vasquez suffered a stroke and blood clots in his brain and underwent surgery to remove these. He died 6 weeks after the contest. Executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Bill Kuntz said afterwards that the event was conducted in compliance with all procedures. It should be noted then that Gardiner was incorrect when he said in 2006 that “serious injuries are not uncommon and some deaths have occurred, as they have in boxing.”
sources:
British Medical Association “The Boxing Debate” (1993) London : British Medical Association
www.wma.net/e/policy/b6.htm
Bledsoe et al, “Incidence of Injury in Professional Mixed Martial Arts Competitions” John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2006) 136-142 p. 141
Buse, G.J. “No holds barred sport fighting: a 10 year review of mixed martial arts competition” British Journal of Sports Medicine (2006) 40, 169-172 p.171
Kochhar et al, “Risk of cervical injuries in mixed martial arts” British Journal of Sports Medicine (2005) 39, 444-447 p.444
Boxing – an update from the Board of Science” www.bma.co.org0 -
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This resulted in listeners to the show thinking ufc is about a no holes holds barred fight in a cage.
Fixed that for ya (I hope).
Well, if Wayne's job is PR then he fluffed his lines badly. Of course, Duffy's unwillingness to control the rabble left him having to shout over them to get a word in. That show is bloody infuriating, apparently any lunatic can go on and make the most ridiculous claims without anything to back them up.
Agnes from Donabate: "Joe, sure they do eat the bodies of the poor young fellas what does be killed in the cage, so they do."
Joe: "Sure, sure. That's awwwwful Agnes. And would ya think they would cook them Agnes, or eat the unfortunate chaps raw?"*
*Conversation may be fictional.0
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