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Review
. 2022 Jun 27;18(3):142-154.
doi: 10.12965/jer.2244146.073. eCollection 2022 Jun.

A brief descriptive outline of the rules of mixed martial arts and concussion in mixed martial arts

Jessica L Hamdan  1 , Meghan Rath  1 , Jacqueline Sayoc  1 , Joon-Young Park  1
Affiliations
Review

A brief descriptive outline of the rules of mixed martial arts and concussion in mixed martial arts

Jessica L Hamdan et al. J Exerc Rehabil. .

Abstract

Mixed martial arts (MMA), a combat sport consisting of wrestling, boxing, and martial arts, is a popular activity associated with danger and violence. Of concern are the repetitive head impacts, both subconcussive and concussive, sustained by MMA athletes. The rules of MMA encourage head strikes, but there was no formal concussion protocol in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) until 2021. Because the UFC was established less than 30 years, the long-term consequences of these repetitive concussive head blows are lacking. In this review, we focus on current literature sought to summarize the current knowledge of repetitive head impacts and concussions in MMA. The objectives were to outline (a) the rules of MMA; (b) the postconcussion protocol for UFC athletes; (c) current behavioral and biochemical diagnostic measures; (d) epidemiology and prevalence of concussion in MMA; (e) long-term effects of subconcussive repetitive head impacts; (f) biomechanics of head impacts; and (g) considerations and research topics that warrant future research.

Keywords: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy; Concussion; Mild traumatic brain injury; Mixed martial arts; Repetitive subconcussive head impacts.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Current knowledge of head impacts sustained by MMA fighters and suggestions for future prevention, mitigation, diagnosis, and care of head impacts. MMA, mixed martial arts; mTBI, mild traumatic brain injury; CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy; UFC, Ultimate Fighting Championship.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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