Unless you are doing it at the highest level it's not very dangerous. At the most you are going to get a nose bleed. With that being said all sports have risks and injuries. However this whole thing with the brain injuries and crap like that is extremely exaggerated. I'm assuming that is what you are trying to get at with this question. Sure, $hit happens but it happens in all sports.
There are risks in hockey, in soccer, in every sport. There was a guy in the NHL who got his throat cut by a scate in a game. There have been cases of people getting concussions in soccer games when they headbutt each other. But does this mean that they should avoid the sport altogether?
I did boxing for 4 years, had 11 fights and I do MMA now. I have never seen, heard or experienced any major injuries like the stories you can find on the internet. But as I said, there are risks in every sport. So I'm sure it can happen. But as I told you in another question. If you are that scared and paranoid about it then don't do it. Train something else.
Actually there is a study that just came out that is on the Internet right now about the dangers MMA fighting poses. Its out of Albany New York and I have attached the link to it. It is one of the things that I have talked about before in this forum and the fact that eventually MMA will have to go to an 8 ounce glove which is the minimum they use for boxing. The gloves they now use really only contain just under six ounces of padding and you would think there is not much difference but there is. I have been hit by both and I can tell you that I fought full contact professionally in the early 80s and can take a shot. I am not sure I would fight MMA though because the difference when you get hit is huge.
Chuck Lidell's career and how that came to an abrupt end with him no longer being able to take a punch is a good indication I think of the hazards involved and why they will have to eventually go to an eight ounce glove. In boxing at one time they used to fight with out gloves and also no limit to rounds and look how that has changed and evolved over the years for the safety of the participants. The same will happen with MMA over time I think as well.
Every contact sport has its hazards and risks. MMA being a relatively new sport a lot of studies have not been done yet on it solely. However you are seeing a lot of studies concerning brain trauma from football and boxing and the indications from them don't bode well for MMA and the 5-6 ounce glove that they currently use.
http://news.yahoo.com/study-mma-brain-in...
Safer than cheerleading and downhill skiing, actually.
You should be able to train with minimal injuries. Personally, about once a year, I have an injury of some sort that keeps me out for about a month, but serious injuries are rare.
Training, sparring, fighting. How dangerous is it?
