Professional Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Research Articles

Weight Loss and Competition Weight in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Athletes.

Previous research has demonstrated that professional mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes employ a variety of weight manipulation strategies to compete at given weight classes. Although there is much literature demonstrating weight manipulation methods, minimal research exists analyzing how much weight MMA athletes lose prior to the official weigh-in. Moreover, there is minimal research examining how much weight professional MMA athletes gain between the official weigh-in and competition. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to analyze weight loss/regain in professional MMA athletes. Data collected from 616 professional MMA athletes (31.1 ± 4.0 yrs.; 177.1 ± 4.7 cm) competing for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) between 2020 and 2022 were used for the study. The athlete's weight was obtained 72 h, 48 h, and 24 h prior to the official weigh-in, at the official weigh-in, and prior to competition. Random effects analysis was utilized to compare weight at a variety of time points between different weight classes. All statistics were analyzed, and significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. There is a significant (p ≤ 0.05) difference between weight classes and time points in professional MMA. MMA athletes decrease body weight significantly prior to the official weigh-in. MMA athletes increase body weight significantly between official weigh-in and competition. Based on these data, it appears that MMA athletes average a weight loss of nearly 7% within 72 h prior to the official weigh-in. The data also suggest that athletes gain nearly 10% of total weight between the official weigh-in and competition.

‘Let's face it, it's not a healthy sport’: Perceived health status and experience of injury among Polish professional mixed martial arts athletes

With this article we present findings from the research on professional MMA fighters and their perception of health and injury. The frequency and types of injuries they have sustained while practicing MMA were analysed alongside self-assessment of health conditions and attitudes towards health problems. We also analyze fighters’ risk culture of neglecting pain and underestimating injuries, and the organization of health care in the event of an injury. A mixed methodology was applied. We administered a questionnaire to 88 male professional MMA athletes. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 athletes from the surveyed group. Respondents’ mean age was 27.5. They had sound MMA experience, with the most experienced competing in over 20 professional fights. Investigated athletes reported numerous health problems, high injury rate and frequent occurrence of pain. The MMA risk culture seemed to shape specific competitors’ perceptions and responses to injury and health problems and specific hierarchy of injury severity. MMA athletes showed a high level of risk acceptance regarding their health and the social and economic terms of their professional MMA involvement. They also reported inadequate medical care and oversight, and independently organised and financed medical and rehabilitation treatments. Nevertheless, for investigated athletes this risk culture seems to be internalized and considered an acceptable cost of their professional sport involvement and recognition.

Maximum Isometric and Dynamic Strength of Mixed Martial Arts Athletes According to Weight Class and Competitive Level.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes must achieve high strength levels to face the physical demands of an MMA fight. This study compared MMA athletes’ maximal isometric and dynamic strength according to the competitive level and weight class. Twenty-one male MMA athletes were divided into lightweight professional (LWP; n = 9), lightweight elite (LWE; n = 4), heavyweight professional (HWP; n = 4), and heavyweight elite (HWE; n = 4). The handgrip and isometric lumbar strength tests assessed the isometric strength, and the one-repetition maximum (1RM) bench press and 4RM leg press the dynamic strength. Univariate ANOVA showed differences between groups in absolute and relative 1RM bench press and absolute isometric lumbar strength. Post hoc tests showed differences in 1RM bench press between HWE and LWE (117.0 ± 17.8 kg vs. 81.0 ± 10.0 kg) and HWE and LWP athletes (117.0 ± 17.8 kg vs. 76.7 ± 13.7 kg; 1.5 ± 0.2 kg·BW−1 vs. 1.1 ± 0.2 kg·BW−1). In addition, there was a correlation between 1RM bench press and isometric lumbar strength for absolute (r = 0.67) and relative values (r = 0.50). This study showed that the 1RM bench press and isometric lumbar strength were associated and could differentiate MMA athletes according to their competitive level and weight class. Therefore, optimizing the force production in the upper body and lower back seems important in elite and professional MMA athletes.

Assessment Of Neurologic Function In Mixed Martial Arts Athletes

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport in which participants routinely incur head impacts that may put them at risk for acute brain injury and/or neurodegenerative brain disease. MMA athletes compete rather infrequently, though often train year-round; thus, their brain injury risk is a function of discrete and cumulative head impact exposure during training and competition. Despite MMA athletes being at increased risk for brain injury, their neurologic health has not been well characterized. PURPOSE: To examine if MMA participation is associated with neurologic impairment. METHODS: Seventeen amateur and professional MMA athletes (14 men, 3 women; 25.4 ± 3.5 yr) and seventeen age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects (14 men, 3 women; 26.4 ± 3.3 yr) participated in this study. All participants completed a baseline evaluation using several objective assessments of neurologic function: eye movement speed and accuracy (King-Devick test; KD); near point convergence (Vestibular / Ocular-Motor Screening; NC), eye-hand reaction time (FitLight Trainer; RT), visuomotor ability (FitLight Trainer; VM), static balance (Wii Balance Board; SB), and multiple object tracking speed (NeuroTracker; MOT). MMA athletes completed follow-up assessments at various times post-baseline, including up to three post-fight assessments and/or up to two post-training assessments. Control subjects were tested at time points similar to that of MMA athletes’ post-fight assessments. RESULTS: MMA athletes performed significantly worse than controls on all three vision-related tests (KD [P < 0.001], NC [P = 0.013], and MOT [P < 0.001]) at baseline. MMA athletes also had significantly slower RT (P = 0.008) and VM (P = 0.017) at baseline, while their SB was poorer compared to controls (P ≤ 0.033). Finally, MMA athletes had attenuated improvements in KD and RT (P = 0.013 and P = 0.003 - 0.024, respectively) over time, though both groups improved similarly on all other assessments when controlling for baseline measures. CONCLUSIONS: MMA athletes had deficits in several measures of neurologic function at baseline and throughout serial evaluations compared to age- and sex-matched control participants. These results suggest that MMA participation may be associated with impaired neurologic function.

Performance and return to sport after injury in professional mixed martial arts

ABSTRACT Background Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is an increasingly popular combat sport incorporating striking and grappling that results in a high incidence of injuries. Objectives The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of injuries on the return to sport and post-injury performance of professional MMA athletes. We hypothesize that increased age is associated with lower probability of return to sport and diminished post-injury performance. Methods Publicly available data (obtained from ESPN.com/MMA, UFC.com, Rotowire.com/MMA) from professional MMA fighters who resigned from fight cards due to injury from 2012 to 2014 were analyzed. Injury history, match history and outcomes, and duration of time to return to professional fighting were recorded and compared to a cohort consisting of uninjured opponents. Results 454 fighters were included in the analysis. The mean age at the time of injury was 30.0±3.9 years. 94.4% of injured athletes were able to return to professional MMA, and athletes required a mean duration of 6.8±6.7 months between injury and their next professional fight (range 0.3–58 months). There was no significant difference in winning percentage in the post-injury period between the injured group and the uninjured group (p = 0.691). Increased age at the time of injury was associated with the odds of being able to return to professional fighting after injury (OR = 0.822, p = 0.001). Conclusion In this analysis of publicly available injury data on MMA fighters, there was a high rate of return to professional sport and no evidence of an associated decline in performance following major injury requiring withdrawal from a fight card. Older age at the time of injury was associated with decreased odds of being able to return to professional fighting. With increasing popularity of combat sports, sport-specific prognostic information will help guide and treat specific injuries associated with MMA participation.

Heart Rate Variability and Direct Current Measurement Characteristics in Professional Mixed Martial Arts Athletes.

This study’s purpose was to examine heart rate variability (HRV) and direct current potential (DC) measures’ sensitivity and correlations between changes in the acute recovery and stress scale (ARSS) and the previous day’s training load. Training load, HRV, DC and ARSS data were collected from fourteen professional mixed martial arts athletes (32.6 ± 5.3 years, 174.8 ± 8.8 cm, 79.2 ± 17.5 kg) the following morning after hard, easy and rest days. Sensitivity was expressed as a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR, inter-day typical error (TE) or coefficient of variation (%CV) divided by intra-day TE or %CV). Correlations between HRV, DC and ARSS with training load were also examined. The SNRs for the various HRV and DC measures were acceptable to good (1.02–2.85). There was a 23.1% CV average increase between measures taken between different locations versus the same location. Training load changes were not correlated with HRV/DC but were correlated with ARSS stress variables. Practitioners should be aware of HRV/DC variability; however the daily training signal was greater than the test-retest error in this investigation. Upon awakening, HRV/DC measures appear superior for standardization and planning. HRV and DC measures were less sensitive to the previous day’s training load than ARSS measures.

Physiological and perceptual responses to a five-week pre-event taper in professional mixed martial arts athletes

Physiological and perceptual responses to a five-week pre-event taper in professional mixed martial arts athletes

Weight-Cutting Implications for Competition Outcomes in Mixed Martial Arts Cage Fighting.

Brechney, GC, Chia, E, and Moreland, AT. Weight-cutting implications for competition outcomes in mixed martial arts cage fighting. J Strength Cond Res 35(12): 3420-3424, 2021-Weight cutting is common among amateur and professional mixed martial arts (MMA) competitors because of the belief that it provides an advantage in combat sports. This study aimed to identify whether fight outcome (win vs. loss vs. type of loss) was influenced by magnitudes of body mass (BM) lost through weight cutting and BM regained before the fight after official weigh-in in amateur and professional MMA athletes with previous weight-cutting experience. Body mass data were collected using self-report from 75 MMA athletes (59 amateur and 16 professional) before commencing weight-cutting practices 7 days before weigh-in, by the regulating body at their official weigh-in 24 hours before the fight and through direct measurement immediately before competition. Data were analyzed according to win; loss by technical knockout or knockout (KO); loss by submission; or loss by the judge's decision. Athletes who lost their fight cut significantly more BM (10.6%) compared with athletes who won (8.6%) (p = 0.04, d = 0.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.02-0.93), but there were no differences between types of loss. There were no significant differences in recovered BM between athletes who won (6.8%) vs. lost (7.4%), or type of loss. Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between greater magnitudes of BM cut and greater likelihood of losing the fight (B = -0.12, P = 0.048), odd ratio 0.89 (95% CI: 0.79-1.00). This study provides the first line of evidence that excessive weight cutting may be detrimental to fight outcome in MMA.

Weight loss behaviors in Brazilian mixed martial arts athletes

The aim of this study was to investigate the weight loss behaviors among Brazilian professional mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes. One hundred and seventy nine Brazilian professional MMA athletes (164 males and 15 females; age: median 25 years, range = 19–37 years) from different regions of the country answered an adapted version of a questionnaire developed to characterize weight loss behavior. In addition, questionnaire scores were associated with extremes in behavior. All athletes stated that they had engaged in weight loss procedures to make weight for competition and ~ 35% had engaged in weight loss procedures twice in the last season, usually losing a magnitude of up to 10% of their body mass. About 26% started their weight loss procedures in a time span of 30 days prior to competition. When athletes were analyzed by sex and weight classes, no significant differences were found in the questionnaire score. In contrast, international level athletes showed significant differences in the questionnaire score when compared to state (P < 0.001) and national (P < 0.05) level athletes. Athletes also reported always use a combination of gradual diet (64.2%), restricting fluid intake (62.6%), and sweat suits (55.9%) as methods to cut weight. Additionally, athletes reported the usage of diuretics (~ 49%) and laxatives (~ 32%) at least once in their professional MMA carrier. The most influential sources of weight management behaviors were coaches, training partners, and physical trainers. Brazilian professional MMA athletes commonly undergo weight loss procedures through harmful and illegal methods regardless of sex, weight class, although international level athletes demonstrated weight management behavior that was found to be even more aggressive.

Acute Caffeine Ingestion did not Enhance Punch Performance in Professional Mixed-Martial Arts Athletes.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport where competitors utilize strikes (punches, kicks, knees, and elbows) and submission techniques to defeat opponents in a cage or ring. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of acute caffeine ingestion on punching performance by professional MMA athletes. The study used a double-blind, counterbalanced, crossover design. Eleven professional MMA competitors (27.6 ± 4.3 years and 83.5 ± 7.8 kg of body weight) ingested a dose of caffeine (5 mg·kg−1) or placebo 60 min prior to three sets of punching. Each set consisted of 15 s, at which participants were asked to perform straight punches with maximum strength and frequency with his dominant arm. After each set, a 45 s recovery time was applied. Using a force transducer attached to a cushioned plate, the punch frequency, and mean and maximal punch force was measured. The readiness to invest in both physical (RTIPE) and mental (RTIME) effort was assessed prior to the protocol, and the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was recorded after. Caffeine ingestion did not result in increased punching frequency, mean and maximum punch force, RTIPE, RTIME, and RPE when compared to the placebo condition. Based on these results, acute caffeine ingestion did not improve punching performance in professional MMA athletes.

Self-reported methods of weight cutting in professional mixed-martial artists: how much are they losing and who is advising them?

BackgroundSimilar to other combat sports, mixed martial arts (MMA) includes divisional weight classes. The purpose of our research was to further investigate the amount of weight professional MMA fighters lost prior to weighing in for competition, their methods used to cut weight, and their sources of advice on how to cut weight.MethodsThis survey was administered to 92 male professional MMA athletes. The survey questions included duration of overall weight loss prior to competition, methods of weight-cutting, and their sources of advice regarding weight cutting.ResultsWhen comparing the number of methods of weight cutting with the source of advice, those who received their advice from social media used slightly more methods of weight cutting (M = 4.86, SD = 1.27) than those who did not (M = 4.02, SD = 1.55); t(90) = − 2.53, p < .05. MMA athletes that used the help of a registered dietitian nutritionist also reported using the least amount of methods for weight-cutting than any other category (M = 3.84, SD = 1.67). Those that used teammates and did not use a registered dietitian nutritionist used slightly more methods (M = 4.46, SD = 1.41) than those who used a registered dietitian nutritionist.ConclusionsThe findings of this study report that professional MMA athletes do undergo rapid weight loss through various methods to make weight for competition. This study adds evidence to the literature that most professional MMA athletes undergo RWL for competition without the guidance of a registered dietitian nutritionist. It is unclear what the effect of using a registered dietitian nutritionist may have on an MMA athletes’ ability to reduce weight in a safe and effective manner. Future research should seek to investigate if employing a registered dietitian nutritionist may lead to a higher rate of success for MMA athletes to make weight, and help reduce adverse risks of RWL.

Weight Cutting And Professional Mixed-martial Artists

PURPOSE: Although mixed martial arts (MMA) has been around for decades, current peer-reviewed literature is limited to individual sports (such as boxing, judo, and wrestling) that compose mixed martial arts (MMA). Within other combat sports, weight cutting practices have included methods of extreme dehydration or food restriction; however data is lacking in professional MMA athletes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to survey professional MMA athletes about their current and past weight cutting methods as well as to investigate who is advising them nutrition and strength and conditioning. METHODS: N=55 male professional mixed martial artists (18-40 yrs) were recruited from every weight class in the states of California and New Mexico. Participants were administered a questionnaire that had been reviewed by a registered dietitian, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, and an exercise physiologist. Data presented as percentage of frequency of responses calculated using IBM Analytics, SPSS v24. RESULTS: The top 3 methods MMA fighters use in cutting weight were food restriction (87.3%), increased training (70.9%) and the Sauna (69.1%). Most MMA fighters do not utilize a professional nutritionist/dietitian for advice during either the weight cut (74.5%) or off-season (75.4%). In fact, only 7.3% reported they regularly used a professional nutritionist/dietitian when cutting weight. Fighters are receiving nutrition advice primarily from teammates (78.2%), while only 23.6% are getting any advice, on or off-season from a professional nutritionists. CONCLUSIONS: Professional mixed martial artists report cutting weight for a fight using methods that can be considered dangerous and impair performance. Many reported receiving no professional advice on or off-season from a licensed nutritionist or dietitian.

Punching Faces and Publishing Papers: a Review of Jonathan Gottschall’s The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch

We are living in a peaceful period of human history (Pinker 2011). Yet, our minds retain remnants of our violent evolutionary past. Even though violence is “unbecoming” of a refined, civilized man, many of us have a thirst for witnessing violence, as evidenced by the popularity of contact sports and, in particular, by the meteoric rise of mixed martial arts (MMA). (Jonathan Gottschall 2015), the author of The Professor in the Cage:WhyMen Fight andWhyWe Like toWatch, delivers an unapologetically honest account of his experiences as a mixed martial artist. This book is not a collection of research findings on human combat—most of which lack descriptions of the raw, human experience of violence. Nor is it a diary of one fighter’s brutish adventure into combat—which is often void of scientific analysis. Rather, it is an eloquent combination of both: Gottschall describes his first-hand experiences involving combat—inside and outside the cage—with a scientific eye. In other words, this book provides unique insights on “the other side of the table” that the scientist, the cage fighter, or the layperson would otherwise never experience. Gottschall describes the importance of the pre-fight stare down, noting that “if you lose the prefight staring duel, you are well on your way to losing the actual fight” (p. 54). To someone who has never experienced combat and who is unfamiliar with research on combat, the stare down seems like a trivial spectacle to promote a fight. But this is a naive conclusion. Among many non-human species, ritualized combat is an escalation of increasingly dangerous stages, each of which provides a combatant with information about the opponent’s “formidability”—or strength and skill. For example, there are three stages of ritualized combat between two battling sierra dome spiders Neriene litigiosa (Watson and Field 2004). The spiders will “size up” one another by spreading their front legs. Theywill pluck the spider web with their other legs to demonstrate their formidability (stage 1). If the spiders still cannot assess which of the two is more formidable, then, they proceed to wrestle each other (stage 2). If the fighters still cannot decide which combatant is more formidable, then, they will bite each other—sometimes resulting in death (stage 3). Each subsequent stage is more dangerous than the previous stage. If at any stage one spider is clearly outmatched by the other, then the weaker spider will not escalate and will forfeit the contested resources to the winner. It is not difficult to appreciate how humans might follow a similar script: One man insults another man at a pub. They turn and stare each other down. Each man spreads his arms laterally to his side while verbally provoking the other. If neither man retreats, then they shove each other. If the escalation continues, then punches are thrown. If the insult was particularly egregious, then lethal weapons may be deployed. All of this begins with the pre-fight stare down (i.e., stage 1), during which each fighter advertises his confidence in his own formidability. Indeed, among professional MMA athletes, the fighter who smiles more during a pre-fight stare down—which is an expression of reduced hostility in a fight—is more likely to lose (Kraus and Chen 2013). Gottschall notes that “beneath all the wild diversity of human sporting events, there is a shared underlying structure and purpose. Sports, just like gazelle wrestling, are always about finding reasonably safe, rule-bound ways for people to demonstrate their physical prowess and mental toughness to others” (p. 140). Here, again, Gottschall demonstrates his sophisticated understanding of the scientific literature. It is no coincidence that many MMA organizations across several cultures forbid punches to the groin or throat. Humans abide * Michael N. Pham mnpham@oakland.edu

Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Pre/Post a Simulated Figth of Professional Mixed Martial Arts Athletes

Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Pre/Post a Simulated Figth of Professional Mixed Martial Arts Athletes