True: There has been a significant increase in fighters pulling out of fights due to training injuries.
True: Zuffa LLC (the UFC and Strikeforce's parent company) recently secured accident-insurance coverage for some types of training injuries.
Conclusion: More fighters are scratching from a fight because they have insurance coverage.
Is that an accurate conclusion, or is it something else that is being entirely overlooked?
Maybe MMA has evolved to a level that is overtaxing the human body.
Maybe current training methods are inadequate and actually causing injuries. Maybe the deleterious effects of extreme weight cutting are leading to increased training injuries. You don't see this in other high-contact sports such as NFL football.
Maybe there is more performance-enhancing-drug use in MMA than many would like to believe or admit. Remember: Bigger, stronger, faster comes with consequences.
In my 11+ years following this sport I have never seen or read about so many fights canceled due to injury. I guess it is the CORPORATE EQUIVALENT OF CALLING IN SICK!! HAHA
meanwhile we have HUNDREDS of guys just sitting on the shelf waiting for fights.
Bottom line is either UFC needs to have more events or there needs to be another promotion to give those guys waiting on the sidelines chance to fight.
Plus, now that the UFC has more weight divisions and more fighters, the pressure to win becomes much greater. These guys don't want to compete at less than 100 percent. Can't blame em.
MMA is just a rough sport. Guys are always being hurt and I have never gone through an intense training/sparring session and not felt something hurting after. I think people underestimate the number of fighters that step in the cage with at least some kind of minor injury and now that fighter insurance is available, they are being more careful with how they treat their bodies. No one ever really fights at 100%.
It may be a pain in the short-term because more shuffling of matches will happen, but the UFC is getting big enough to handle that with a larger roster of fighters and more fight cards. I think this will be good for the athletes and the sport in general as we will see them endure longer careers because they are taking better care of themselves.
I think guys are finally getting themselves checked out when theyre hurt instead of sucking it up and making it worse. Add that with the pressure they are under to win and keep their jobs and this is what happens.
Tubarao - I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT THE OTHER DAY!!
In my 11+ years following this sport I have never seen or read about so many fights canceled due to injury. I guess it is the CORPORATE EQUIVALENT OF CALLING IN SICK!! HAHA
in your 11+ years following the sport there has never been anywhere near as many events and fights put on as there are now. So the number doesn't matter nearly as much as the percentages do.
this year is getting pathetic, its hard to get excited for upcoming fights when you know thers like a 60 % or higher chance that the fight wont happen, it basciacly makes the rankings and titles uselss, that bones jones rashad thing is very weird to me, jones says he cant fight, than when its to late he said nvm im ok to fight now, can guys with titles avoid figthers this way now?