The Most Dangerous Martial Arts In The World

While many people believe that mixed martial arts is bloodier and more violent than boxing, you're more likely to sustain serious injuries in the latter, according to research from the University of Alberta, as reported by Eureka Alert. Researchers examined 10 years worth of data and determined that while MMA practitioners sustain more minor injuries, boxers are more likely to experience concussions and other types of head trauma, as well as eye injuries and broken bones, which are much more devastating. 

Modern boxing got its start in the U.S. and United Kingdom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, according to How They Play. Some doctors believe boxing should be banned due to the eye and brain injuries that are sustained by repeated impacts. While these types of injuries may seem insignificant when they're first sustained, they can cause serious issues down the line.

The world's most famous boxer, Muhammad Ali, estimated he had received 29,000 blows to the head during his career, according to Brain & Life. The sport causes neurologic trauma, such as confusion, an unsteady gait, and slowed movements, which have been attributed to "multiple subconcussive impacts to the head — that is, injuries that don't cause symptoms but cause cumulative damage."

Ali brought attention to the long-term effects of repetitive impacts to the head, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which affects mood, judgment, impulse control, depression, parkinsonism, memory, and dementia and also affects football players. These symptoms can occur years after the boxer stops boxing.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunCAkHJwb2pfqbWmecyoqq1llJa7qLHRqKysZZ2Wv7W1wKVkmqqkqHqquoytn55lp6S%2FrbCO