The world of MMA is not for the faint-hearted. Fighters must possess exceptional mental and physical prowess, along with a deep understanding of combat arts. The risks involved inside the octagon are significant, with athletes potentially facing life-threatening injuries. Despite the dangers, many combatants continue to pursue their passion, putting their welfare up for grabs especially when it comes to their neural pathways.

Numerous fighters have discussed this openly, including Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones, and recently, Fabricio Werdum. The ex-UFC ace has revealed his battle with CTE which has gripped numerous other fighters and has been a cause of concern ever since.

The Brazilian’s confession was even posted by Home of Fight where his detailed description of the ailment was posted in the captions. The former UFC Heavyweight champion said, “While fighting for the UFC, I suffered many concussions. I fear that during my career I have suffered a traumatic brain injury and I am noticing common symptoms, including irritability, anger, anxiety, insomnia, and memory loss.”

He even issued his declaration in the UFC antitrust lawsuit and revealed the battle with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The Brazilian was knocked out three times in his UFC career and even revealed that there was scarring in his brain and a cyst that was located centrally in the brain making surgery impossible as per MMA Mania.

The Jiu-Jitsu ace is almost 50 and has been pushed to the brink of unfathomable damage after his brain injuries. However, he is not the first one to point the dangers of combat sports out. Even Jon Jones and Ronda Rousey have spoken about this.

The real risk of brain injuries and concussions due to combat sports

Ronda Rousey, in an interview with SHAK MMA, shared her personal experience with head injuries. She revealed that concussions had a significant impact on her, leading to a lingering fear and anxiety. Rousey attributed these head injuries to the constant blows she received during her MMA career, expressing concerns about the potential long-term consequences, including the possibility of being confined to a wheelchair later in life.  ‘Rowdy’ further added, “It’s not just them losing matches those are you know their brain is getting injured. That is going to hurt them later on in their life. They end up getting punched drunk or slurring, in wheelchairs and all of the stuff.”

Jon Jones had also ringed the cautionary alarm for his fellow UFC fighters in combat sports as well. An Instagram user by the name @ose.abunaw shared a video of ‘ Bones’ speaking about it which was also later shared on the YouTube channel MMA World. The HW star said, “Throughout my 20s, going home with a headache all the time, no concussions. And now when that happens I get really upset. I feel like I did something wrong. So really really try to protect that brain man because after you get punched in the head enough times, your ability to see things coming goes away.”

He further mentioned in the video how he had teammates who had amazing reflexes and could stop jabs at lightning speed. However, at the end of their career, they lost that ability slowly due to head injuries and other brain-related ailments. However Dana White had a different tone while speaking about CTE and the possible brain damage due to competing in the octagon or even his latest venture.

Speaking to TIME magazine, the UFC head honcho dismissed these concerns surrounding ‘Power Slap’ and its connection to concussions. However, he did not dismiss the inherent problems of slap fighting or any other combat sports but pointed out that sports like soccer also have this risk. He then made the case that however dangerous his new venture might be, “as a grown adult living in America, you have the right to choose what you want to do.” 

The UFC CEO also said that he spends “all the money that I possibly can to take as much risk out of it.” To prove his point further the UFC boss pointed out that he used to box as a youngster and his brain too was permanently damaged but he would not change anything. So this aspect of concussions and CTE remains an important topic in the world of MMA since so many fighters are coming up with their personal experiences related to this. What is your take on this topic? Tell us in the comments below.