MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12922/6Keywords:
combat sports, concussions, UFC, martial artsAbstract
Currently, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is one of the most popular and fastest growing sports in the world for participation as well as media consumption. Scholarly research concerning MMA is limited, but becoming an increasingly more popular area of examination. A broad search of peer-reviewed literature presents clearly defined themes of research interest; injuries and injury risk are the most popular, followed by MMA history, social perception of the sport, sports-specific training, and lastly fan motivations for consumption. Present research in this field is sparse, though the growth of MMA popularity provides evidence that future research is warranted. More specifically, the function of each of these research areas should clearly delineate the nature of this fledgling sport and diffuse social misconceptions. Research suggests that MMA injuries risk is equal to or less than other martial arts and team sports. Current sports-specific training research is preliminary and consists of no empirical training studies. Lastly, the increasing television audiences suggest the social perception is becoming increasingly favorable.
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