Combat sports such as boxing and, more recently, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) have been a controversial topic for the better part of the last half-century. A portion of the population views sanctioned fighting events to be uncivilized and barbaric in nature and think mankind is too evolved for prize fighting as entertainment.  Senator John McCain famously referred to MMA as nothing more than "human cockfighting" in 1996, and made it his personal vendetta to see an end to it (Szczerba). Over the last decade, studies highlighting the long-term damage of repeated blows to the head, extreme weight-cutting procedures, and the risk of serious injury have provided ample ammunition to those opposed to these events. Conversely, fighting is also viewed as a sport in the same ilk as more traditional sporting events like soccer or football, with well-trained and conditioned athletes that provide a unique athletic spectacle for fans.  With the legalization of MMA in New York in February of 2016 (McAndrew), sanctioned MMA, boxing, kickboxing, and other combat disciplines are legally recognized and represented in all 50 states, and their popularity is on the rise with stars like Conor Mcgregor gaining mainstream notoriety. With referees, ringside physicians, coaches, trainers, extensive training, and rules in place to keep fighters as safe as possible, sanctioned combat sporting events are as legitimate as any other athletic spectacle and should be treated as such. 

Boxing has been a staple of American culture for over a century and has produced a crop of bona fide stars like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, and Floyd Mayweather. Combat sports are a controversial topic due to its aggressive nature and is viewed as dangerous and unruly by its skeptics.  Combat sports are brutal by nature, which may not appeal to certain audiences; however, there is evidence to suggest that combat sports are not significantly riskier than other common sports.  In a study of 635 MMA matches between 2002 and 2007, it was found that injuries were sustained in 23 percent of fights, primarily consisting of facial lacerations. The risk of critical sports-related injuries was observed to be low, as no critical injuries or deaths were observed in any of the matches. (Levy) 

Combat sports teach a number of valuable lessons and skills that are practical in the real world, like the importance of good health, perseverance, humility, and a hard work ethic.  Outside of the brutality of watching two grown men attempting to beat the other into submission, combat sports have all of the fundamental elements of other more orthodox sports and are also highly technical and safe when performed and sanctioned by trained professionals with proper training.  The fighters themselves undergo training regimens that rival even the most physically taxing sports, as they can be forced to fight for up to 15 rounds in a championship caliber boxing match.  Participants in combat sports are highly trained and have dedicated their life to their craft, often starting in their childhood.  Football is often referred to as a game of inches, and combat sports are similar, but even the slightest mistake or mental error can end with a fighter unconscious or tapping out. 

Humans have been fighting since the beginning of our existence, it is a natural instinct that we were born with as a method of self-defense or aggression towards others.  As we developed laws and other sanctions to stop people from fighting, along with the advancement and availability of weaponry, it has developed a culture that views fighting as unethical in the collective consciousness of Americans. Fighting will always occur outside of the confines of a ring, but it is unsanctioned and a majority of people that participate lack any technical skills.  Street fights are infinitely more dangerous because there are no means of keeping the fighters safe. Unsanctioned "fight clubs" have been a black eye for the combat sports community, as they tarnish the reputation of combat sports and cause people to question their legitimacy. These unsanctioned events take place illegally in multiple cities around the country, with untrained fighters and referees, no background health checks, and in complete secrecy. (dailymail.com). Boxing and MMA have transcended these archaic forms of combat and established themselves as legitimate sports, with strict fighter safety rules in a controlled environment and athletes who are prepared for the physical toll of a fight.  

"The Sweet Science", as boxing is often referred to, has been under scrutiny recently due to recent research about the dangers of repeated blows to the head and the long-term effects they can have on the brain. Doctor Bennet Omalu was the first man to discover Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in the brain of multiple deceased former NFL players. (Omalu) CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated trauma to the head and is characterized by a buildup of abnormal proteins in the brain. Memory loss, impaired judgment, aggression, depression, and eventually dementia. (Boston University) Although primarily studied in football players, combat athletes, particularly boxers, have shown similar symptoms since the 1920's and are prone to similar contact to the football players of the study. 

The role of the medical profession in combat sports is to advance research and ensure that all precautions are being taken to keep participants and coaches aware of the dangers associated with their chosen profession and keep fighters as safe as possible. It is not the responsibility of the public to impede on the rights of athletes and spectators to participate in a chosen event based on ethical or moral grounds. Every fighter assumes the risks associated with prize fighting each time they step into the ring, and just as a patient has the right to refuse medical treatment at a hospital regardless of their best interest, fighters have the right to reap the rewards and consequences of the fight game if they choose to.  

Dr. Omalu's findings have cast a dark shadow over football and boxing, and also raised questions about the continued participation in sports that have been confirmed to do lasting physical and mental damage to their athletes. It is important to continue researching the effects of a career in full-contact sports so that fighters can be fully aware of the potential dangers of lacing up the gloves and stepping into the ring. Breakthroughs like Omalus research aid in creating a safer environment for participants and advancing the technology to keep fighters as cautious and informed as possible in an inherently dangerous sport like boxing. Despite being up-to-date on this new information, thousands of people still step into the ring or onto the gridiron each week, and the freedom to make that decision is not something that should be taken away from them.

Despite the inherent long-term risks of a career in fighting, "the biggest problem in combat sports" (Harris) does not take place inside the ring. Weight-cutting in the lead up to a fight is a common practice in the world of combat sports, as each athlete is required to weigh-in at a specific number to maintain a level playing field. An overwhelming amount of athletes choose to fight in weight classes below their natural weight and "cut" the excess in order to gain a size and strength advantage over their opponents. Weight-cutting is primarily done through intense dehydration, but starvation, laxatives, and diuretics are also commonplace. Losing 5 percent of the water in the human body is considered a medical emergency, yet fighters commonly cut as much as 10 to 15 percent of their body weight to reach their desired division. An estimated 39 percent of MMA fighters enter the ring either significantly or seriously dehydrated. (Harris) Losing such large amounts of water weight in such a short span of time can lead to fainting, seizures, shock, coma, severe kidney damage, and in extreme cases, death. (Harris)

Weight cutting is present in all levels of combat sports, from Middle School wrestling to professional boxing. It has become as much a part of the game as a left hook or a takedown, and likely won't be going anywhere in the foreseeable future. Despite all of the effort to gain a competitive edge, there is little evidence to suggest that it is worth the strain on the body. A severely dehydrated fighter can experience low energy and reduced reaction time, and is actually more susceptible to being knocked out or stunned by punches. (Franchini) Researchers even went so far as to speculate that weight-cutting is predominantly a matter of mental advantage over physical, and that simply feeling bigger than a foe gives them a mental edge in the cage. (Journal of Athletic Training)

These extreme weight cuts have become a part of the fight game, and fighters choose to endure it for the perceived advantage it gives them. As long as there is a competitive advantage to be gained, athletes will do whatever it takes to win, and fighters choose to endure days of discomfort to get that edge. It is a grueling part of the fight game, and one that showcases the hard work behind the success of a career as a prize fighter. Rigorous exercise in trash bags and sweat suits, hours in the sauna, and warm salt baths are just a few of the ways fighters have been known to use before they step on to the scale. Of the few combat sports-related deaths throughout history, many can be directly tied to complications that stem from extreme weight cuts, and it has become another risk for fighters to consider in their careers.

Humans have been fighting since the beginning of time, although it has changed and developed over the years it remains the purest form of competition among people. There are no balls, no points, and no teams, just two people with a singular goal: to come out on top. Culture today has created a stigma that fighting is uncivilized and mankind has developed beyond using fists to settle conflict, instead opting to use words and reason. What separates conflict sports from a normal fight bred from conflict is that when combat athletes step into the ring, each fighter assumes an unspoken liability for their own safety, and both fighters assume a mutual consent of each others intentions to harm one another. Consent among fighters is the defining factor that sets combat in the ring apart as a sporting event and gives it its legitimacy.

Combat sports have been a part of human history for hundreds of years, aging back to pankraton and wrestling competitions in ancient Greece as a part of the first Olympic games. Combat competitions have been spectated in our society society since the beginning, and to try to deny its sanctioned competition in the modern era would be denying it as a part of our past. With all of the evidence of long-term brain and bodily harm coupled with the intense action and high stakes involved it is easy to see where concern stems from. But in a country built on freedom of choice and media, people have the right to choose how they live their lives.  If we ban contact sports for being barbaric, then where do we draw the line? There is no rawer form of entertainment than a fight, and the thrill of witnessing something so rare in today's society has companies like the UFC selling out stadiums all around the world.  People have been using violence to assert their dominance since the beginning of time, and regulated combat sports have helped usher this ancient sport into a newer, safer era. Combat sports are not for everyone, because they are exactly that, combat, and that may not appeal to everyone, but they are certainly here to stay.

