The worst injury for mma fighters. "I can't see with one eye now." Dentist fights in MMA despite serious injury Injuries of mma fighters

According to a new study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, about a third of professional mixed martial arts fights end in a knockout or TKO, indicating more high frequency brain injury than in boxing or other martial arts.

Researchers from the University of Toronto studied 844 UFC fights between 2006 and 2012. They found that 108 matches, or nearly 13 percent, ended in knockouts. Another 179 matches, or 21 percent, ended in TKOs, usually hitting the head 5 to 10 times in the last 10 seconds before the fight is stopped. In TKO videos, most of the blows to the head are delivered during the last 30 seconds of the fight.

Professional mixed martial arts include elements of wrestling, judo, boxing and kickboxing. Fighters wear small fingerless gloves, and no protective headgear is provided.

Officials from the UFC and major brands of the sport want permission to stage fights in New York (New York is the only state where MMA fights are banned - note site) and argue that mixed martial arts have evolved for over 20 years with many rules safety to protect fighters, including mandatory suspensions following a concussion. They say it's safer than boxing, where fighters tend to take repeated punches from broken gloves, with no history of death or traumatic brain injury sustained in the ring.

“Through a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic, one of the world's leading medical research institutions, which conducts cutting-edge research to not only prevent long-term brain injury, but also identify those who are predisposed to it. The UFC demonstrates a true commitment to the safety of all professional athletes. " said Lawrence Epstein, the UFC's chief operating officer.

Researchers conducting free, ongoing assessments of fighters' brain health examine factors such as genetics, lifestyle or exposure to head injuries and susceptibility to injury. University of Toronto researchers who investigated UFC fights took time from a knockout punch - often a blow to the jaw - to stopping a fight. On average 3.5 seconds after being hit in the head (on average more than 2.6 times). In the case of TKOs, they found that in the last 30 seconds before being stopped, the loser received an average of 18.5 punches, 92 percent of which were punched to the head.

Citing data from other studies, it can be argued that head injuries in mixed martial arts also outpace football and ice hockey.

The researchers proposed to introduce rules like in boxing, where a fighter is given a 10-second countdown and his condition is assessed after a knockdown. They also suggested extra education to help referees identify fighters who are defenseless or unconscious so that they can stop fights faster.

In MMA, as in any other sport, injuries happen, but sometimes they are really dangerous and quite scary. I present to your attention the top 5 injuries in mixed martial arts.

On the 5th place is the fight between and Dave Hart... In which Hill suffered an open leg fracture.

The turning point occurred in the second round when Hill hit a low kick on the opponent's exposed leg, hitting below the knee.

Hill's ankle snapped like a match from the blow he'd inflicted.

The audience was simply shocked, however, as was the fighter himself.

I will not say that in this battle Silva suffered very terrible injuries, here the very sight of the battle evokes more emotions, when the whole ring is covered with blood and the fighters are fighting as if to death.

Silva's most likely damaged one of the branches of the orbital artery. It is worth noting that if medical care is not provided, the consequences can be dire, up to and including death.

So Silva, in principle, risked continuing the fight.

In the lucky third place is the battle in which Wanderlei Silva broke Kanggu Lee nose and knocked him out.

All the hype happens in the second round, when Wanderlei found his ideal distance and began to fight aggressively.

He showed his signature style by getting close and kicking with clinching several times. Silva finishes the staggering Lee with his elbows in a standing position.

A knee to the body, a left blow to the head, another knee to the head, and the referee stops the finishing blow of Kang Li, who fell on the floor.

The second line of the top is occupied by the fight between Jose Aldo and Mark Hominik... In this battle, Kominik managed to show not only the strength of character and spirit, but also continued the battle with a huge hematoma on his forehead, which looked truly epic.

The impressive duel with Jose Aldo will be remembered for a long time by fans of MMA and those who just love to enjoy the spectacle.

For five rounds, Mark fought like a real warrior, trying to put up maximum resistance to the Brazilian champion, who is one of the three best MMA fighters!

The judges assigned the victory to Aldo, but the performance Khominika could not leave anyone indifferent.

The first place is taken by the fracture of the leg, which won Anderson Silva in battle with Chris Weidman at UFC 168.

One of the most anticipated fights of the year came to an end when, at the very beginning of the second round, Silva, nicknamed Spider, tried to make a low kick on the inner side of the thigh, but ran into an opponent's knee and broke his tibia.

The terrible denouement was a surprise for everyone and shocked everyone.

Silva fell, screaming in terrible pain, and referee Herb Dean had no choice but to announce the end of the fight.

Here is how Silva himself comments on this fight “I don't think Chris should credit this victory to himself. It was pure coincidence. I'm sure I would have won this fight. "

Friends, our top has come to an end, if you liked the fortitude of the fighters who, despite the injuries, continue their careers, put the likes, you can also subscribe. I wish you good luck and absence of injuries.

Cub Swanson realized something was wrong. He already knew this the moment Melvin Gillard kicked him in a jump during a regular sparring workout in the gym. He tried to ignore the pain, but it became unbearable and he took the mouthguard out of his mouth.

What is the most dangerous injury for a fighter, both physically and mentally? Most fighters think it's a broken jaw.

Cab Swanson realized that something went wrong. He already knew this at the moment when Melvin Gillard hit him with a knee in a jump during a regular sparring workout in the gym. He tried to ignore the pain, but it became unbearable and he took the mouthguard out of his mouth.

“I remained conscious, but when I pulled out the mouthguard, I felt my teeth loose. My teeth fell out and a headache started. I was shocked".

Jumping knee strikes in training are prohibited in many MMA gyms. Melvin Gillard often used this punch in training at the Jackson-Winkeljohn Gym. Many fighters reacted negatively to Melvin because of this. And Greg Jackson and Michael Winkeljon refused to take Gillard back to the gym after he left the Blackzilians.

Swanson knew his jaw might be broken, but part of him refused to believe it.

“When I came for the examination, I thought that everything would be all right. The doctor said that my jaw was broken in 7 places and I will have to live for several months with a tightly closed mouth. "

For the average person, a broken jaw is an unfortunate coincidence. It can happen from a car accident or fall, but for the fighters, it's very different.

Taking and hitting is the fighters' job. They receive punches, punches, knees and elbows. They can have ribs, a leg or an arm, but a fractured jaw is one of the worst mental trauma for a fighter. We have collected for you the stories of fighters who survived such a trauma.

Sam Alvey, UFC middleweight:

“It was a typical day of sparring. I worked with Sean Strickland. I was number one, Sean was leaving. He was cycling, and I overestimated my strength, dropped my arms and tried to reach him with a blow. At some point, I felt that he hit me with a high kick. The blow was not strong, but it hit the jaw. I sat down after this blow, they asked me if I was okay, I replied that everything was fine. When I went into the shower, I started to bleed from my mouth, a lot of blood. I looked in the mirror and saw that two of my teeth were split and immediately went to the doctor. "

Aaron Riley, former UFC fighter:

“I fought Spencer Fischer in one of the first UFC Fight Nights in 2006. In the middle of the first round, he hit me with a blow, I did not feel anything at first, but then some strange sensation came. It felt like a tooth had exploded in my mouth. I didn't want to believe it, but after a couple of minutes this thought stuck in my head. My jaw is broken, I thought. I tried to open my mouth, but felt my bones split apart. Then I realized that I had problems. "

Eddie Wineland, UFC Bantamweight:

“It was 4 or 5 my professional fight. It was 2004, at that time the athletic commissions did not work as they do now. There were no rules, each organization came up with its own rules. The tournament was organized in one of the stinking hotels of the time. The fight was supposed to be held in weight up to 63 kg, I did weight, but did not see my opponent. I saw him before the fight and I think he weighed 15 kilograms more. I defeated him, shook him with a strong blow and began to finish off. I forgot about the defense, and he hit me with a counterattack. I clinched and beat my opponent with my knees, but I realized that I could not open my mouth. "

Denial is a common response to fractures. Swanson refused to believe in a fractured jaw, but Sam Alvey knew everything from the beginning.

"I knew the bone was broken, but when I was at the doctor's office, I prayed and hoped that the jaw would not be broken."

Wineland tried to find some explanation.

“I thought my jaw had moved, but then I realized that it was in place. I hoped the teeth were broken, not the jaw, but all the teeth were intact. "

In some cases, doctors need to insert plates in order to anchor the fracture site. After a missed knee blow, Kab broke not only his jaw, but also his orbital bone. When the surgeon placed the plate between the nose and cheek, one of the screws grazed a nerve. Swanson claims that he still feels the consequences of that operation.

“Sometimes it seems to me that my tooth hurts terribly, but everything is in order with my teeth. I lost sensitivity on the side of my face where the nerve was hit, but this is even an advantage in my work. "

The body rarely rejects the plates, but Wineland was not lucky in that either. After the operation, he began to feel an unpleasant taste in his mouth, a taste of putrefaction. "

Once the jaw is secured, it remains tightly compressed for 6 weeks. This means that a person will feed through a tube for 2 whole months.

Mmain presents 10 of the worst mixed martial arts (MMA) leg injuries. The selection contains videos not for the most impressionable, so please refrain from watching the videos in this article.

No. 10. John Jones vs. Chale Sonnen

UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen
April 27, 2013 | Newark, NJ

Few could have imagined Jones' injury in this fight, but it did happen. Jones destroyed Chale Sonnen in the first round and retained his UFC light heavyweight title.

However, Jones' big toe sustained an injury that only came to light at the end of the fight when the fighter was interviewed by Joe Rogan. Jones during the fight at a strong angle pressed on his finger, which is why he broke. Apart from the beatings from Alexander Gustafsson, this injury remains the most significant in the career of the best fighter, regardless of weight.

No. 9. Megumi Fujii vs. Sherine Murray

Smackgirl: Legend of Extreme Women
November 29, 2006 | Tokyo

If the main event of the tournament is called "Smackgirl: Legend of Extreme Women", then you can expect something extraordinary.

The fight between Fujii and Murray lasted less than a minute, but immediately ended his career as the latter. Murray never fought again. The result of the fight was the athlete's knee fracture. Injuries in MMA, like in other sports (except chess), are not uncommon, but this fight once again confirms that fighting is not a woman's business.

No. 8. Ken Shamrock vs. Leon Dyke

Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 1
January 26, 1995 | Nagoya, Japan

Shamrock won by submission, literally twisting Dyke's leg. The technique that Ken used is one of the most dangerous painful techniques in MMA.

Nevertheless, the Dutch fighter after this injury has been fighting for another 4 years.

No. 7. Jose Landy-Jones vs. Brian Gasaway

TKO 32: Ultimatum
February 28, 2008 | Montreal

Another unsuccessful kick.

Landy-Jones, better known as "Pele" for his kicks, kicked his opponent early in the second round. A fracture followed immediately. After 8 months, the fighter returned to the sport. By the way, very successful. Since returning to MMA, the 40-year-old "Pele" has lost only once.

No. 6. Rosie Sexton vs Tomomi Sunaba

Bodog Fight: Costa Rica Combat
February 17, 2007 | Costa Rica

In this fight, Sexton defeated Sunaba after holding her on the ground for over a minute. The fight was stopped. But why?

Sexton leaned all her weight on her opponent, creating pressure on her ankle, causing the bone to come out of the joint. First, it seemed like it was a turning point. But then it turned out that it was a dislocation - so terrible that Sunaba was hospitalized for 4 months and underwent several operations as a result of complications due to the infection. However, the girl fought again after 11 months.

No. 5. Jared Hess vs. Alexander Shlemenko

Bellator 20
May 27, 2010 | San Antonio

This injury may not be noticed right away, but it is very unpleasant.

All went well for Hess in his semifinal fight against Alexander Shlemenko in the Bellator tournament. But then Hess rested with all his weight on his leg after Shlemenko attacked him on the ground. His knee eventually sprained. He could hardly stand and the referee stopped the fight. Surprisingly, the fighter resented the stoppage of the battle. But when he sat down on a chair with an inverted knee, he should have thanked that the fight finally stopped.

No. 4. Brian Jones vs. Justin Fowler

CageQuest 1
March 3, 2012 | Lakewood, Washington

The first events of the Cagequest tournament will be remembered by many as a terrible trauma.

Fowler lifted Jones and carried him to the center of the ring. Seconds later, Fowler threw Jones, but he fell on his straightened leg, causing it to break in half.

No. 3. Mike Thomas Brown vs. Masakazu Imanari

Deep 22 Impact
December 2, 2005 | Tokyo

During his 14-year professional career as an MMA fighter, Imanari won 18 fights by submission out of 28 fights won. Imanari in his fight against Brown in 2005 showed how dangerous his moves are.

In this battle, Imanari carried out a quick attack to the legs, made a capture and began to carry out a painful hold. If former World Extreme Cagefighting champion Mike Brown had given up faster, his knee wouldn't have jumped out. But, as the fighter has demonstrated throughout his career, it is very difficult to get him to surrender; he has only lost 3 fights out of 35 by submission. This time, his endurance cost him dearly.

# 2. Corey Hill vs. Dale Hart

UFC: Fight for the Troops
December 10, 2008 | Fayetville

At the tournament, which was led by Josh Koschek's fight against Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Corey Hill faced Dale Hart in preliminary fights. Hill made a low kick, but the blow was blocked. As a result, Hill suffered a fracture of both tibia and fibula, but was able to return to the octagon again after almost 2 years. After injury, he played 10 more fights.

# 1. Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman

UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2
December 28, 2013 | Las Vegas

This injury could end the career of one of the best MMA fighters in history once and for all. Silva suffered a horrific leg fracture in a rematch with Chris Weidman at UFC 168.

At the 1:16 mark of the second round, the Spider struck a left low kick, which was successfully parried by Weidman, but unsuccessful for Silva. After over a year of recovery, Silva made an incredible comeback and fought again on January 31 at UFC 183 against Nick Diaz.

"I can't see with one eye now." Dentist fights in MMA despite serious injury

Ilya Scheglov is 31 years old - and he can correct a smile for any person: he works as a dentist and fights in MMA. In amateurs, Ilya became the European champion, in professionals he has 4 victories and 1 defeat (from Jeff Monson). On March 26, Kemerovo resident Shcheglov won a fight in Moscow at the tournament organized by the ACB - and in an interview with the website correspondents Alexander Lyutikov and Vadim Tikhomirov, he told why he needed all this.

“Mom always wanted me to become a dentist,” says Ilya Shcheglov. - I studied in the chemistry and biological class, from the 8th to the 11th grade I was engaged in boxing, and after school I applied to five educational institutions: the Polytechnic Institute, the Institute of Commerce, the Medical College, the Medical Academy and the Food College. I went to a food technologist for milk, a college for a dental technician and a medical academy for a dental one. Here the choice was obvious. In the first years at the medical academy, I was an excellent student, before all sessions I closed and there was no time for training at all. Plus I was still working.

- Where?

- In the security of the nightclub. That's when boxing helped me. Not in the sense that hitting someone: just if you are confident in your abilities, then you conduct the conversation in a different way. And people feel it.

- The phrase "Kemerovo night club" is strongly associated with wild youtube video"The security of the Barracuda club will be lawless."

- This is our club, our guys.

- Come on. Was that where you worked?

- Yes, I worked there. Our city is small - and the guards from all the clubs know each other, one person can work in several establishments. Then it was my social circle, we worked in one shift.

- Are you on that video?

The photographs are. The video is not. I have always been against such cruelty. But in defense of these people, I can say that none of this video was hurt just like that. All begged for a very long time. Again, I do not approve of these videos. But, apparently, the guys had a desire to boast, to flatter.

- In the comments to the video, you can find the following information: one guard was imprisoned, another was stabbed to death, the third was chipped.

- Yes, I saw. Everything is not true. These people settled down, gave birth to children - and everything in their life is good.

- Is it possible to come to terms with the idea that at some tournament, which most people simply did not notice, such a severe injury was received and vision was lost in one eye?

- When I was in the ward, there was time to think about life. There was despair and depression - not without it. It would be very difficult to deal with this alone.

- What did your wife say when you arrived with the injury?

- She said: "We'll break through." Katya did not lose faith in me for a second. And it helped me a lot. I was in the hospital for two months. When I came out, I had a weight of 112 kg. I started to run slowly, to get in shape. I told my coach that I was ready to return. He agreed. I came to the gym - and could not do the warm-up due to shortness of breath. The coach looked at me pitifully, and then began to refer to being busy, so as not to coach me. And I realized that he was avoiding, ignoring me. Such anger woke up! I told him: "You do as you want, and I will continue to train." After that we don't communicate.

And all summer I just ran, struggling with shortness of breath. And now the beginning of September. We were at our military shooting range, I argued with the officer about chicken tobacco - who is the best shooter from the PM. You need to shoot with a cool head, focused. And then an sms came, after which my hands began to shake, and I could no longer shoot normally. The Barnaul promoters wrote: “Ilya, what shape are you in? We want to offer you a fight with Monson for November. "

- What did you answer them?

- I honestly wrote that the form is not very good. But he immediately jumped at this chance. Two months before the fight - you can get ready. And I went to look for a new coach.

- By that time, it turns out that you were out of martial arts for eight months. How did you get used to fighting with one eye? In the same place, the focus is very different.

- A question to the point. When I left the hospital, I could not even get the key into the keyhole. Then he learned: with one hand you grope the hole, insert the second key. In general, the "close / far" focus has changed a lot. When the fight with Monson was appointed, I came to the boxing hall, introduced myself, said that the European MMA champion is an amateur and I was preparing for a professional fight with Monson himself. The coach agreed, then holds my paws and says: “E-mine, what kind of European champion are you there? You can't hit the paws! " I had to explain about the eye. Now I'm used to it, I hit my paws, I hit my rivals too. Probably, my on-board computer tuned in - I drive the car and insert the key into the keyhole without difficulty, ha-ha.

- When you and Monson fought, did your vision problems interfere a lot?

- No, not at all. In no case will I attribute my loss to this. Then I no longer paid attention to the injury, but now I am generally used to it. There was another problem: I prepared incorrectly. When the old coach refused me, I started training with boxers - after a month of training, it became very difficult for boxers to hit me on the head, I was taught to defend well. But why I needed it before the fight with Monson, now I myself cannot understand. He practically did not beat me. I had to defend myself from the fight, beat him often myself, feed him with blows, not let him think so that he would not have time to prepare a passage to his legs. And plus to everything: it was necessary to work harder for strength before this fight. I was still carried away with the weight: from 112 kg I threw off to 92 - and for the fight only barely caught up to 99 (Monson's weight is 107 kg - approx. Site).

– First round you beat him. And he passed the passage to his feet only once from the third.

- Monson behaved outside the box. All of my opponents always tried to give their best in the first round, so that while they had the strength to wear me out. It seemed to me that Jeff would behave that way. I thought: the main thing is not to miss him in the first round, and then he will get tired. And he outwitted me like a child. In the first round, Monson worked with me 70 percent, no more. Coming to the second round, I thought: "Everything is working out, now I will run, I will rest, and he will get even more tired." But when we entered the second round, there was a feeling that this is already a different Monson. His eyes even changed, his movements became different. He turned on all his strength - and transferred me to the stalls.

- Monson won 15 times with the “north-south” reception - including Alexander Emelianenko and Sergey Kharitonov. Did you immediately understand that he was visiting him?

- At first I endured, resisted. I decided: if he succeeds in starting to choke me, I will not give up, I will bear it. But then he pressed - and my vertebrae began to crunch. When they choke you and you just start falling asleep, you can endure it, it's okay. But here the vertebrae crunched so that even in the stands you could probably hear it. I gave up. Then for another month the head did not turn either to the left or to the right. Honestly - I was not knocked out by this defeat. Even if I lost, but I was overwhelmed with emotions from the fact that I returned to what I loved.

- How do you combine work and hobby now?

- I train five days a week - on weekdays. At the service they met me halfway and allowed me to train in the morning, and to work at lunchtime, compensating for the morning hours. So it is convenient for the guys: someone cannot come up during the service, but it works out at lunchtime. I wake up at 6:45 to take my eldest daughter to kindergarten and go to training. Morning training at 8:30, after which I go to the unit and work until 18:00, and from 19:00 the second training.

- Are you tired?

- My wife helps me a lot. He cooks me food for the whole day - for 4-5 meals. Gathers the bag, reminds me of what I forgot. Katya's maternity leave is over, but I don’t want to send her to work, because without the help of my wife it will be very difficult for me. We have been together for 14 years, we have two daughters: 5 years and 3 years. They watch my every fight - and they tell me something and are very offended that I do not answer them from the TV. Now my wife and I go to CrossFit together. I can't help but brag: she has already won two competitions. We are waiting for the children to grow up, and we will also take them with us.

- Which of the knowledge gained at the medical academy was useful in sports?

- Physiological processes are perceived at a different level. It's easier to understand sports nutrition: when you read about a product, you quickly understand whether you need it or not. The problem for novice athletes is that they use sports food uncontrollably simply because it is fashionable or because it helped someone. Also, my medical education allows me to inject myself with vitamins, put on a drip. Or there was a case: I was preparing for the Russian championship. In our unit, we practiced techniques from free-style wrestling and when throwing, I cut my lower lip. It was two weeks before the competition. I went to the first-aid post, gave myself an injection, sewed it up - and continued training. Everything healed by the time of the competition. In general, I do not assess my injuries as an athlete or a patient, but as a doctor.

- Do you make your own mouthpiece?

- Well, this is what orthopedic dentists do. And I am a therapist and surgeon. They made me an individual mouthguard, but to be honest, I didn't really like it: it seemed cumbersome and not very convenient. A regular mouth guard from a store is enough.

- After training, after all, hands are clogged, they can tremble. How do you deal with this when doing dental treatment?

- After hard training, my hands are really shaking. But there are a number of techniques that allow you to remove the tremor - and then you can do fine work. Everything is working out well, the patients are happy. In dentistry, the main thing is to be able to work with your hands and communicate with the patient. I know people who graduated from the medical academy with honors, but in real work they cannot cope with either their anxiety or the anxiety of the patient. Knowing the theory is great and helps a lot, but it's quite another matter to take and prick a person.

- Which is worse: a toothache or pain from a blow or a take?

- Undoubtedly a toothache. I have the opportunity to compare: I see the same people in the ring and in my chair. These are different people. Think back to your own feelings when you sit in the dentist's chair. But this concept is very subjective. The guys from the squadron will sometimes say to me: “You are brave - you are not afraid to go to the ring. It's so tough. " This is surprising. For me, the guys from our squadron are an example of real courage: they go to the mountains and know that danger is near, that they can start shooting at every second, that there can be an explosion. And this requires a lot more courage than just going out and using clear rules to fight with an opponent with fists.

Text: Alexander Lyutikov, Vadim Tikhomirov

Photo: press service of the ACB organization, vk.com/id39936153