MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Authors

  • Stacy Howard Bishop Texas A&M University-Commerce
  • Paul La Bounty
  • Michael Devlin

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12922/6

Keywords:

combat sports, concussions, UFC, martial arts

Abstract

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. 

Author Biography

Stacy Howard Bishop, Texas A&M University-Commerce

Assistant Professor

Department of Health and Human Performance

TAMU-Commerce

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Published

2013-03-31

How to Cite

Bishop, S. H., La Bounty, P., & Devlin, M. (2013). MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW. Journal of Sport and Human Performance, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.12922/6

Issue

Section

Review Articles