Issue 028
August 2007
Blood is a common feature of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). To a few it is part of the appeal of MMA; others are repelled by it. Either way, there is no denying the power of a photo showing a bloodied fighter to arouse strong emotions. By Rosi Sexton.
To most fighters and hardcore fans blood is just an inconvenient fact of life. Many people see cuts as a somehow ‘unsatisfactory’ finish to a fight. All too often, a cut can mean the end of a fight which fans would have liked to see continued. Perhaps one fighter was dominating, but was clipped with a stray elbow. For a fighter, few things are more frustrating than having a fight stopped by the doctor, even though he still feels perfectly able to carry on by the doctor.
So what is it that makes some cuts more dangerous than others? Why will a doctor stop one fighter for a relatively innocuous looking cut, but let another continue with blood pouring down his face? Why do some fighters seem to get cut at the first hint of contact, while others can take many more shots to the face and not suffer the same damage? We’ll find answers to these questions later in the article. Lets start by looking at what most often causes bleeding in a fight, and where cuts generally occur.
The nose is one of the most common sources of blood in a fight. Direct impact may cause damage to the inner lining and small blood vessels and there may be considerable bleeding. Whether the fight can continue depends on a few factors. Firstly, whether (in the opinion of the ringside doctor) the fighter is losing too much blood. A second factor is whether it is affecting the fighter’s breathing. In MMA, unlike boxing, a fighter may find himself fighting from his back with blood from his nose running down his throat. When severe, this can restrict breathing, and there is the possibility of choking or inhaling the blood. Blood coming from the nose may also signal a more severe problem, which would justify the fight being stopped.
Cuts to the surface of the nose rarely pose a serious problem, unless the nose is also broken in which case an open fracture must be suspected (i.e. the broken bone has torn through the skin). This is a fight ender, as is any sufficiently serious nasal fracture. Broken noses are frequently left untreated when they happen in training, but it is wise to get them checked by a doctor as occasionally treatment is needed immediately to prevent deterioration of the nasal cartilage.
Cuts are the other common source of blood. When a fist or an elbow hits a bony bit of the skull, such as the ridges of the eyebrows, it can split the skin and cause a cut. This is why so many cuts happen around the eyes – that’s where the bones form the sharpest angles.
The decision about whether a cut is severe enough to stop the fight is a difficult one. In any event where fighters are allowed to continue fighting with a cut, this judgement should always be made by a qualified doctor. Cuts to the face and head often bleed profusely and can sometimes look really nasty. It is the doctor’s job to see beyond the superficial bleeding and assess what is really going on underneath. There are a number of different considerations to take into account. First, there is the location of the cut. This is crucial: cuts in some places are known to be more likely to open up or tear badly than others. There are also important structures to be aware of – nerves which may be damaged. A cut under the eyebrow that comes too close to the eye may damage the eye muscles, tearduct or eyelids. These can be difficult to repair.
Then there’s the bleeding itself. Is it affecting the fighter’s vision? If blood is preventing the fighter from seeing well enough to defend himself, then the fight must be stopped for safety reasons. There may also be a problem if a fighter is losing a lot of blood.
There is no exact science to determining whether a fighter is able to continue. Other considerations may be: how much time is left to go in the fight; the experience level of the fighter; and the relative importance of this particular fight - arguably a world title fight should be allowed to go on longer than an undercard match on a local show between two first time pros. If a fighter is doing a good job of protecting the cut, then he may be allowed to continue for longer than if he is taking a lot of shots to the area.
There has been relatively little attention paid in MMA to the role of the cutman. It is arguably a harder job to do well in MMA than in boxing, with the added difficulties of smaller gloves, elbows to the head, striking on the ground and the longer rounds. A good cutman who is experienced and able to stop or slow down the bleeding can often make the difference between winning and losing a fight. All too often, poor corner cut work is in evidence at local events, ranging from doing nothing to worse, spraying water on a cut (which increases the bleeding). In the absence of a specialist cutman to do the job, a good cornerman should make himself aware of the basics.
It is well known that some fighters get cut more easily than others. This is due to genetic and other factors such as: skull shape, some people have sharper edges than others; skin composition, or how easily their skin tears; and age – skin becomes more fragile as we get older. Fighters that have been cut in the past may have built up a lot of scar tissue which is less pliable and more easily torn than regular skin. This increases the chances of repeated cuts in the same area. Good nutrition and hydration may improve the odds in a fighters favour somewhat, but there doesn’t appear to be a great deal of evidence to support any specific products (such as various creams or vitamin supplementation) taken to reduce the chance of getting cut.
After the fight cuts should receive appropriate medical care and stitching. The better they are treated initially, the less scar tissue there will be, and the smaller the chances of repeated cuts in future. For the same reason, it is important to avoid contact long enough to let the cut heal fully. Some people suggest that a little vitamin E oil applied regularly to a cut that is healing may help to reduce scarring, and it may also help to soften old scar tissue.
