For the longest time, people have debated the merits of helmets and protective gear in football. While it has always been a visibly high-impact sport, questions about whether it caused serious ailments to the brain had been raised. Of course, the game still remains the same in 2025, but with medical professionals and athletes alike more aware of the risk at hand. UFC commentator Joe Rogan credited a 2015 Will Smith movie for this rise in awareness.
Concussion, a movie based on true events, shed light on the long-term effects of repeated hits to the head, a discussion that had far too often been brushed aside in favor of arguments that often started with ‘back in our day’.
But that all changed, Rogan claims, after Smith played Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian-American forensic pathologist who uncovered the prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) among NFL players.
The film follows Dr. Omalu’s journey as he battles the NFL to bring awareness to the long-term dangers of repeated head traumas. Based on the 2009 GQ article “Game Brain” by Jeanne Marie Laskas, Concussion highlights the challenges faced by those who dare to confront powerful institutions in the name of truth and athlete safety.
While speaking to Antonio Brown in an episode of his podcast, Rogan explained the importance of the movie and the awareness it brought with it.
He said, “The reality of head trauma is something that we as a society we’re just embracing over the last 10-20 years. If it wasn’t for that concussion movie, that opened up a lot of people’s eyes.”
Interestingly, brain injuries are also common in combat sports and more so in boxing than the UFC. Unfortunately, while its impact has allegedly been seen in pugilism, MMA, being a newer sport, hasn’t had the luxury of decades of research.
UFC vs Boxing: Brain injuries
When it comes to brain injuries, both boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) have their risks, but the nature and frequency of these injuries can differ between the two sports.
Boxing is centered around striking, with athletes aiming to land blows primarily to the head and torso. This focus on headshots increases the risk of concussions and CTE.
The prolonged duration of boxing matches, often lasting up to 12 rounds, means fighters may endure sustained head impacts over time. A boxer might get knocked down from a punch to the head, but if they can recover before the referee counts to 10, the fight can continue, allowing them to take further damage to the noggin.
Notably, boxing has a documented history of CTE cases, historically referred to as “punch-drunk syndrome” or dementia pugilistica.
MMA, on the other hand, incorporates a variety of techniques, including striking, grappling, and submissions. While head strikes are part of the sport, the diverse range of tactics means fighters might engage in fewer continuous head impacts compared to boxing.
However, the risk of concussions and CTE remains present. Some studies suggest that the overall injury rate in MMA could be higher than in boxing, but the specific incidence of brain injuries varies. Unfortunately, of course, this cannot be said with certainty without a plethora of government-sanctioned studies observing candidates over a period of decades.
So, at this point, determining which sport poses a greater risk for brain injuries is complex. The concentrated head impacts in boxing may elevate the risk of long-term brain damage.
Conversely, the multifaceted nature of MMA might not cause similar damage. But recovery and post-retirement care for fighters has been a mess, courtesy of a monopolistic centralization of the sport, causing irreversible suffering, as documented in the Zuffa antitrust lawsuit against the UFC.
