What kind of person decides to fight in a cage for a living?
One fighter asked whether MMA ruins people or merely attracts those whose lives are already a mess. Even those who've suffered through successful fight careers have a hard time being sure of the difference.
What kind of person finds themselves drawn to the world of professional mixed martial arts? As journalist Hayden Hodge sat contemplating this question after watching a video of UFC fighter Jordan Leavitt discussing the potential negative impacts of MMA, he wanted to offer a different perspective. Leavitt, known as "The Monkey King," suggested that those who enter the sport often have underlying issues that martial arts provides a means to cope with.
For some, these individuals might have histories of trauma or abuse and find empowerment through the intense nature of combat sports. However, journalist Hodge cautions against viewing the transition as a fix for one addiction with another. Former UFC fighter Danny Downes likened MMA to a drug habit, describing the ups and downs of the career.
Even retired welterweight Matt Brown, who holds the second-most knockouts in UFC history, advises against joining the sport as it is not a conventional job path and the lifestyle is ultimately addictive.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
