AKA proposing steps to reduce injury rate
AKA owner/coach Javier Mendez says the team will put to a vote whether to reduce the amout of full MMA sparring that takes place, and replace it with art specific days.
The injury rate at the elite level of mixed martial arts is having a profound effect on the sport, with multiple champions at any given point unable to fight. UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez for example has not fought in over 13 months.
Michael Hutchinson recently broke down the injury rate in the sport by major camp:
Camp / fights / injury dropout / percent
1. Roufusport 60 10 16.60%
2. Nova Uniao 75 11 14.60%
3. Blackzilians 56 7 12.00%
4. Team Tri-Star 92 10 10.80%
5. Black House 103 9 8.70%
6. Alliance MMA 97 8 8.20%
7. Greg Jackson 181 15 8.20%
8. American Top Team 148 12 8.10%
9. AKA 73 5 6.80%
10. Team Alpha Male 87 3 3.40%
Total 972 90 9.26%
In an interview with Jeremy Botter for Bleacher Report, Cain’s coach AKA owner Javier Mendez talked about some major changes that he is going to put up for a team vote.
“It’s been bothering me,” said Mendez. “There is a ranking that came out, and we are number two on the lowest amount of injuries for big organizations. So we aren’t in the top for injuries. But even being number two, I would rather not be on that list. But for a top team, we are safer than most. That still doesn’t make me feel good about being on that list.”
Mendez said the least injuries in his camp occur during boxing; the most during wrestling. The coach’s plan is to reduce the amount of full MMA sparring, and replace it with a day for boxing, a day for kickboxing, etc. However, it will first have to go to a team vote.
“If we can minimize certain things, I’d like to try to do that,” he said. “And that means less hard MMA sparring getting ready for a fight.”
“We have to do it because if you don’t, you won’t be prepared for a fight. But I think we can minimize it.”
“If a fighter says, ‘No, I want my three days of hard sparring,’ I have to give him that. I’ve always allowed the fighter to make the decision on whether they want to spar three days, two days or one day. And I don’t really want zero days of hard sparring because they need to know what it feels like to get in there.”
What do you think UG? What steps are taken in your gym to reduce injuries? Last time you got hurt, how did it happen?