MMA: NY Times Opinion Writer Changes Personal Stance on MMA

They say it's brutal, they say it's dangerous and they say it has no place in society. Those are just a few opinions people have of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. David Zinczenko was a part of that population that had a skeptical view of MMA. 

Zinczenko is actually the editor in chief of Men's Health and frequent contributor to the New York Times. He used his power there to actually deny having any MMA athletes grace the cover of his magazine. His basis was that since this was a sport where people used everything they could to destroy another person, it wouldn't quite fit with the whole health genre of the magazine. 

He has since changed his stance, basing his opinion on the growing scientific studies that have shown that MMA is, in fact, the safer sport than the likes of boxing and football. 

The fact is that in football, because they wear helmets and pads, we tend to believe that the sport is safe and the athletes on the gridiron are safe from any further damage than taking hits.

In boxing, because it's been around for so long and because of the size of gloves that boxers wear, we think that the blows to the head don't do any considerable damage because the gloves are 12 ounces. 

This couldn't be further from the truth. Boxers suffer extensive brain damage. We see fighters who, after retirement, have a hard time speaking a complete and structured sentence. We see football players who now have dementia and can't remember a thing because of all the hard hits they had to take on the field. 

MMA fighters, who sustain injuries during a training or a fight, are barred from any contact whatsoever by the state athletic commissions until they are properly cleared by a doctor. We see no such thing in football, boxing or even hockey.

Zinczenko has used this as a foundation for his new outlook on MMA. He's even gone so far as to allow current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges "Rush" St-Pierre to grace the cover of his magazine. 

This is great news for all MMA fans, because this is just one more person who has actually opened their eyes to see beyond the action in the cage. They have taken the time and the opportunity to learn what the sport is all about, and to actually realize it's not a barbaric sideshow which emphasizes violence and feeds off of blood.