LOS ANGELES—Following a 10-year study of more than 500 professional and amateur fighters, a report released Thursday by the UCLA Department of Physiology found that mixed martial arts could be bad for your knees. “Our findings indicate that many of the repetitive motions used while engaging in bouts of MMA puts participants at significant risk for potential sprains or tightness in the knee joints,” read the report, which added that many common MMA moves, ranging from roundhouse kicks to triangle locks, exert significant pressure on the patellae that might give rise to conditions such as arthritis or bursitis. “Over time, activities like Cage Warriors Fighting Championships can wear away the tissue in the cartilage and result in patellar maltracking, leading to pain and swelling. Our study found that, whether trained in Muay Thai or Combat Sambo, those who compete in The Octagon are jeopardizing their knee health both in the short term and for many years after their fighting days are over.” The report concluded by advising fighters to minimize their risk of incurring knee injuries during fights by wearing a patella band.

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