Pro Fighter's Thoughts On Brain Damage & Permanent Injuries

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

What are your thoughts on damage in fight sports? Can you leave a fight career healthy with no serious trauma to the head and no permanent damage to the body?

[@buckets3628]

I think some permanent damage is going to happen but I'm not actually involved so

[@captainquagmire859]

Symptoms of concussion aren't always to do with severity but rather post concussion syndrome and whether you are applicable to have it, for example older people, people with behavioral issues, women and people with mental health issues are more likely to experience stronger experiences with PCS (Post Concussion Syndrome)

[@matthew-jy5jp]

Honestly that's one of the problems I have with the sport. I really only watch Boxing but I follow your channel and some MMA fighters. But I constantly think about how the thing we love so much gets broken down every time we see them in a ring. There's a little bit left behind every time. How can we like a sport that destroys the people we admire ? And and mixed martial arts the head kicks are vicious just one of those could and your career, if not your life. That's why we have to respect every single fighter that gets in there to do it, because they are risking everything. Thank you for doing the video like this Gabe.

[@kristynsdad]

I wonder how much long term damage MMA fighters sustain from violent matches. Being the receiver of a "ground and pound" beating has to lead to issues especially over time. Not to take anything away from a Buakaw style kick to the head or brutal elbow strikes to the head, violent as well.

[@leadinglist1533]

I think damage is unavoidable, it's all about knowing when to stop, I would say even to the point of surrendering mid fight when your opposition is clearly winning,in order to continue practicing what you love without having to deal with permanent damage. Your body will thank you when you get older...

[@JT-yn6bk]

Im definitely worried about fighters like Gaethje, Holloway, Tony Ferguson, Diaz, Jiri, Dan Hooker... The damage that they have taken + their fighting style makes me fearful for their long term health.

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Yes. Fight styles definitely effect your long term health. I like putting on fast paced fights but I don't brawl and risk damage.

[@m.israel2209]

The damage with mma gloves and these smaller gloves also plays a role though. They will probably have brain damage but not to the level of a boxer.

[@thehighcommunity247]

I completely agree with that statement Bro. They are fun to watch, but quite wreckless. They forget that dodging punches and kicks are just as much of a flex as getting hit and being alright. The best outcome would be to be incredibly evasive in every fight, but if you do get caught once or twice over the course of the fight...then you still have a solid chin that will hold up. Think smart. The entire sport doesn't have to be solely "barbaric." Intelligence and fight IQ and technique can take one much further.

[@abaddontheannihilator8144]

@@GabrielVargaOfficial Well that would be a good video to make. How to be a fast pace aggressive fighter without taking lots of punches like a brawler.

[@clapdrix72]

@topher nolastname lol Justin Gaethje will not be fine

[@xenadon]

Brain damage is never worth it. Your brain is so complex and intricate that you can't anticipate how a traumatic brain injury can impact you long term.

[@bigman6781]

Your brain can only take so much you look at a fighter like Tony Ferguson for example he’s been damn near rocked or buzzed in most of his UFC fights and he’s been with the company since 2011 that’s 11 years of head trauma it’ll be very interesting to see how these fighters are doin in the next 10 years. Combat sports can be a beautiful yet cruel sport.

[@mpforeverunlimited]

Well there was that whole "man in the walls" stint a couple years back

[@davidb5299]

Tony ferguson said that he doesn't spar

[@davidb5299]

So we will see how much that protected him

[@idihcerebe]

@@davidb5299 No, he _stopped_ sparring. The shots he took during sparring still matter.

[@danilo6548]

Thank you Gabriel for the positive thoughts. Limiting or avoiding hard sparring is definitely a good way to prevent CTE. However all combat sports athlets are a bit betting with their brain. Nobody can be 100% sure that will not Develope cte. But after all, everything comes with a risk

[@angelsjoker8190]

Mid-40s now, definitely feel the long-term effects of full-contact sparring in my youth, luckily only the body, particularly the joints, and not the head. The joints, unless warmed up, have this permanent feeling of unease where you can't find a good position, outside of laying in your bed, where that nagging feeling gets away. Can't sit without moving and stretching my legs for a long time before it gets quite uncomfortable. Later in life became a big apologist of light-contact sparring, it's overall less risky for your health and actually better for your technical training.

[@mikel7262]

How often and how many years did you spar for?

[@angelsjoker8190]

@@mikel7262 I started with Judo at age 7 or 8 and added full contact striking styles somewhere around age 12-14. I had 4 training sessions per week plus (from age 16 onward) 2-3 strength and cardio units. I was a bit dumb to spar without shin guards out of youthful machismo/pride/ego, plus probably pretty poor lifting form. At that age, you heel up pretty fast, so you think it's ok, but in reality, injuries never heal 100% and those 1% injury leftovers accumulate over time. I think around age 19 or 20, I had a major knee f* up (probably partly also because of the "no shin guard" stupidity) and couldn't train for almost a year and eventually also crushing my dreams of becoming a pro-fighter. In my mid-20s, I started to appreciate light-contact sparring. Now, in my mid-40s, I almost exclusively spar light, except for if there are some newbie young guns who can't control themselves. In hindsight, I'm actually kind of happy that the pro-fighter dream didn't become reality, as back then, chance of making a living out of fighting were even smaller than today (and even today most fighters even in the big leagues outside maybe the Top10 just get by without a side job), my face is still pretty, and my brain reasonably intact which I'm in particular thankful for.

[@GDKMG]

You could try glucosamine sulfate, really good for joints

[@Alex-gf4iu]

How is spring going to affect your joints?

[@yfjudhlnbvgkkjd8559]

Hey, I did start boxing recently and really want to learn self defense on the street and i know the street is much more cruel than hard sparring but i am also afraid that im taking brain damage if i spar hard even occasionally of it even helps. So does boxing training with a big focus ob light hit sparring teach you self defense in a real fight ? Probably not right ? Or if i would do hard sparring everywhere except the head? Or how often i would have to do the learn self defense and also don't take noticeable brain damage that won't show in my older years.

[@matthew-jy5jp]

Gabriel has excellent defensive skills as well as he lives a healthy life. Gives his body time to recover in between fights. And gives his brain time for the swelling to go down in between fighting which is most important when you do receive damage. I also think that weight cutting is a huge contributor to receiving brain damage. There is fluid around your brain that protects it. And when you dehydrate yourself it's all your body's water. it doesn't just come from one place. Then your brain is more exposed so if you're fighting like that you're going to take more trauma that you might not even recognize for a while

[@thehybrid4608]

Can you do a video on mental aspects of combat sports? Like how, some fighters turn timid during the fight like Anthony Joshua got vs Usyk. How anxious mind will make you perform bad.

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Sure thing!

[@isaacconandoyle6681]

@@GabrielVargaOfficial i love how open you are to feedback and recommendations, you just seem to enjoy being helpful and share everything you know. It's rare to find such genuine content creators on KZbin nowadays

[@infinitemonkey917]

Usyk outclassed him.

[@sylascole5254]

Love to see you catch the bit of you actually being a world class athlete and balance being a focus of your training, as well as potentially having a genetic predisposition towards good balance for the study. So many folks would have just said "see I was in a study, I am a fighter, and I have no ill effects!"

[@hassibmorad3906]

Great insight! I don't plan to go far into competitive martial arts, just stay as an amateur but I love martial arts and hope to keep training them for as long as I can without permanent body injuries and most definitely want to keep the brain damage on the low side. It's great hearing a pro's insight on this subject. I think it's something that should be spoken about a lot more, about ways to decrease the risks without killing the sport(s) we all love.

[@matthewbell4451]

In large numbers of peer reviewed studies, it has been demonstrated that amyloid pathology and tau pathology (markers linked to dementia) become elevated decades prior to symptom onset. In other words, symptoms are the last step in the cascade. Without an assessment of changes in brain chemistry, it is almost impossible to assess whether long term damage due to repeated head injury has occurred.

[@Lionheart_Kickboxing]

My personal experience with combat sports related concussions so far is it can get better. I had speech issues after 5 years and 6-7 concussions. I also couldn’t smell well and I had to get my wife to tie my left shoe because for some reason I struggled to tie it in a way that would stay tied. But 8 years later of not competing or taking hard damage and taking care of my health. My speech is almost normal I can keep my damn shoe tied 😂 and I can smell much better than before. Now long term I have no idea if I’ll have issues but I can’t control that.

[@bedoguyperson]

It's stuff like CTE which degrades your brain, which makes me wonder if CTE is naturally reversible when I heard ur story, and if so how long will it take if so.

[@hellonhead5905]

Reversible to a degree because of neuroplasticity of the brain. Even if your brain cells start dying, it will make okay with remaining structure.​@@bedoguyperson

[@thedarksideoftheforce6658]

Get hyperbaric chamber treatment and you will be back to almost 100 percent. It heals your brain.

[@titaniumwilliams1323]

Did u take lions mane. It could help a lot

[@Balkehianji]

@@bedoguypersonmaybe it could be reversed but we don’t have too much knowledge about it

[@hellwroughtangel]

Avoiding concussions doesn't really avoid CTE because CTE's main cause is thought to be numerous sub concussive blows. CTE is what I'm mainly concerned about because I don't spar hard.

[@uncletheoneshotkid3001]

CTE is caused by both concussions and subconcussions. You’ll be fine though if you don’t spar hard and limit it to maybe 2x a month

[@benhallo1553]

@@uncletheoneshotkid3001where did you get That fact from?

[@uncletheoneshotkid3001]

@@benhallo1553 it’s common sense lol if you’ve had multiple TBIs in your life alongside multiple subconcussive blows, your brain will be twice as damaged As for sparring idk I just said that, to be much safer

[@InGrindWeCrust2010]

Thanks for doing this video, champ. I had a lot of brain damage from rugby and combat sports in my teens and 20s. I had terrible symptoms from heavy concussions for several years, and some are still lingering. I'd train differently and smarter if I could do it again. Thanks as always for sharing your experience and expertise.

[@jtames9040]

I pray you get better. Also If we want to gain spiritual health and win eternal life from my experience (Christ saved my life with a supernatural miracle otherwise I would be dead by now) We need to have The truth in life which is in the Orthodox christianity religion only btw. The orthodox version of Christianity is the original and true form of christianity that Jesus taught us when he came to earth, and you can feel God’s grace through the holy sacraments in this church after baptism , repentance-confession and holy communion in the orthodox christian church through the grace of the apostles that was transferred from generation to generation to what we have today as the orthodox christian priests, something that completely changes your life and turns you into a happier person with a meaningful life and also saves you by strengthening your bond with God. You can also watch the miracle of the holy fire that does not burn that happens every year, I suggest you get baptised at an orthodox christian church near you, receive the holy spirit and live a spiritual life through the church’s sacraments like confession to the priest and holy communion and God will protect you, in this life, and the next, the eternal one, 😊may God Bless you!

[@ipie13579]

Man talking about your back injury was like deja vu. Had the exact same experience when I was 14 slipped a disk in my back. Took a month off wrestling after I was prescribed a year. Had really crippling back problems for the next 6-7 years. Back injuries at no joke. No other pain compares. Do what the doc says!

[@lucayoung7988]

Really helpful, I always been concerned about brain damage, also because me being 63 kg and most of my sparring partners being at least 10/15 kg heavier, I found helpful have a hard sparring session sometimes that really emulates a fight, but on regular basis having a controlled sparring is way better. When I was living in the Netherlands and training kickboxing Dutch style the sparring was brutal, I personally saw people getting knocked out in sparring sessions there, but that's why at the same time the level there is generally so high

[@m.israel2209]

I received a knew to my head and have been suffering with post concussion syndrome. This injury happened 5 years ago. My main issue is I’m always fatigued, even if I sleep 8 hours. Crazy enough is I still have practiced boxing and have sparred despite this injury and now I’m more defense conscious and it is surprising to say but I don’t get hit that often. Even in an intense sparring match. But I tell the boxing coach when and if I feel like sparring not the other way around. So I don’t even spar for months at a time. Less intense sparring, being more defensive, is what will help a fighter in the long run, plus knowing went to hang up the gloves. I know that last one is easier said then done because some fighters are fighting to survive or are broke and thats when you get fighters that fight well past their prime. Even Floyd Mayweather who was defensive genius stutters a lot. He has sparred countless times since he was 10 years old. Not to mention the early part of his career when he would actually get into a few brawls. But how do you make combat sports safer? I’m curious what everyone has to say.

[@theprodigalson4003]

Interesting. I think just keep your mind working. I work in aged care with people with dementia every day and I haven’t identified a commonality besides keeping naturally insquisitive and curious and use your brain. People with the same lives and occupation and experience can develop and others not seemingly for no reason. Even drug health doesn’t seem like a determining factor. Keep using your brain and thinming. And continue learning languages and expanding your mind. Maybe mushrooms and lsd can do soemthing for you as well. We don’t fully understand their effects on the mind and I can only imagine it can provide improvement in your case

[@theprodigalson4003]

Thanks for the read!

[@mikuspalmis]

You might want to look into Cranial Adjusting Turner Style (C.A.T.S.) and how it came to be, as well as other types of cranial adjustments.

[@liamfoo09]

that is terrifying, did it get any better?

[@CameronCanFLY]

Could you make contact sports like a video game? Or the damage you take is digital but have your hands hooked up to the controls like you're actually boxing and have your head piece connected as well? I think that would help martial arts out tremendously.

[@vlad_o_sh]

Thanks for this video. Very important message. It would help a lot, if you could make a video on "How to spar light", as every time I try it I (+ my partner) still end up beating the shit out of us and when we try to go really slow we do not really know what to do.

[@Buddahabrot]

1st : My injury didn't occur in martial arts. What happened was: I was attempting a backflip & another guy intentionally jumped up against me. My rotation came 2 a dead stop and I fell with my full weight on my head at a odd angle. Miraculously I survived , probably because I let my body go totally limp. I recognize your description of once barely being able to lift my head & get out of bed. What I had 2 do was : slowly shuffle/slide to the edge of my bed. Gently place a foot on the floor then one knee and carefully stand up. What I also recognize is being a smart-ass and not seeking medical advice : 22-ish young men always think they can handle anyhing. So it's a VERY good idea that you point out that when injured one has to take time to recover and adjust your training accordingly. THUMBS-UP !!!!

[@Doingmybest700]

Why the hell would someone do that to you?!

[@FuriousAnim]

​@@Doingmybest700 Because they are an asshole. That's why

[@MMAengineer]

how can you avoid getting hit in the head when u train striking with idiots?

[@innocentbystander4914]

Sharp defense is the key to longevity and avoiding damage

[@Rn.1001]

100 bro

[@matthew-jy5jp]

That's why I use always see professional boxes with dark glasses on after fights. And the concussion isn't really the problem. Anyone can get a concussion and recover 100%. However it's repeated concussions. Meaning you get concussed and you keep fighting and keep taking damage. Concussions don't only happen when a fighter gets knocked down. That's the dangerous thing because you can't always identify that someone has one.

[@BalancedbyMaryJane]

Fantastic narrative & perspective - Thank you!

[@lethals117]

man I'm disappointed that I already have had 1 lasting concussion only a year in, still have double vision months later one thing that I think is super important is neck health - most people have locked up necks and keeping your chin down exacerbates the shearing forces on the spine. You need to be working on the mobility and strength of the cervicals and back

[@leftvassis]

Anybody who has had a pro fight career WILL have permanent damage, maybe not noticeable in cases where they were very good/careful but its certainly there.

[@uncletheoneshotkid3001]

I beg to differ honestly, some fighters really are in a different league when it comes to this. I don’t think Khabib ever took a meaningful blow to the head at any point in his career

[@leftvassis]

@@uncletheoneshotkid3001 the real damage doesnt usually come from fights, it comes from sparring. And they do hundreds if not thousands of rounds of hard sparring before they get to that level

[@uncletheoneshotkid3001]

@@leftvassis eh from me who’s in a Muay Thai background I can’t relate. Real Muay Thai guys always always always light spar, the focus is on applied technique

[@leftvassis]

@@uncletheoneshotkid3001 they do hard rounds before a fight. And the guys who dont already have 200 fights experience. For every fight pros have they do at the very minimum 10 times the hard rounds in training camp. Not even including the hard rounds they did in regular training over the years.

[@uncletheoneshotkid3001]

@@leftvassis except they have fights so frequently you would think they would be doing it a lot more, so nah, for the most part they do light technical sparring. You can see this when Simon Marcus had Buakaw in his camp before the Wilnis fight and they were doing 100% to body and light taps to the head. Plus my Coach had some like 30 fights in Thailand and even told me that hard sparring is very uncommon. One thing I’ll concede to though is that they have so many fights in a single year, it definitely makes up for lack of hard rounds

[@MikesDadvice]

watching previous videos of your, I can say that your nutritional status is huge to your recovery...very important

[@matthew-jy5jp]

You can tell that you are aware of your brain taking damage, by the way you fight. Best thing of fighter can do to save himself from receiving damage down the road is being defensively sound

[@mikuspalmis]

I recommend people look into Cranial Adjusting Turner Style (C.A.T.S.) and how it was developed, as well as other types of cranial adjustments. They can be life changing.

[@theprodigalson4003]

I loved this sort of video. When u started talking about the balance it was so interesting to me. Would love to hear you talk about all manner of things I hope you do whatever you really want to with this channel. Maybe I’ll meet you one day because your a person I’ve really come to enjoy on here

[@EsquireUnlimited]

Hello Gabriel, I am enjoying your channel mate. Not a fighter myself (Only train sum boxing for fitness) but I’m a huge fight sports fan. Finding your content to be super interesting, it’s great to hear a professional fighters take on all these topics. Video request: I was just watching some of Conor McGregors newly released training footage, mostly bag work stuff and thought it looked really odd and not very professional. Many people in the comments were roasting him. I’d love to see an analysis from a guy like yourself on some of this footage. Thanks mate and keep the great videos coming 🥊🙏🏻

[@jeromezablotny6395]

Hey Gabriel, love your channel and your approach. I am kickboxing myself and i really enjoy watching your videos!:) Greetings from Germany/Netherlands 👊🏽

[@assassnkiller8540]

I really like the video because I hurt my knee in training with a BJJ black belt on a takedown. And now when I train I hear ligaments popping in my knee so I had to stay out for three months. And I don’t know how to take it easy so my knee collapses are so this video is really helpful for me. Big fan Gabriel💪💪💪💪💪👍👍

[@SdRayM2]

even light sparring kills brain cells so i dont know man... i really like kick boxing but after reading about the brain impact even a small hit can have i stopped sparing. Even in football they are thinking to ban headers for kids just because of that...

[@santiagotroiano2025]

I think a lot about it but at some point you must pick between a life without combat sports and a life with them. All of them affect your brain at some point: football, boxing, judo, etc. So even the safe sports like Judo can be more detrimental than karate, let's say. So, be careful at training, train a lot the basics and do light sparring every now and then. And at some point, think about moving to another hobby like playing an instrument or doing other smooth-to-the body sports.

[@Rn.1001]

MMA is the safest sport for the brain

[@Matt_J106]

Waiting for this

[@RM-rh8ru]

Robb Wolf has done some research into TBI and the use of ketones to minimize brain damage and I think it could be applicable to any sport where you take head trauma.

[@ZainAhmad-jl4vt]

given that I'm only talking about a karateka. An older black belt I talked to recently who tells me they did plenty of conditioning and kumite for 30+ years that they experienced more brain injuries in other sports like basket ball than they ever did in any combat sports.

[@Rn.1001]

I feel like I can Gabriel is right if u train smartly u can avoid brain damage it’s all about your style of fighting and ur training so if people want to take a career in fighting wherever it’s boxing or mma just don’t spar all the time and focus on that defence people like t bring up the negatives but little do you know anything in life can be dangerous

[@Sulamanjansulttaani]

Great stuff

[@stavross15]

good video and advices.

[@IusedtohaveausernameIliked]

Who'd have thought that repeated blows to the head would be bad for the brain? Reversing CTE is not "difficult" it's currently impossible (and probably will be for a long time).

[@daniel-zh9nj6yn6y]

It would have been funny if Gabriel had said: ''But I already made that video. Didn't I ?''

[@jimcoops33]

Hi your thoughts I’m a firm believer in you have assertion amount of hits to the head and then it’s over you can see this in a lot of top boxers that have had heaps of wins with a great record then soon as they get knocked out it’s all down hill they start losing and most retire

[@natepaulnatred]

I think nutrition and hydration helps as well.

[@mecipsa_1]

ik one coach said that strikes to the body do brain dammage and permanent injuries and strikes to the body doesnt do permanent Injuries so he tell us to beat each other as strong as we can to the body but dont hit hard to the head because he says strikes to the body makes you stronger is that real ?

[@DiamondCowboy7]

Youre the man Mr.Varga, I've started training this year out at Crusher Combat in Victoria, your videos have helped me improve a lot and youre a real role model to me in the way that you approach fighting. I hope to be like you when i begin competing

[@Carlos-lq5sp]

Can you do why Tawanchai is so good ?

[@Adam-hq2ls]

You guys, sorry for being off topic, but is Gabriel hungarian? Assuming becuse of his last name..

[@mikeconneely6]

I saw somewere that they found a cte gene so similar to dimentia your ginetics play a factor in wether your more susceptible

[@kalizulu3474]

You reference your balance as a strength, you use; what is your balance training program (for spinning kicks) that allows you to perform at your best ? (I would really like to know.)

[@yfjudhlnbvgkkjd8559]

Hey, I did start boxing recently and really want to learn self defense on the street and i know the street is much more cruel than hard sparring but i am also afraid that im taking brain damage if i spar hard even occasionally of it even helps. So does boxing training with a big focus ob light hit sparring teach you self defense in a real fight ? Probably not right ? Or if i would do hard sparring everywhere except the head? Or how often i would have to do the learn self defense and also don't take noticeable brain damage that won't show in my older years.

[@mynameismynameis666]

the neurological, spinal and psychological trauma one suffers at the hand office work is not comparable to this cakewalk of a job

[@neverstopmovingforwardfitn7277]

What are your thoughts on fighters continuing their careers after what would be categorized as career alternating fights. Example being Rory McDonald after the second fight with Robbie Lawler Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit after they fought each other. Essentially fights where it is clear that too much of the fighter was taken after the fight

[@uncletheoneshotkid3001]

Honestly I don’t think that was Rory’s most disturbing loss. I was more concerned for him after the Mousasi fight, he got absolutely battered

[@moumous87]

And Parnpetch died of that just after this video 😢RIP

[@jtames9040]

May God Jesus Christ rest his soul in peace. the truth in life is in the ORTHODOX christianity religion, it is the original and true form of christianity that Jesus taught us when he came to earth, and we believe in our religion that after death God takes the soul of the just Orthodox Christians and puts it in eternal life. and you can feel God through the holy sacraments after baptism , confession and holy communion in the orthodox christian church, something that completely changes your life and turns you into a happier person with a meaningful life and also saves you by strengthening your bond with God. Become an orthodox christian, get baptised and live a spiritual life (repentance- confession to the priest and holy communion) Spread the word and positivity and God Bless !

[@tiagogomes75]

I did a sparring session and got hit hard in the hear about 6-7 times. This is like the 3rd time this happens in a time interval of 1 year. You think this is enough to be certain I will have CTE?

[@TylerDurden-oy2hm]

Im sure i saw a american football player discuss hyperbaric oxygen treatment for concussion etc.he swore by it...think it was on joe rogans channel

[@antoniotoscano9722]

Being rocked is the same as being concussed? You know some times you get caught

[@geneharrogate6911]

The problem is CTE can be diagnosed only post-mortem, so there's that. When, for example, you contrast sparing styles of Dutch kickboxing vs Mua Thi, it seems crazy to me they (Dutch) go so hard at the 'hobbyist' level as there's no real advantage. There's no threshold for brain damage, you may be able to manage the risk, it only takes one unlucky shot. Its an occupation hazard. If you love to bang, you make your choices, you take your chances. All there is to it.

[@uncletheoneshotkid3001]

That goes for literally anything lol

[@geneharrogate6911]

@@uncletheoneshotkid3001 In the context of CTE, no, it literally doesn't. I accept the injury risks of BJJ. There are many, but traumatic brain injury or concussion aren't two of them.

[@uncletheoneshotkid3001]

@@geneharrogate6911 yes there is lol. You ever rolled with a wrestler? Literally anything that causes rapid deceleration of the head can cause CTE. Even let’s say basketball you dive in to block a pass, you’re flying in the air and then ur hitting the hardwood floor of the court. That could easily cause ur head to rapidly decelerate from the speed at which you jumped, therefore giving u a subconcussive or concussive injury

[@geneharrogate6911]

@@uncletheoneshotkid3001 Why do you keep using 'lol' like its a punctuation mark? Anyway. Ever sparred with a boxer? If so, you soon come to realize that there's a world of difference between an activity that _specifically_ targets the head and one where deceleration is more a case of 'collateral damage'. You'd have a stronger argument if you cited football or ice hockey.

[@tplayer23424]

Do you think the spinning back kick using your left leg is worth practicing if you are orthodox stance?

[@codeblueopinions2908]

Gabriel what do you think about kids sparring

[@alexzenich9245]

Will training an sparring twice a week can cause brain damage that affect my academic success? I often get hit in the head but I wouldn't say it's that hard (aside of kicks to the head).

[@Rn.1001]

No bro just train smart you’ll be fine a lot people want to bring up the negatives and try scare you

[@fernandoruiz5794]

Why dont you do light sparring between camps? Im talking light to medium intensity not SUPER light

[@davidb5299]

Do you think activities outside fighting can strengthen the brain neurologically and help heal brain damage like dancing, reading, working out, etc

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

I don't know about that science. I'll have to ask my brother and see if he knows.

[@davidb5299]

@@GabrielVargaOfficial reason im asking is a seen a ufc fighter say that he dances a lot to help with neurological activity

[@anomitas]

I heard shrooms are good for repairing neural connections

[@uncletheoneshotkid3001]

I think hand eye coordination heavy activities can. Freddie Roach (Manny Pacquaio’s coach) has boxing induced Parkinson’s and doctors believe he’s slowed down the progression of the disease by being a boxing coach bc he has to practice and execute very high level hand eye coordination

[@uncletheoneshotkid3001]

@@anomitasyes, Psilocybin has been observed to fix damaged dendritic spines and strengthen connections between neurons but it’s very new research

[@SunAndMirror]

Is headgear off the table for pro MMA? Couldnt they just use thinner headgear the way they use thinner gloves? Or they wont do it because it "looks dorky" or "doesnt sell" to fans. Mouthguards already give the fish lips look, some fans dont see that either and may think just think the fighter has a scowl...

[@gamma4053]

Headgear doesn't prevent damage at all. It also worsens because your opponent will hit you harder because you have protection. It may be sound weird, but bareknuckle boxing is way safer than normal boxing.

[@tommalaga248]

balance has nothingnto do with concussions of course pro fighters will have more balance than most other sports

[@davidb5299]

How dangerous is it to get hit by a guy like francis ngannou?

[@kdkdkdbdkddn3]

Deadly for the average person

[@wokenmillennial]

Takes 10 years for effects to kick in...

[@OffDaLip]

I love go as this guy just dismisses CTE lolol. Like an alcoholic dismissing cirrhosis

[@Rogerdfgh]

Almost everybody who been fighting have or will have brain damage, mostly because of ego/shyness not to say no

[@Rn.1001]

Not really bro it all depends on how you train there is no ego shyness I think the people that say this just bring up negative it all depends on your style to

[@Rn.1001]

Look at Floyd if he can do it then I can

[@СтилиянКръстев-р7т]

Hello my friend is this right cross can damage brain 🧠

[@WompyConk]

First

[@toasteddingus6925]

There is no "recovering from brain damage" like you think. Ie, if you get a concussion, YOU SHOULD REST for a long time and not take any more brain damage to exacerbate what you've taken but at the same time don't fall under an illusion that just by "resting" or "going 50% for a while" will help heal up that damage. It will not.

[@SHisiSlipperEdits]

While it is true that brain can't recover, I feel like you are missing some of Gabriel point. When he said "resting", he ment that was for body damage (like broken leg, hand, etc.). I don't think he meant going 50% would heal the brain, but instead it would reduce your chances of getting dementia, Parkinson or Alzheimer and cte. (of course the chances are still there but reduced abit, plus irc etc can be affected by a person genetics)

[@SHisiSlipperEdits]

tho that just my opinion, since we're still in the early stages of research about neurological diseases. So I might be wrong in 10 years or something :/

[@jtames9040]

I agree with you, brain damage is irreversible and affects our future mental state. Also If we want to improve our mental health and gain spiritual health and win eternal life from my experience (Christ saved my life with a supernatural miracle otherwise I would be dead by now) We need to have The truth in life which is in the Orthodox christianity religion only btw. The orthodox version of Christianity is the original and true form of christianity that Jesus taught us when he came to earth, and you can feel God’s grace through the holy sacraments in this church after baptism , repentance-confession and holy communion in the orthodox christian church through the grace of the apostles that was transferred from generation to generation to what we have today as the orthodox christian priests, something that completely changes your life and turns you into a happier person with a meaningful life and also saves you by strengthening your bond with God. You can also watch the miracle of the holy fire that does not burn that happens every year, I suggest you get baptised at an orthodox christian church near you, receive the holy spirit and live a spiritual life through the church’s sacraments like confession to the priest and holy communion and God will protect you, in this life, and the next, the eternal one, 😊may God Bless you!

[@boomboommagus]

Dude

[@nem3908]

Dude

[@locke8412]

Dude

[@MakhasYT]

First is the worst, second is the best!! :) JK!

[@zhaomayne]

Just wanted to share my miraculous brain injury recovery in hopes that either someone in this comment section (or someone you know) may benefit. I had post-concussion syndrome for 9 years from a bad hit in hockey and I also used to play football and train MMA. I’ve been off work for over 2 years due to disability from my head injury but now I’m 1000% healthy and can live a completely normal life. This may be extremely hard to believe but I achieved all of this through a spiritual practice called Falun Dafa. The main emphasis of Falun Dafa is spiritual development and improving your moral character but it can have miraculous health benefits; people have cured cancers, tumors, paralysis, diabetes and all kinds of different abnormal/complex health conditions. I know that there maybe people in this KZbin comment section that may be suffering like I did or knows someone that is suffering so I hope this is able to help you or someone you know!

[@jtames9040]

If we want to gain spiritual health and win eternal life from my experience (Christ saved my life with a supernatural miracle otherwise I would be dead by now) We need to have The truth in life which is in the Orthodox christianity religion only btw. The orthodox version of Christianity is the original and true form of christianity that Jesus taught us when he came to earth, and you can feel God’s grace through the holy sacraments in this church after baptism , repentance-confession and holy communion in the orthodox christian church through the grace of the apostles that was transferred from generation to generation to what we have today as the orthodox christian priests, something that completely changes your life and turns you into a happier person with a meaningful life and also saves you by strengthening your bond with God. You can also watch the miracle of the holy fire that does not burn that happens every year, I suggest you get baptised at an orthodox christian church near you, receive the holy spirit and live a spiritual life through the church’s sacraments like confession to the priest and holy communion and God will protect you, in this life, and the next, the eternal one, 😊may God Bless you!