Epidemiology of Muay Thai Fight-Related Injuries

Combat sports, such as MMA, UFC, and MuayThai, have gathered increasing attention.  Their appeal lies in the sport’s intent to cause physical harm. Currently, little is known about the injuries and risk factors for injuries among MuayThai fighters.

The following research surveyed 195 MuayThai fighters. Participants were recruited from major fight sites in the Northeast of the US, and asked to complete a web survey regarding training practices, use of protective equipment, and fight-related injuries. Regression analyses were conducted to determine whether injuries during sanctioned fights were related to additional factors such as fight experience, use of protection and injury history.

Participants were aged 18 to 47 years old (median 26); predominantly male (85.9%); and white (72.3%). Respondents were professional (n=96, 49.2%) and amateur (n=99, 50.8%) Fighters reported a range of fight experience from 1-111 total fights, with a mean of 15.83. Of the 195 respondents, 108 (55.4%) reported sustaining an injury during the most recent fight. The primary body region injured were extremities (58%), and not concussion (5.4%).  Nearly 2/3 (66.7%) of all injured fighters reported that the injury did not interfere with the bout outcome. Nearly 25% reported they missed no training time as a result of the injury. Injuries were related to fighter status, weight, age, equipment and previous injury.  Lighter, younger, and more experienced fighters were at increased odds for injury within this sample.

We identified several associations that require more rigorous research into causality in order to prevent and reduce injury outcomes among fighters.