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Posted 08/13/2008 at 11:48 PM
I have been asked by a couple of people whether or not mixed martial arts will ever be in the Olympics. The answer is no for a couple of reasons.
There are already numerous combat sports in the Olympics, including boxing, judo, taekwondo and wrestling. Jiu-jitsu is not on the list, but almost every other aspect that makes MMA a fast-growing sport is represented.
The physical toll a MMA match takes on the fighters would also make it almost impossible to have numerous fights stretched out over a couple of days. The combatants would also have to wear protective head gear, along with pads for their elbows and legs that would hinder submission attempts.
Numerous fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship have come from an Olympic background in a combat sport, such as wrestlers Randy Couture and Dan Henderson. Let future MMA fighters build their base in one of these disciplines before trying to excel at the next level. Besides, there are quality MMA cards that are now offered on a monthly basis instead of the Olympic games every four years.
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