Donald Trump, the former U.S. President and long-time combat sports enthusiast, has reignited the debate on safety in boxing versus UFC. His recent comments on Joe Rogan's podcast have got people talking about which sport is really more dangerous.
Trump's history with combat sports goes way back. In the 80s and 90s, he hosted some of the most iconic boxing nights at his Atlantic City casinos. Mike Tyson even called these events "nights of beauty." And when Trump stepped into the ring, legendary announcer Michael Buffer would introduce him as "a man whose success in business epitomizes the American dream."
But Trump's involvement didn't stop at boxing. In 2001, he threw UFC a lifeline when other venues wouldn't touch it. He opened up the Trump Taj Mahal for UFC 30 and 31. Dana White, the UFC boss, said, "Trump saw it, he got it, and he stayed for the whole card."
Even now, at 79 and back in the White House for a second term, Trump keeps close ties with the fighting world. He's often seen cageside at UFC events and chats with Dana White twice a month about fights.
On Rogan's show, Trump said something that got everyone talking:
"No UFC fighter, they say, has ever died, and it looks to me much more violent than boxing. Many boxers have died. Isn't it interesting?"
Trump pointed out that in boxing, fighters take repeated hits to the head for up to 12 rounds. This can lead to serious brain damage over time. In UFC, fights can end with grappling or submissions, and the rounds are shorter. This might mean less long-term damage.
Some science backs this up. The British Medical Journal found that boxers are more likely to get a brain condition called CTE than MMA fighters. And a 2016 study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine showed MMA fighters get more cuts and fractures, but boxers suffer more lasting brain damage.
But here's the thing - UFC looks more violent. You see bloodied faces and fighters getting knocked out on the ground. Boxing might seem tamer, but it's been linked to more deaths and long-term brain problems.
Trump summed up his love for both sports: "Boxing is more thrilling than opera or ballet." And about UFC's early days, he said, "Nobody died in the UFC, which is shocking."
This debate isn't going away anytime soon. But one thing's for sure - Trump's lifetime involvement in combat sports, from hosting big boxing matches to giving UFC its big break, has left a lasting mark on both sports.
