Can women fight?

[isshinryu5toforever]

That is a very provocative question, but here's a pretty evenhanded article that discusses women in MMA.

http://training.sherdog.com/doctors-corner/news/105589-can-women-fight

He makes it clear that he has a lot of respect for women's MMA. He's just bringing up the topic of proper precautions to protect their safety.

[bushido_man96]

I think that they can, sure. I didn't get through the whole article, but there are some good points in there in how women and men differ in body style. Its excellent research. Thanks for sharing, and I hope to contribute a bit more later.

[joesteph]

It was an interesting article, and it makes me consider that men and women should not be in MMA competition with one another, but not that women shouldn't compete.

One thing about human beings is that we are an adaptive species, aren't we?

[isshinryu5toforever]

We're definitely adaptive. I think the title of the article is meant simply to get people to read it. A more appropriate title would be should men and women fight each other? Still, it brings up a few topics to discuss.

[brickshooter]

I've no problem watching a live autopsy while sipping a latte.

But I don't think that I could ever watch a man-woman fight even though I know that both are professionals testing their skills.

It's just the way I'm wired.

[DWx]

I largely agree with the article. Even as a female myself who is quite willing to spar guys in training, at elite level I don't think they should be in the ring together. They should definitely be allowed to fight but the differences between men and women are so great its hardly fair to fight each other. It'd be like allowing one competitor to use performance enhancers and disallowing the other. I don't agree on shortening the rounds for women or having drastically different rules either. Let women fight on the same terms as men even though they are only fighting other women.

[isshinryu5toforever]

I actually think the physical gap between elite men and elite women is less than men would like to admit. That isn't to say they should get in the ring together, but it's mostly for the same reasons Brock Lesnar should never fight Shawn Sherk.

[Jay]

I largely agree with the article. Even as a female myself who is quite willing to spar guys in training, at elite level I don't think they should be in the ring together. They should definitely be allowed to fight but the differences between men and women are so great its hardly fair to fight each other. It'd be like allowing one competitor to use performance enhancers and disallowing the other. I don't agree on shortening the rounds for women or having drastically different rules either. Let women fight on the same terms as men even though they are only fighting other women.

Great article.

DWx I agree with what your saying however I think its fair that rounds should be shortened for women. The article made a convincing point about women having a lower VO2 max than their male equivalents. MMA is a spectator sport its not interesting when people are lying on the floor knackered. That was one of the main reasons we have time limits in the first place along with TV problems. Maybe from a femminist point of view there should be the same number of rounds but from a purely physical point of view men and women are different.You wouldn't expect a woman to run sub 10 in the 100m. Its not condeming them. Its just their base ability nobody can outrun physics.

I have to say the im not the biggest fan of womens MMA or Boxing I think its because I don't really like watching women get hit even if it is from other women. But thats just me as a person if they wish to compete then great they should be able to.

[sensei8]

Can women fight? Yes they can!!

[DWx]

I largely agree with the article. Even as a female myself who is quite willing to spar guys in training, at elite level I don't think they should be in the ring together. They should definitely be allowed to fight but the differences between men and women are so great its hardly fair to fight each other. It'd be like allowing one competitor to use performance enhancers and disallowing the other. I don't agree on shortening the rounds for women or having drastically different rules either. Let women fight on the same terms as men even though they are only fighting other women.

Great article.

DWx I agree with what your saying however I think its fair that rounds should be shortened for women. The article made a convincing point about women having a lower VO2 max than their male equivalents. MMA is a spectator sport its not interesting when people are lying on the floor knackered. That was one of the main reasons we have time limits in the first place along with TV problems. Maybe from a femminist point of view there should be the same number of rounds but from a purely physical point of view men and women are different.You wouldn't expect a woman to run sub 10 in the 100m. Its not condeming them. Its just their base ability nobody can outrun physics.

Initially I thought that too. But the article did say it only justified rounds of 4.36 based on % performance gap. Half a minute isn't a lot of difference when the rounds are 5 minutes anyway. Perhaps you'd see a slightly altered strategy for women so that they'd last that extra 30 secs, maybe a more technical game than all out power? Reducing the time requirements would be like telling a female marathon runner they only had to 20 miles instead of the 26 miles or that because they couldn't run as fast as men the 100m is now a 90m race. Maybe the pace of the fight won't be the same but don't underestimate a female fighter's ability to complete it.