A joke was recently made on the social network site Twitter by @colintimberlake about the recent card lineup changes the UFC has to deal with. “So, is StrikeForce smearing all the UFC training mats with staph or what?” It seemed funny at the time, but when you look at the amount of fighters getting staph infections, it makes you wonder why and how.
At UFC 92 Minotauro Nogueira was dominated by Frank Mir’s outstanding boxing skills. Mir finished Nogueira off with devastating punches which led to a TKO stoppage by referee Herb Dean in the second round. It was reported that Nogueira had been suffering from a staph infection before the fight which prevented him from being properly trained and conditioned for the fight. Now, Nogueira vs. Velasquez at UFC 108 has been called off due to Nogueira suffering a severe staph infection again. Gabriel Gonzaga also was scheduled to fight on the UFC 108 card against Junior Dos Santos, but was forced to withdraw because of a staph infection. Jason “Mayhem” Miller claims that he also received a staph infection after his fight with Jake Shields on a StrikeForce card.
Gross
Staphylococcus is a group of bacteria that can cause a multitude of diseases as a result of infection of various tissues of the body. Staphylococcus is more familiarly known as Staph (pronounced “staff”). Staph-related illness can range from mild and requiring no treatment to severe and potentially fatal. Anyone can develop a Staph infection, although certain groups of people are at greater risk, including newborn infants, breastfeeding women, and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, vascular disease, and lung disease. Injecting drug users, those with skin injuries or disorders, intravenous catheters, surgical incisions, and those with a weakened immune system all have an increased risk of developing Staph infections. (Melissa Conrad Stöppler, 2009)
Staphylococcal disease of the skin usually results in a localized collection of pus, known as an abscess, boil, or furuncle. The affected area may be red, swollen, and painful. Drainage or pus is common. Damage to the skin or other injury may allow the bacteria to overcome the natural protective mechanisms of the body, leading to infection.
No vaccine is available against Staphylococcus aureus. Since the bacteria are so widespread and cause so many different diseases, prevention of Staph infections requires attention to the risk factors that may increase the likelihood of getting a particular type of Staph infection. Careful hand washing, avoiding close skin contact with possible infected individuals, and proper hygienic care of skin scrapes, cuts, and wounds can all reduce the likelihood of skin infections due to Staph, including community-acquired MRSA. (Melissa Conrad Stöppler, 2009)
Think about using a condom next time...
Is UFC 108 jinxed and doomed for failure? Some people may believe this because the scheduled fighters are dropping like flies before the event even takes place. I am sure it is leaving Dana White scratching his head on what to do and who to replace these fighters with. Even though StrikeForce is not suffering the same problems with their fighters, I can definitely assure you that StrikeForce is not smearing the UFC training mats with staph infections.
Fighters go real hard in training and sometimes suffer injuries, cuts, and bruises through vigorous training regimens to prepare themselves properly for a fight. With fighters sweating and bleeding on the training mats, it’s no wonder staph infections are on the rise. Even being bandaged up, there is no certainty bacteria is not being spread through close contact. It would be a good idea to make sure the training areas are disinfected on a regular basis and showering right after a workout may help in some sort of prevention. Also, all contusions should be checked out by a medical professional to eliminate the possibility of any infections from developing or being spread to other fighters or training partners.
Don’t let staph infections KO your fighting career. Every little preventive method you use to protect yourself and others, will help extend your career and prevent further damage to your body.
**Works Cited
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, M. W. (2009, 4 22). Staph Infection. Retrieved 27 11, 2009, from MedicineNet.com: http://www.medicinenet.com/staph_infection/page3.htm
