- Slug: MMA recovery, 620 words.
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By Paige Shacklett
Cronkite News
PHOENIX — Broken bones, bruises, concussions, occasional loss of consciousness, even death loom over the cages in which mixed martial artists ply their craft.
Former mixed martial arts fighter Aaron Simpson said the pain inside the cage doesn’t always end when the fight does. Recovering properly after matches and during training is just as important to fighters as their boxing, wrestling or martial arts skills.
“Some guys balloon up and drink for a month straight (after fights),” said Simpson, a former Arizona State wrestling All-American. “Some fighters, I guess they lose everything that they built up and it just doesn’t make sense for a healthy career or a healthy lifestyle.
“It was a short recovery for me, and I was back at it and training. And the most successful professional fighters in the world right now are doing that.”
Simpson said athletes learn to ignore pain in the cage, and recovering properly after a match is a challenge.
“Pain? Like physical pain? Yeah, you don’t feel it when you’re actually competing,” Simpson said. “You don’t feel any type of pain. Your body does a pretty good job of masking that.”
While battling in three different combat sport organizations, including 12 matches on the Ultimate Fighting Championship circuit, Simpson quickly learned the value of taking care of his body. And his mind.
“I think any fighter, any athlete, any competitor, the pain of losing is way worse than the pain of an injury.” he said.
A four-time high school state champion while competing for tiny Antelope High in Wellton, near Yuma, Simpson was a two-time All-American at ASU, winning 110 career matches. He ranks 12th on ASU wrestling’s all-time wins list.
For years, college wrestlers had few options after completing their college eligibility unless they were among the few good enough to compete for spots on national teams. Some turned to coaching, as Simpson did at ASU, where he was an assistant coach.
But the advent in the mid-190s of mixed martial arts, which combine wrestling boxing and various forms of martial arts, created a new avenue for college wrestlers. Some of the sport’s pioneers wrestled at ASU, including Dan “The Beast” Severn.
Simpson was an ASU assistant for nine years but eventually found his way into mixed martial arts with World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). He won his only WEC fight then moved to the Ultimate Fighting Championship circuit, where he was dubbed “A-Train.”
The sport takes a toll, but Simpson said proper nutrition, rest and even cryotherapy can help. Cryotherapy uses short exposure to extremely cold temperatures, usually in a chamber, to reduce inflammation.
Simpson’s combat sports career ended when the UFC did renew his contract after a knockout loss against Mike Pierce in 2012. Simpson moved to the World Series of Fighting II and fought only once. He lost the final fight of his career, knocked out by a knee to the face. He left the cage with a 12-5 career record.
Jolene Kuty, a Scottsdale-based chiropractor who works with mixed martial artists, said the most successful fighters are always considering their recovery.
“When you’re a true athlete, you’re thinking about it all the time,” she said. “You’re thinking about your holistic health all the time, whether it’s something silly like putting on your seat belt when you go to drive your car or focusing on your nutrition and hydration even when you’re not preparing for a big tournament.
“If you think of your body as an instrument for your use, that’s where you’ll get your best health.”
Kuty also works with recreational mixed martial artists to help them keep up with the constant micro-injuries they attain in training.
“They depend on me to help them stay in good physical condition so that they can continue their exercise,” Kuty said.