'Let's face it, it's not a healthy sport': Perceived health status and experience of injury among Polish professional mixed martial arts athletes.

This article examines professional male mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters' perceptions of health, injury frequency, and medical care within the context of the sport's risk culture. Based on a mixed-methods study involving questionnaires from 88 Polish MMA athletes and in-depth interviews with 15 of them, the research found a high incidence of injuries—ranging from joint and muscle problems to chronic conditions—alongside a tendency among fighters to normalize pain and underestimate injury severity as part of an internalized risk culture. Despite frequent health issues, many fighters reported inadequate medical and rehabilitation support, often organizing and financing care independently, reflecting the commercialized and precarious nature of MMA in Poland. The study highlights how this risk culture, combined with limited institutional oversight and economic uncertainty, shapes fighters' attitudes toward health risks as an accepted cost of their professional involvement and social recognition.