Ask the Fight Doc: Should slams be banned in MMA competition?

After Gerald Harris used a jarring body slam to knock out Dave Branch at UFC 116, Strikeforce women’s welterweight champion Sarak Kaufman did the same to Roxanne Modafferi at this past weekend’s Strikeforce Challengers 9 event.

Under the unified rules…

Dr. Johnny BenjaminAfter Gerald Harris used a jarring body slam to knock out Dave Branch at UFC 116, Strikeforce women’s welterweight champion Sarak Kaufman did the same to Roxanne Modafferi at this past weekend’s Strikeforce Challengers 9 event.

Under the unified rules of MMA, using a slam to break free of an opponent’s guard or submission attempt is perfectly legal.

But in our latest “Ask the Fight Doc” installment, MMAjunkie.com medical columnist Dr. Johnny Benjamin weighs in on whether the competitive benefits outweigh the injury risk.