Injuries are a very big story that continues to affect the UFC in a very negative way. Earlier this month, I tried to solve the injury questions by breaking down which fight camps were the most injury prone, with Roufusport and Nova Uniao taking the top spots.
When I declared Team Alpha Male as the least injury prone team in MMA, many said that it was due to the team being full of lighter-weight fighters. Many also suggested that I do a breakdown of injuries by weight class to see which division has been affected the most.
Most Injury Prone: Light-Heavyweight and Featherweight
The second largest weight class in the UFC takes the top spot for the most injury prone division since January 1st , 2012. The Light-Heavyweight division has seen 30 injuries in 116 scheduled fights, giving them an injury rate of 25.9%.
The Featherweight division saw more total injuries than the Light-heavyweight division, with 48 injuries in 198 scheduled fights, earning the division a 24.2% injury rate.
Least Injury Prone: Heavyweight and Middleweight
The largest division in the sport surprisingly took home the honours of the least injury prone division in the UFC, with just 15 injuries in 94 scheduled fights, and injury rate of just 16.0%.
The Middleweight division, led by champion Chris Weidman played runner-up to the top prize, with 32 injuries in 183 fights, an injury rating of 17.5%.
Most Injuries: Welterweight Division
One of the most competitive divisions in the sport, the Welterweight division saw a total of 64 injuries from January 1st, 2012 to October 30th, 2014. Injury rate wise, the division placed 3rd with 24.0%.
Here is the full statistical breakdown for each division (stats from Jan. 1, 2012 – Oct. 30, 2014):
| Division | Injuries | Fights Made | Injury Rate |
| Women’s Bantamweight | 10 | 41 | 24.40% |
| Flyweight | 16 | 79 | 20.30% |
| Bantamweight | 34 | 154 | 22.10% |
| Featherweight | 48 | 198 | 24.20% |
| Lightweight | 55 | 283 | 19.30% |
| Welterweight | 64 | 267 | 24.00% |
| Middleweight | 32 | 183 | 17.50% |
| Light-Heavyweight | 30 | 116 | 25.90% |
| Heavyweight | 15 | 94 | 16.00% |
| Total | 304 | 1415 | 21.50% |
Thank you Reddit user AlantheCowboyKiller, MMAJunkie’s Mike Bohn, and MMA Fighting Fan Poster Sexytime for the information on injuries and fights by weight class.
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