Why do so many mma fighters have big heads/faces?

[true_fan]

Is it because they spar too much ,or they're just born with that look? Do you guys any suggestions, because I rarely see people like that on the streets?

 

[Chramelated]

Well a small head on a big shaft would just look weird

 

[Flex Plexico]

Sergei's is my favorite

those russians must've made him custom paratrooper's helmets

I remember when his shoulder got fucked up in one of his Reem fights- the baritone, moose-like grunts that he bellowed out were unreal

all-time favorite combat skull has to go to Valuev

 

[Megatronlee]

Both. Collegian builds in your face.
Also HGH increases facial collegian as well.

 

[Flex Plexico]

Well a small head on a big shaft would just look weird

Spoiler

 

[Summoning]

Steroids

 

[Svithjod]

What? I don't understand what you mean...

 

[Flex Plexico]

Tito pic too large to display

 

[lostdog000]

hgh

 

[Sherm]

A bigger head can take a better punch.

Force = Mass x Acceleration.

So a more massive head will accelerate less than a smaller head under the same force. Less acceleration of the skull means less force is transferred to the brain as it slams against the inside of the cranium. Anecdotally, several fighters have said they believe guys with bigger heads can take shots better. And this is seems to be true when you look at fighters with big heads (Bigfoot, Nelson, Hunt, Cain).

Additionally, higher HGH levels during puberty causes bigger heads. Higher HGH also causes thicker bones in the rest of the body, including the hands and wrists. So you'd expect a correlation between head size and the thickness of the hands and wrists, and therefore expect that guys with bigger heads will also be (on average) heavier hitters.

In theory, the sport of fighting selects for big heads to make it to the highest level more often than small heads.

 

[Wayweary]

Having a large skull makes you a better fighter because it allows you to take a punch better. Peanut-headed guys suffer a steeper attrition rate, probably, not making it very far in the sport.

 

[Deleted member 501827]

A bigger head can take a better punch.

Force = Mass x Acceleration.

So a more massive head will accelerate less than a smaller head under the same force. Less acceleration of the skull means less force is transferred to the brain as it slams against the inside of the cranium. Anecdotally, several fighters have said they believe guys with bigger heads can take shots better. And this is seems to be true when you look at fighters with big heas (Bigfoot, Nelson, Hunt, Cain).

Additionally, higher HGH levels during puberty causes bigger heads. Higher HGH also causes thicker bones in the rest of the body, including the hands and wrists. So you'd expect a correlation between head size and the thickness of the hands and wrists, therefore expect that guys with bigger heads will also be (on average) heavier hitters.

So the sport of fighting selects for big heads.

Bigfoot has the glassiest chin of all time. Cains chin is a bit wobbly as well. Nelsons head isnt that big.

 

[shortlefthook]

A bigger head can take a better punch.

Force = Mass x Acceleration.

So a more massive head will accelerate less than a smaller head under the same force. Less acceleration of the skull means less force is transferred to the brain as it slams against the inside of the cranium. Anecdotally, several fighters have said they believe guys with bigger heads can take shots better. And this is seems to be true when you look at fighters with big heads (Bigfoot, Nelson, Hunt, Cain).

Additionally, higher HGH levels during puberty causes bigger heads. Higher HGH also causes thicker bones in the rest of the body, including the hands and wrists. So you'd expect a correlation between head size and the thickness of the hands and wrists, and therefore expect that guys with bigger heads will also be (on average) heavier hitters.

In theory, the sport of fighting selects for big heads to make it to the highest level more often than small heads.

i dont believe that one bit.
the neck and muscles around it that connect to the skull play a far bigger factor at absorbing damage then the skull size, the only correlation is a bigger skull is more likely to have a bigger stronger neck.
if your theory was true bigfoot silva massive dome would make him immune to getting kod, yet his big ass head plays in as a leverage point and works against him.

a denser skull is more important than a bigger skull, you can a have a giant head and yet be a air head and have petite bones.

look at rda guy has a massive skull massive jaw, yet is pretty chinny.
rda got cracked by a stephens uppercut and went limp.
barao whos head is 2x as small took multiple uppercuts from stephens and barely wobbled.

t

 

[Sherm]

Bigfoot has the glassiest chin of all time. Cains chin is a bit wobbly as well. Nelsons head isnt that big.

I agree Bigfoot's chin is shot now but h could take a hell of a beating in his day. Maybe you're right about Cain, but Nelson does have a big ass head. I stand by that one.

 

[Sherm]

i dont believe that one bit.
the neck and muscles around it that connect to the skull play a far bigger factor at absorbing damage then the skull size, the only correlation is a bigger skull is more likely to have a bigger stronger neck.
if your theory was true bigfoot silva massive dome would make him immune to getting kod, yet his big ass head plays in as a leverage point and works against him.

a denser skull is more important than a bigger skull, you can a have a giant head and yet be a air head and have petite bones.

look at rda guy has a massive skull massive jaw, yet is pretty chinny.
rda got cracked by a stephens uppercut and went limp.
barao whos head is 2x as small took multiple uppercuts from stephens and barely wobbled.

t

For sure a bigger neck is more important, but its just one of many factors. Barbosa would be a good example of your point, huge head small neck, shit chin.

In biology, it's never just one thing. I'd say its, neck size, head size, amount of damage already taken, ability to see the punches coming, and conditioning.

 

[shortlefthook]

For sure a bigger neck is more important, but its just one of many factors. Barbosa would be a good example of your point, huge head small neck, shit chin.

In biology, it's never just one thing. I'd say its, neck size, head size, amount of damage already taken, ability to see the punches coming, and conditioning.

but why is skull size more important than skull density?
the shape of your head plays a role in its size.
you can have a round basketball head and it appears huge, or you can have a flat head and its smaller.
the only thing that matters its the density of the bones that protect the skull.

so i dont think you can look at someone and say 'his head is bigger he takes a better punch'
and roy nelsons and mark hunts head are not that big in compared to the rest of the division.
look at stipes dome, yet stipe gets dropped every fight.

 

[jk.rock]

Steroids.

There all on steroids

everybody's on steroids

 

[Wayweary]

Bigfoot has the glassiest chin of all time. Cains chin is a bit wobbly as well. Nelsons head isnt that big.

Bigfoot's chin got cracked really bad and he just isn't that great at avoiding a punch. He's also fighting at HW where people hit the hardest. I bet MM would struggle to KO him no matter how many punches he landed. There are more factors than head size like skill and other intangibles, probably, like the way the brain works or the construction of the jaw; it's just one factor among many. Bigfoot's head is mainly large because of his acromegaly, so it's entirely possible that he is just an outlier for that reason.

Anyway, I think it's clear that the correlation holds true to some extent: a bigger head, all things being equal, means a better ability to take a punch.

 

[shortlefthook]

Bigfoot's chin got cracked really bad and he just isn't that great at avoiding a punch. He's also fighting at HW where people hit the hardest. I bet MM would struggle to KO him no matter how many punches he landed. There are more factors than head size like skill and other intangibles, probably, like the way the brain works or the construction of the jaw; it's just one factor among many. Bigfoot's head is mainly large because of his acromegaly, so it's entirely possible that he is just an outlier for that reason.

Anyway, I think it's clear that the correlation holds true to some extent: a bigger head, all things being equal, means a better ability to take a punch.

all things are never equal.
whats denser a baseball or a volleyball? if you had a egg inside a voleyball it would be much easier to brake then a egg inside a baseball.
it doesn't add up.

 

[Wayweary]

but why is skull size more important than skull density?
the shape of your head plays a role in its size.
you can have a round basketball head and it appears huge, or you can have a flat head and its smaller.
the only thing that matters its the density of the bones that protect the skull.

so i dont think you can look at someone and say 'his head is bigger he takes a better punch'
and roy nelsons and mark hunts head are not that big in compared to the rest of the division.
look at stipes dome, yet stipe gets dropped every fight.

Both density and thickness would obviously matter, mass being the biggest factor which would be a combination of both.

Nelson and Hunt are both smaller framed for HW (both being six foot or below), so their heads are actually really big for their body size and I would say they both have large heads, generally speaking.