If you look at it in terms of having to dig deep within in yourself to find out how far you can go then surely MMA must be tougher. I see it as safer in terms of life threatening injuries due to the safety provided by weight divisions but far tougher in terms of what it takes to win. MMA athletes train harder and have to master a greater body of knowledge which they have to integrate into their games to a point where complex series of reactions become automatic.

My conclusion is that while the NFL may be more dangerous, MMA is far tougher. Any one doubting this should just watch the last fight between Frankie Edgar and Grey Maynard or Wanderlei Silva VS Cung le or Dan henderson VS Shogun Rua. The list goes on and on.