Bare knuckle boxing is much less damaging to the brain than boxing / mma. You can’t punch somebodies skull with any degree of force unless you want to break your hands. Much more precision is required.
There tend to be more cuts and thus more blood, but that seems like a better trade off.
Yes that’s true, consider though that vaseline is usually used to reduce the chance of cuts. Plus my point is basically that a few cuts or a broken nose is a much smaller injury than permanent brain damage.
Plus, the risks are still probably lower than the risks of elbows, knees and brain issues.
Most real damage from fist fights comes when someones head hits a solid floor after losing balance or consciousness - that is certainly very dangerous.
Speaking from experience, they do. You just don't feel it until the adrenaline (and/or alcohol) wears off. If you punch someone hard in the skull, you're going to break your hand.
I’d imagine that sometimes they do - but in general you aren’t going to see the sort of technique you would see in competitive fighters in a street fight - the biggest risk here is usually hitting your head on concrete.
My buddy who used to get in a lot of fight was constantly breaking his hands punching dudes. It ev3ntually became a running joke, ala the song 'the winner'.
There tend to be more cuts and thus more blood, but that seems like a better trade off.