A digital creator called Muay Thai Musings recently went viral online with the claim that combat sports attract “losers” and “social rejects.” She referred to people without social capital, guys who weren’t popular in high school, weren’t conventionally attractive, or never fit the mold. Her theory suggests these outsiders find combat sports, gain some power, and sometimes misuse it, becoming poor partners or gym bullies empowered by their newfound status. Muay Thai Musings
The actual science on who trains combat sports tells a different story. A comprehensive study from October 2024 examined martial artists using the Big Five personality framework, the gold standard in psychology. The results show combat athletes are not broken people looking for redemption; they score high on the traits that predict success in life.
High openness indicates curiosity and a willingness to step outside the comfort zone. You don’t walk into a Muay Thai gym or BJJ academy for the first time unless you are ready to face discomfort and learn something new. High conscientiousness translates to discipline and reliability, the type of people who show up consistently, drill techniques repeatedly, and stick to a plan even when exhausted.
High extraversion means combat athletes are socially engaged and assertive. They thrive in the high-energy environment of a fight gym, actively seeking training partners and pushing each other. High agreeableness supports cooperation and trust; you can’t train combat sports without relying on your partner not to hurt you. Low neuroticism shows above average emotional stability compared to the general population; these athletes are less anxious, less prone to negative emotional spirals, and more psychologically balanced.
A January 2023 study published in Cureus examined the stereotype that MMA guys have antisocial personality traits by evaluating the Dark Triad—Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy.
The researchers found that mental toughness predicts success in combat sports, including resilience under pressure, confidence when things go wrong, and emotional self-control when your opponent is aggressive. Combat athletes do not score higher on psychopathy or Machiavellianism than non-athletes.
Aggression in combat sports is also controlled. Research shows training does not create pathological hostile behavior. In many cases, aggression decreases with experience, especially in martial arts emphasizing discipline and control. Boxing and kickboxing show slightly higher physical aggression metrics than grappling arts like BJJ or judo, but even these athletes often register lower aggression than matched control groups of non-athletes. A January 2025 study in Turkey comparing aggression between incarcerated individuals and amateur combat athletes highlighted that the controlled intensity required for sport is very different from genuinely problematic behavior.
Genetics also play a role in who is drawn to combat sports. An August 2024 systematic review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health analyzed 24 studies covering nearly 19,000 combat athletes and identified 25 genetic variants associated with combat sports performance. Nine related to physical performance, ten to psychological characteristics, one to pain tolerance, and four to injury patterns. Psychological traits such as resilience, reaction speed, and stress response showed measurable genetic associations.
Combat sports attract people with innate predispositions toward discipline, resilience, and competitive intensity, and training further sharpens these traits.
The viral “combat sports attract losers” claim is contradicted by serious research on martial artists. This doesn’t invalidate the fact that there are somw bad apples still.
Studies consistently show combat athletes exhibit high discipline, emotional stability, social engagement, and psychological resilience. Are there problematic individuals in combat sports?
Yes, like any community. Can some misuse newfound confidence or status? Sure. But the idea that combat sports systematically attract psychologically damaged people looking to compensate for inadequacy is unsupported by science.
The people walking into your gym are not there because they are broken. They are there because they have the psychological traits to handle one of the most demanding physical and mental challenges available. High discipline, low anxiety, emotional stability, and the willingness to face adversity learning something new is not the profile of a loser. It is the profile of someone built different.
Refrences:
Leuzzi, G., Giardulli, B., Pierantozzi, E., Recenti, F., Brugnolo, A. & Testa, M., Personality traits and levels of anxiety and depression among martial artists: a cross‑sectional study, BMC Psychology, 12 (2024), 607, doi:10.1186/s40359‑024‑02096‑8.
Van Hauwermeiren, O., Kwamanakweenda, J., Pino, J., Peacock, C. A. & Tartar, J. L., The Dark Triad and professional fighters: destigmatizing male combat athletes, PubMed (2023).
Bojanić, Ž., Nedeljković, J., Šakan, D., Mitić, P. M., Milovanović, I. & Drid, P., Personality traits and self‑esteem in combat and team sports, Frontiers in Psychology, 10 (2019), 2280.
Predoiu, R. et al., Psychological resilience in Olympic combat sports, Frontiers in Psychology (2025).
Trulson, M. E., Martial arts training and self‑esteem, Journal of Sport Behavior (1986).
Vertonghen, J. & Theeboom, M., The effects of martial arts participation on psychological factors, Journal of Sports Sciences (2010).
Wargo, T. E. et al., Taekwondo and self‑esteem: experience and training effects, Journal of Sports Psychology (2007).
Kuśnierz, A. et al., Aggression in crime and sports: a study on prisoners and amateur combat athletes in Türkiye, BMC Psychology (2024).
