Rib Injuries in Martial Arts

Yes, a punch, kick or knee can break a rib. So can a body triangle, a hard scramble or a training partner landing on you. Rib injuries are among the most painful injuries in combat sports because you cannot rest a rib: it moves every time you breathe.

There are three kinds. A rib can be bruised, it can be broken, or the cartilage that joins it to the breastbone can be damaged, which fighters often call a popped rib. They feel alike and heal at different speeds, and a few of them are emergencies. This guide covers how to tell them apart, what to do in the first days, and when it is safe to train and spar again.

At a glance

Can a Punch or Kick Break a Rib?

Yes. A punch, kick or knee aimed at the body can fracture a rib, and strikes that target the ribs are legal in MMA. Ribs 4 to 10 are the most vulnerable in a fight. A rib that has been broken before, or has had its cartilage damaged, is more likely to break again.

Jose Aldo is the best-known example. In June 2015 he took a kick to the body in training, less than three weeks before his title defense against Conor McGregor at UFC 189, and had to withdraw. His coach said Brazilian doctors had diagnosed a fractured rib. The UFC said it was "a rib contusion and damaged cartilage." The argument shows how hard these three injuries are to tell apart, even for a world champion with access to scans.

Leonardo Santos also fractured a rib in training in 2019 and had to wait for medical clearance before he could return to the UFC.

It is Not Only Strikes: Grappling and Rib Injuries

Grappling is hard on the ribs. In BJJ and wrestling, the tackling, pushing, twisting, lifting and arching all load the rib cage.

Anthony Pettis found that out against Dustin Poirier in November 2017. Poirier took full mount with a body triangle, with his legs high on Pettis's ribs, and Pettis tapped in the third round with a fractured rib.

The data points the same way. The UFC Performance Institute recorded 1,344 fighter injuries between 2017 and 2020. Among the injuries caused by grappling, bruised ribs made up about 10 percent, and sprains of the joints where the ribs meet the breastbone made up another 10 percent. Neither appears among the most common injuries from striking. In training, grappling caused more injuries than any other activity.

Bruised, Broken or Popped? The Three Rib Injuries

All three cause strong pain when you breathe in or cough, with swelling, tenderness and sometimes bruising. A break can come with a cracking sensation.

The symptoms come from the NHS guidance on broken or bruised ribs. Because the three feel so similar, pain alone cannot tell you which one you have.

Cartilage injuries deserve more attention than they get. The cartilage acts as a shock absorber for the front of the chest, and injuries to it are probably more common than doctors have believed, because standard imaging does not show them. Cartilage also heals more slowly than bone.

Ribs can also be hurt without a single big blow. Repeated movement can cause stress injuries that build up over time. For other chest wall injuries, such as hematomas, see our guide to chest injuries.

When is a Rib Injury an Emergency?

A rib protects the lung beneath it, and the lowest ribs sit over the liver and the spleen. A fracture of the lower ribs can damage either organ.

Call emergency services if someone with a rib injury has any of these:

One more sign needs an ambulance. If a section of the chest wall moves in the opposite direction to the rest of the chest when the person breathes, several ribs are broken in more than one place. Doctors call this a flail chest.

While you wait, keep the fighter sitting up and still. If you are the one hurt, stop. A broken rib that gets worked through can shift and tear a lung.

Problems can also appear days later. See a doctor if you develop a fever, a cough that brings up mucus, or shortness of breath. Delayed bleeding into the chest, a collapsed lung and pneumonia are all recognized complications of rib fractures.

This page is general information. It does not replace an examination by a doctor.

How are Rib Injuries Diagnosed?

Most simple rib fractures are diagnosed by examination: where it hurts, how you are breathing, and whether the chest wall is tender or moves abnormally. Imaging is mainly used to check the lungs and organs underneath.

Two professional football players show the pattern. Both had normal X-rays after a hit to the ribs. A CT scan then found cartilage fractures in both.

So if your X-ray is clear and you still cannot breathe deeply or twist without sharp pain, go back. Our Common Diagnoses section explains the tests used across combat-sport injuries.

Rib Injury Treatment: The First Days

Ribs cannot easily be splinted or supported like other bones, so they are left to heal on their own. Your job is to control the pain well enough to keep breathing properly.

In hospital, severe pain can be treated with a nerve block between the ribs. A collapsed lung or bleeding into the chest is treated with a chest tube. Surgery is uncommon. It is considered for a flail segment, badly displaced fractures, or a rib that does not heal.

Should You Tape Broken Ribs?

No. Fighters used to tape their ribs and keep training. Doctors no longer use chest binders or bandages, because they keep the ribs from moving when you breathe or cough, and that can lead to a lung infection.

How Long Do Rib Injuries Take to Heal?

Professional athletes sometimes return sooner. The two football players with cartilage fractures were back in two to four weeks, wearing protective padding and under the care of team doctors. Neither felt normal until six to eight weeks. That is a best case with full-time medical support, not a target for a gym.

When Can You Train and Spar Again?

Going back to contact is your doctor's decision, not the calendar's. Three things come first:

Returning too early risks greater damage and a longer recovery. A rib that is still healing can shift if a partner lands on it.

Build back in order. Start with cardio and solo technique. Add pad work and drilling with no body contact. Add light grappling next. Body shots, heavy top pressure and body triangles come last.

How to Protect Your Ribs

For bruises and hematomas of the chest wall, see our Common Injuries section. For the therapies used in recovery, see Common Treatments.

Featured Image Source: CLIPAREA, Standard License, via Shutterstock