According to the (nat geo?) video below mma and boxing hits should be about the same with all else being equal. Combing this with mma's grappling and one almost wonders if, despite the increased blood, it might be less concussion inducing.

No doubt their bodies are being hammered and worn down though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRmOOWPTRBs

Among the MMA community it used to be common knowledge that MMA was safer, concussion-wise. There were no good studies to back that up, however. Now they're starting to come by, and it seems they might be just about the same. Here's one: http://www.cagepotato.com/myth-busting-is-mma-really-safer-t...

I agree MMA is barbaric but IMHO it doesn't have anything like the status that boxing used to have. When I was growing up in the 1970s, world heavyweight title fights were staged and broadcast internationally and attracted attention comparable to Olympic contests.

MMA will get there. The modern sport of MMA is at best 20 years old this year, much less with the current rules and weight categories. It is the fastest growing sport league in the US, and I'll agree this is easy with all the others being much older and established. However, among 18-34 year-old fans, the UFC is already more popular than the NHL and NASCAR.

Being hit by a glove with fists wrapped like rocks, and simply bare fists, is a very different experience. Fists hurt and can break your skin, but with gloves it's like your whole head is being rocked and is very disorientating.

This is my experience, also. If you don't block and someone hits you with MMA gloves, you're probably going to have a cut or superficial damage on your face. With boxing gloves, especially the 16oz ones that most people spar with, you can take many, many hits to the head with no visible damage. The extra padding isn't protecting your head, it's protecting the puncher's fists.