MMA injury treatment in Melbourne
Injury care and fight camp support, inside a working MMA gym.
Book an assessmentNothing in an MMA camp gets a recovery week
A boxer's hands get sore and the coach dials back bag work. A grappler's fingers get sore and they train no-gi for a fortnight.
An MMA fighter has no such option. Hands are loaded striking and fence wrestling. Knees take kicks, shoots and sprawls. The neck absorbs clinch work and being cranked on the mat. Shoulders throw punches and defend underhooks. Across eight to twelve sessions a week in four disciplines, every structure is loaded from multiple directions with no deload.
That's why MMA injuries are so often accumulation injuries wearing the costume of an acute one. The knee didn't go in that scramble. That scramble was the fourth stressor in a tissue that had been quietly overloaded for six weeks.
So we assess the camp, not just the joint.
MMA injuries we treat, by mechanism
Hands and wrists — 4oz gloves
Small gloves offer minimal protection. Metacarpal fractures, carpal and scaphoid injuries, and thumb ligament sprains from punching, clinching and grabbing the fence. Wrist extension injuries from posting and from ground-and-pound.
Knees — takedowns, kicks and checks
ACL, MCL and meniscal injuries from shooting, sprawling and defending single legs. Patellar and quadriceps tendon overload from repeated level changes. Impact injuries from checked or blocked kicks.
Shoulders — punching volume and underhooks
Rotator cuff and subacromial irritation from high-volume striking. Labral and AC joint injuries from underhook battles, being thrown, and posting out. Kimura and americana exposure on the ground.
Neck and upper back — clinch and cage wrestling
Sustained isometric load in the Thai clinch and against the fence, plus impact from takedowns and submission defence. Chronic upper trap and cervical joint irritation is close to universal in fighters.
Ribs and torso — body work and top pressure
Rib and costochondral injuries from body kicks, body shots, and pressure passing.
Shins and feet — kicking
Shin impact injuries and periosteal irritation from checked kicks. Foot and toe injuries from missed kicks and mat work.
Hips and lower back — level changes
Hip flexor and adductor strain from shooting, kicking and guard work. Lumbar overload from repeated level changes and finishing takedowns.
Head trauma is outside our scope, and we will say so
Concussion is a medical issue, not a musculoskeletal one. We do not clear fighters to return after a head knock. If you present with concussion symptoms we refer you appropriately and treat only what is within scope, such as an associated neck injury.
Be cautious of anyone in this sport who tells you otherwise.
Realistic return timelines
These are typical ranges. Yours is assessed individually at your first appointment.
| Injury | Modified training | Full contact |
|---|---|---|
| Shin impact / periosteal irritation | 3–7 days | 2–5 weeks |
| Hand contusion / knuckle irritation | 1 week | 2–4 weeks |
| Neck strain | 3–10 days | 2–5 weeks |
| Rib / costochondral injury | 1–3 weeks | 4–10 weeks |
| Rotator cuff tendinopathy | 1–2 weeks | 6–12 weeks |
| MCL sprain (grade 1–2) | 1–3 weeks | 4–10 weeks |
| Metacarpal fracture | 2–4 weeks (lower body) | 8–14 weeks |
| Meniscus tear (conservative) | 2–4 weeks | 8–16 weeks |
| ACL rupture (post-surgical) | 4–8 weeks | 9–12 months |
Treat these as the shape of a recovery rather than a schedule. Yours is built around your camp and your fight date.
Return to sparring, in stages
Each discipline returns on its own timeline. You might be cleared to grapple and not to strike, or the reverse.
Conditioning and shadow
Movement, footwork, shadow boxing, uninjured-limb strength work.
Technical drilling
Pads, bag, cooperative wrestling and BJJ drilling. No resistance.
Discipline-specific light work
Light Thai pads or flow rolling, one discipline at a time.
Controlled sparring
Technical sparring with agreed restrictions and chosen partners.
Full sparring
Unrestricted, fight pace.
Fight camp intensity
Full load, including the cut.
Your camp does not have to stop
Rather than pulling you out entirely, we identify which of your disciplines are safe to continue and at what intensity.
Your coach gets that in writing. Which sessions, which rounds, which drills, and what is off the table until the next review. Camps rarely allow full rest, so the plan is built around keeping the camp intact.
Fight camp and weight cut support
Most clinics treat the injury and hand you back to your coach. We build the camp around the injury.
Dr Luke Smith provides weight-cutting and rehydration guidance alongside treatment — planning the descent through camp, managing training load as you drop, and structuring the rehydration window after the weigh-in.
A cut done badly doesn't just cost you performance. It dehydrates the exact tissues you're relying on to hold an injury together in the third round.
If you have a fight booked, come in at the start of camp, not in fight week.
Sponsored athlete
Mixed Osteo sponsors Sara Collins, the Australian featherweight who went 6–0 across Bellator — including a first-round submission of Leah McCourt in the London main event — before challenging Cris Cyborg for the PFL women's featherweight world title in Lyon in December 2025.
Like Dr Luke Smith, Collins came to MMA through grappling. She represented Australia in judo at world and Commonwealth level before turning professional, and she trains out of Resilience Training Centre in Footscray.
In the corner, not just the clinic
Most practitioners who treat fighters have never worked a fight week. Dr Luke Smith has cornered in the UFC, in ONE Championship, and on Dana White's Contender Series.
He cornered Jonathan "The Captain" Micallef for every fight from his professional debut up to and including his UFC debut — among them the Contender Series win in 2024 that earned Micallef's UFC contract, and the UFC 312 win over Kevin Jousset in Sydney in February 2025. More on that work here.
He has also cornered Australian heavyweight Duke "The Duke of Canberra" Didier at ONE Fight Night 21 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. Didier is a former Australian judo representative who narrowly missed selection for the 2016 Olympics, a BJJ black belt, and the owner and head coach of Progression MMA in Canberra.
Fight week is not the time to meet your practitioner for the first time. If you have a bout booked, the useful conversation happens at the start of camp — and if it goes well, we are still there on the night.
Why here
Dr Luke Smith holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Health Science from Victoria University, is an ISSN certified sports nutritionist, and is a BJJ black belt who cross-trains boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling and judo.
Nick Mann holds black belts across six martial arts and has won MMA titles in three weight divisions.
We're inside Renegade MMA in Kensington. When you describe what happened, you don't have to translate it first.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep training through an MMA injury during camp?
Usually, in a modified form. We identify which of your disciplines are safe to continue and at what intensity, and give your coach a clear written list. Camps rarely allow full rest, so the plan is built around keeping the camp intact.
How long before I can spar again?
It varies by injury and by discipline — you may be cleared to grapple weeks before you're cleared to strike. A minor shin or hand contusion may allow modified work within a week and full contact in two to four weeks. A metacarpal fracture typically takes eight to fourteen weeks. You'll get milestones for each discipline separately.
Do you handle concussion?
No, and you should be cautious of anyone who says they do. Concussion is a medical issue requiring a doctor's assessment and a supervised return-to-contact protocol. We refer promptly and treat associated neck injuries within scope.
Can you help with my weight cut?
Yes. Dr Luke Smith provides weight-cut and rehydration guidance for combat athletes, planned around your division, camp length and walk-around weight. Book early in camp — fight week is too late to fix a badly structured cut.
Should I train through hand pain?
Not without an assessment. Hand and wrist injuries in MMA are frequently underestimated because 4oz gloves offer so little protection, and a metacarpal fracture trained through can become a long-term problem. If it's swollen, deformed, or painful to grip a week later, get it looked at.
I'm an amateur, not a pro. Is this for me?
Yes. Most of our combat athletes are hobbyists and amateurs. The assessment is identical and the return plan is built around your goals.
Do I need a referral to book?
No. Osteopaths are first-contact practitioners in Australia, so you can book directly. A referral is only needed for funding pathways like a Medicare care plan, DVA or WorkCover.
Get through camp in one piece
Kensington clinic, inside Renegade MMA at 92 Parsons Street. Monday to Friday 7:30am–7pm, Saturday 7:30am–5pm.