The Dark Triad and Professional Fighters: Destigmatizing Male Combat Athletes

Personality characteristics have long been studied in relation to athletes and their performance. Of these, emotional self-regulation has been determined to be an important factor regarding outcomes for athletes. Various research has examined the Dark Triad (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) among other personality traits in athletes. However, little research has examined Dark Triad levels in combat sports professionals and their impact on their athletic performance. Since professional fighting athletes have been perceived as aggressive and impulsive, it is essential to examine the athletes’ level of Dark Triad traits. The present exploratory study investigates the association of Dark Triad personality traits in professional fighters versus college-aged male non-fighters. Secondly, it aims to evaluate the relationship between Dark Triad traits and winning percentages in professional fights. The study used a sample of professional male fighters (n = 36) and college-aged non-fighters (n = 29). Participants completed measures examining emotional self-regulation, trait anxiety, sensation seeking, and Dark Triad personality traits. The results of our study showed no significant differences in Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism between our samples of professional fighters and college-aged nonfighters. The study also showed no significant correlations between winning percentages for professional fighters and Machiavellianism, psychopathy, or narcissism.