Ontario Legalizes Professional Muay Thai

October 1, 2026

Today Ontario announced that they will “officially begin sanctioning professional Muay Thai“. Below is the full announcement: _______________________________________________________________ Hello Everyone, I’m pleased to share an important update for Ontario’s combative sports community. Effective October 1, 2026, the Ontario Athletic Commission (OAC) will officially begin sanctioning professional Muay Thai events across Ontario and will be responsible … More Ontario Legalizes Professional Muay Thai

Study – Brain Damage in Strikers vs Grapplers

August 14, 2026

A recent study conducted neuropsychological testing on a group of strikers and grapplers. Unsurprisingly the strikers had worse outcomes than the grapplers. The strikers “scored significantly lower in processing speed and verbal learning and memory“. The strikers were broken down into two groups. Professional fighters (boxing, kickboxing or MMA) and amateur athletes in the same … More Study – Brain Damage in Strikers vs Grapplers

Literature Review – Sport Strangulations “have not demonstrated a consistent link with CTE”

August 3, 2026

What’s safer? Being knocked unconscious or being strangled to a point of unconsciousness? In a sport setting the answer seems to be the latter with strangulation submission techniques not (from research to date) appearing to be linked to the brain disease CTE. A recent literature review was recently published briefly discussing this. The paper, titled … More Literature Review – Sport Strangulations “have not demonstrated a consistent link with CTE”

Study – MMA and “Lasting Neuropsychological Impairment”

August 2, 2026

The connection between combat sports and long term brain trauma is real. Study after study demonstrate this. Recent research conducted a scoping review of available literature and highlighted this connection. In short the research found that combat sports such as MMA, boxing and kickboxing left many athletes with “lasting neuropsychological impairment” such as long term … More Study – MMA and “Lasting Neuropsychological Impairment”

Study – Catch Wrestling Comparably Safe As Olympic Wrestling

July 3, 2026

A recent study was published in the latest edition of the Journal of Combat Sports Medicine addressing injury rates in Catch Wrestling. In short the study found that injury rates in Catch Wrestling were similar to Olympic style Wrestling. If you are unfamiliar with the art Catch Wrestling is a submission based grappling art with … More Study – Catch Wrestling Comparably Safe As Olympic Wrestling

How Many Head Strikes Do Pro Boxers Absorb Per Minute in the Ring?

July 3, 2026

An interesting study was published last month in the Journal of Combat Sports Medicine shedding light on how many head strikes professional boxers are exposed to in the ring. The study, titled Epidemiology of Head Strikes Absorbed by Professional Boxing Fighters, analyzed publicly available professional boxing data from 2023 through 2025. Data was reviewed documenting … More How Many Head Strikes Do Pro Boxers Absorb Per Minute in the Ring?

Can the Government Be Negligent For Not Shutting Down A “Smoker”?

May 11, 2026

A smoker. In the combat sports world this is slang for an unsanctioned / unregulated fight. Cutting corners. Avoiding regulation. Exposing athletes to the dangers of a potentially neglectful environment. Last week the BC Court of Appeal released reasons for judgement addressing whether the government could be liable for not shutting down such an alleged … More Can the Government Be Negligent For Not Shutting Down A “Smoker”?

Study – Knees to Head of Grounded Fighters in MMA “Rarely The Decisive Factor in Fight Outcomes”

November 14, 2025

The biggest health dangers in combative sports are brain trauma from KO’s and TKO stoppages involving brain rattling. Concussions and CTE are to be taken seriously. So bouts allowing knees to the head of grounded opponents likely see far more dangerous stoppages and fight ending sequences right? Not necessarily so according to a recent study … More Study – Knees to Head of Grounded Fighters in MMA “Rarely The Decisive Factor in Fight Outcomes”

Ringside Doctors Call For “curved-finger MMA glove design to reduce eye pokes”

September 24, 2025

This week the Association of Ringside Physicians had their position statement on eye injuries in combat sports published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. The paper is titled “Eye Conditions: Position Statement of the Association of Ringside Physicians” and can be found here. Among the various recommendations was the call for MMA gloves to … More Ringside Doctors Call For “curved-finger MMA glove design to reduce eye pokes”

Ringside Doctors Identify “High Risk Fighters”

September 16, 2025

This week the Association of Ringside Physicians published a position statement on high risk fighters. The purpose of the document is “to guide ringside physicians in identifying fighters at higher risk, warranting closer evaluation before, during, and after competition”. The position statement sets out the criteria on which athletes are ‘high risk’ and reviews the … More Ringside Doctors Identify “High Risk Fighters”