The Canadian Bar Association will be hosting a combat sports law seminar on March 24, 2014 in Toronto. The curriculum will focus largely on MMA and legal issues relating to the regulation of the sport. Below are the program details: _______________________________ Mixed Martial Arts (“MMA”) is one of the fastest growing … More CBA to Host Combat Sports Law Seminar
There is no doubt that the use of testosterone replacement therapy in MMA has been a farce in the past few years with lax and inconsistent standards being applied by various athletic commissions. Today’s surprise development of the Nevada State Athletic Commission banning TRT TUE’s and urging other athletic commissions to follow suit is a … More An Unpoplar Opinion on TRT Therapetic Use Exemptions
In the latest chapter of the Testosterone saga in combat sports, ESPN’s Outside the Lines shines a spotlight of the prevalence of TRT in MMA and the questionable grounds for which exemptions are granted by regulatory agencies. Caught up in the mix again is Belfort who deferred questions relating to his need for TRT to … More Belfort Hypogonadism Likely “Secondary to Repetitive Head Trauma”
Update – February 28, 2014 – the CNMMAF has now released the details of the format which, while may not be a good measure of who the best MMA competitors are, seems to take care in trying to avoid being labeled a ‘prize fight‘ under the Criminal Code. Here are the details of the tryouts: … More More on the CNMMAF “Tryouts” – Testing Shades of Grey in Canada’s Criminal Code
It was previously announced that an amateur MMA event was scheduled to take place in Ontario with the winners receiving a “free ride” to the CNMMAF national championships. The CNMMAF has now announced an overhaul of this format stating that “Due to the legalities of the CNMMAF hosting a National Championships…we have voted upon with … More CNMMAF Overhauls “Team Canada Tryouts”; Legal Problems Remain
There are a few developments in Nova Scotia which are noteworthy and point to the need for legislative overhaul for both professional and amateur MMA. On the amateur side, it is reported that a body called “The Nova Scotia Amateur Mixed Martial Association” will be designated as an authority to oversee amateur MMA in the … More The Problems in Nova Scotia…
Earlier this week the UFC released a press release addressing legal steps they are taking to crack down on illegal streaming of their pay per view product. The UFC states that “Lonstein Law Office has successfully prosecuted hundreds of claims for the UFC organization for sites illegally streaming content and individual users since 2007.“. It … More Have Any of the UFC’s Illegal Streaming “Successful Prosecutions” Been Contested?
Positive marijuana drug tests in MMA have made headlines again this week with both Jessica Eye and Yancy Medeiros finding themselves on the wrong side of the rules. In addition to facing various penalties they both had their respective victories overturned to a ‘no decision‘ which is a power wielded by most athletic commissions following a … More Marijuana and No Decisions in MMA – A Poor Use of Commission Discretion
In my recent posts addressing Athletic Commission liability for negligent PED testing standards (archived here and here) I highlight that frequent out of competition blood tests would be the gold standard for weeding out cheats in combat sports. One defense commissions may have if ever on the wrong end of a lawsuit would be to point … More Why The Money Defence May Be Off The Table For Athletic Commission Liability
Earlier this year I highlighted why the anticipated Canadian Amateur MMA Championships cannot lawfully be held in Ontario given the lack of Bill S-209 compliant laws in the Province. It now appears that the planned event has hit a wall with local authorities. Alex Gasson, who operates the Amateur Mixed Martial Arts Championship Series, has … More Have the Canadian Amateur MMA Championships Been Derailed?
Combat Sports Law 