Combat Sports Law

A quick roundup of recent regulatory punishments of note this week in the world of MMA.

• Following a 30% purse withholding due to Battlegrounds ONE tournament winner Roan Carneiro showing up late to a pre bout medical meeting, the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission reduced the fine to $100 (down from $15,000 being 30% of the tournament prize).  The reduction was based apparently on the fact that a 30% penalty was disproportionate in the circumstances of the grand prize of a one night elimination tournament.
• The Edmonton Combative Sports Commission handed a 6 month suspension to Ryan Ford for failing to disclose a broke arm sustained prior to competition.
• The California State Athletic Commission handed out a range of penalties following 18% of the Bellator 127 card failing drug tests.  These included
  • Keith Berry:
    Fail: Tested positive for elevated testosterone levels, and marijuana.
    Penalty: Split decision win over Joe Pacheco changed to a No Contest. Suspended for 300 days. Fined $2,500.
  • Rob Emerson:
    Fail: Tested positive for the prescription drug Provigil (Modafinil), which has been prohibited by WADA for a decade.
    Penalty: Suspended for 270 days. Fined $2,500. Emerson lost a unanimous decision to Rafael Silva so the result will stand.
  • Fernando Gonzalez:
    Fail: Tested positive for cannabinoids.
    Penalty: Suspended for 30 days. Fined $315 ($100 plus the $215 cost of testing). Gonzalez’s victory over Karo Parisyan was not overturned.
  • Nick Moghaddam:
    Fail: Tested positive for elevated testosterone levels, and marijuana.
    Penalty: Suspended for 300 days. Fined $1,000. Moghaddam lost fight to Ray Sloan by unanimous decision, so the fight result stands.

The penalty for Gonzalez is perhaps the most noteworthy.  The positive marijuana test did not result in overturning his victory and only brought a modest fine.  This can be contrasted with the competitors who tested positive for drugs with performance enhancing qualities where the result was overturned.