Last week Congressman MarkWayne Mullin introduced a Bill to expand the Professional Boxing Safety Act to other combative sports. The text of the Bill has now been published and I reproduce it below. As previously discussed, this is a Bill to amend a statute and it does not make for straightforward reading. To understand exactly … More Text of MMA’s “Ali Act” Now Published
This summer the Nevada State Athletic Commission is looking to overhaul its regulatory scheme with significant new combat sports regulations. Among these include reforms allowing the NSAC to oversee promoter anti-doping contracts along with formal adoption of stricter (and consistent) anti doping penalties. Another noteworthy change will close the door on the blood-doping and IV loophole that arguably … More NSAC To Close IV and Blood Doping Loopholes
Adding to this site’s archived summaries of studies addressing safety issues in combat sports, a recent study was published in the Journal of Neuroradiology canvassing the extent of objective white matter disturbance in the brains of amateur boxers compared to a control group. The study, titled Reduced White Matter Integrity in Amateur Boxers, posed the … More Study – White Matter Disturbance In Brains of Amateur Boxers
UPDATE June 2, 2016– the text of the Bill has now been published and can be found here. ______________________ The long rumored attempt to expand the protections of the “Ali Act” to MMA have now taken the first formal steps with Bill 5365 being introduced in the US House of Representatives by Republican MarkWayne Mullin. … More Bill To Expand “Ali Act” to MMA Introduced in Congress
In the parallel world of anti-doping efforts of combat sports there is potential for friction between regulatory bodies and privately contracted anti doping agencies. Diego Brandao, for example, was disciplined by both USADA and the NSAC for a singular anti doping violation. Brandao received similar penalties by both authorities but this result will not … More Nevada Looks To Open Books of Promoter Anti Doping Contracts
Yesterday a lawsuit was filed with the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, leveling serious allegations against MMA promoter Bellator. The lawsuit alleges that Bellator wrongfully dismissed the Plaintiff Zachery Light, Bellator’s former “talent development director” who was terminated from his position on March 17, 2016. The lawsuit alleges that Bellator engaged in … More Bellator Sued in Wrongful Dismissal Suit With Serious Allegations
Update June 1, 2016 – I am advised that this Bill, due to critical public feedback, has been slowed down and sent back to Committee and will not resurface until at least December when, hopefully, it revised to ensure objective safety standards are put into place. _____________________________________ Update May 28, 2016 – This Bill has … More Illinois Introduces Bill To Deregulate Amateur Combative Sports
BJ Penn has had another set back in coming out of retirement to fight once again in the UFC. The celebrated fighter with a history of an anti IV stance, has curiously admitted to USADA to using an IV in an out of competition setting. Penn apparently admitted to having an IV administered during a … More BJ Penn Admits to Prohibited IV Use, Suspended by USADA
It is becoming ever clearer that mileage matters when it comes to exposure of head trauma and poor long term cognitive outcomes. A recent study, titled “Cognitive, Psychiatric, And Neuropathological Manifestations Of Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury” published as a dissertationn paper in Wayne State University’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences sought answers to the important question … More Study – Repeated Subconcussive Blows Just As Bad As Concussions For Long Term Brain Impairment
In my ongoing efforts to document scientific studies addressing safety issues in combat sports, a recent article was published examining the facial injury rate among boxing, wrestling and martial arts competitors. The article, titled “Adding Insult to Injury – A National Analysis of Combat Sports-Related Facial Injury” was published this month in the Annals of … More Study – Wrestling Presents Highter Facial Injury Rate Than Boxing and Martial Arts
