This week the Nevada Athletic Commission voted to loosen anti doping thresholds for several banned substances. These include SARM’s, GW1516, DHCMT, Clomiphene and Epitrenbolone. In short they shifted these prohibited substances into the ‘threshold’ category meaning that testing positive for these substances in and of itself is not an anti doping failure so long as … More Nevada Loosens Anti Doping Thresholds
Following last years groundbreaking admission by the US National Institute of Health that CTE is in fact ’caused’ by repeated brain rattling another leading medical institution, the Royal College of Pathologists of Australia, have just published a Position Statement making the same blunt admission. In short the RCPA note that repeated brain rattling, particularly from … More RCPA Admit CTE is “Caused” By Repeated Brain Rattling
Last week the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission was asked to give One Championship a promoters licence and to grant them 10 rule variations so they can host an event in the State using their ‘global’ ruleset. Today a local official familiar with the matter confirmed to me that Georgia has approved these requests and … More Georgia Approves ONE Championship Ruleset
Today it was revealed that the UFC and their anti doping partner USADA are splitting ways as of the new year. I am unaware of any public comment by the UFC about this development but MMA reporter Aaron Bronsteter published the following press release from USADA stating their relationship “became untenable” –
An interest study was published in the Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation reviewing measurable cognitive differences in MMA fighters that lost via chokehold compared to those that lost via KO/TKO and a control group that lost by neither. In the study, titled Mixed Martial Arts: Comparing the King-Devick and Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5 … More Study – Chokeholds Do Not Result in “Statistically Significant” Cognitive Symptoms Compared to KO’s and TKO’s
Today reasons dismissing Mark Hunt’s doping lawsuit against the UFC, Dana White and Brock Lesnar were published (HT MMAJunkie). The suit stemmed from Hunt’s bout against Lesnar in 2016 at UFC 200. Lesnar tested positive for a banned substance which led Hunt to sue the various parties. The lawsuit was dismissed previously but on appeal … More Mark Hunt UFC Doping Lawsuit Dismissed
Last week I had the pleasure to appear on MyMMANews and had a great chat with James Lynch about the UFC antitrust lawsuit, its certification, and its potential impact on the landscape. Here it is in full.
Earlier this year One Championship held an event in Colorado under their ‘global’ ruleset. The main difference with these compared to the “unified” rules is allowing knees to the head of grounded opponents. Colorado cleared the way for the use of alternate MMA rulesets in 2021. I obtained a full copy of the approved rules … More ABC Leans On Colorado To Disavow ONE’s “Global” MMA Ruleset
This week a research article was published by the European Society in Medicine calling for better brain health awareness in sport. In short the neurosurgeon author discussed the inherent vulnerability of the brain to repeated subconcussive impact, its ties to dementia and CTE and the need for better education in sport about this blunt reality … More Neurosurgeon Calls for Better Brain Health Education in Sport
This week a study was published at the National Library of Medicine discussion and contrasting eye injury rates in Boxing and MMA. The authors reviewed data from the Nevada Athletic Commission for Boxing and MMA bouts for a 20 year period form 2000-2020. In short they found that boxing had higher eye injury rates than … More Study – Eye Injury Rates in Boxing and MMA
