Alongside issues arising from Concussion Mismanagement and PED Abuse, Rapid Extreme Weight Cutting practices are a tragedy waiting to happen in MMA. Today, a teachable moment arose at the UFC 171 weigh ins that regrettably was overlooked. Welterweight title contender Johny Hendricks failed to make weight on his first attempt. Not only did he fall … More When Making Weight Does Not Cut It in Combat Sports
Following criminal charges being laid after hosting an amateur mixed martial arts event without SMAA approval, the Prestige Fight Club has now sued the Provincial Government and the SMAA. I have obtained a copy of the pleadings which were filed with the Court of Queen’s Bench of Saskatchewan, Regina Registry on March 13, 2014. Prestige … More Prestige Fight Club Sues Government and Saskatchewan Martial Arts Association
Further to the recent discussion of Zuffa’s ‘successful prosecutions‘ regarding piracy of their Pay Per View product I’ve taken some time to dig deeper into the issue. There are far more reported cases than have made headlines in the MMA media and the lesson is stark; Zuffa has a strong track record attracting high damages … More Zuffa v. Piracy – Expensive Lessons in Default Judgement
Given the inherent dangers of MMA, athletic commissions and promotions must take reasonable steps to keep the sport clean and meaningfully test for PED abuse both in and out of competition. Unfortunately, the EFC seems to have fallen short of this standard following the tragic death of Congolese fighter Booto Guylain. Keron Davies was on … More EFC Fails to test for PED’s Following Booto Guylain Death
There is no escaping the reality of the threat of head trauma for combat sport combatants. Both acute injuries and prolonged sub-concussive exposure can lead to harsh consequences. This week there are two stark reminders of this reality from the combat sports world. In tragic news South African middleweight Booto Guylain passed away after sustaining … More Two Sober Reminders of the Reality of Head Trauma in Combat Sports
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
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…
Combat Sports Law 