It is rumored that, following WSOF Canada’s Ford v. Powell card, fighter pay issues arose with some cheques issued being cancelled or otherwise not clearing. I reached out to WSOF Canada to verify these rumours but at the time of publication they have yet to respond: _____________________________ I am advised by a source … More Fight Purse Uncertainty – A Problem That Should Never Happen
As the Government appointed body tasked with amateur MMA regulation in Saskatchewan the SMAA is an agent of Government and must ensure that they operate with legal protections in mind including those set out in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Unfortunately one of the SMAA’s policies appear to run afoul of these protections, specifically … More Do the SMAA’s Licencing Policies Violate Canadian “Mobility Rights”?
After much dysfunction it appear the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation has grown weary of the infighting between the CNMMAF and the CAMMAF (the two groups vying to be the Canadian representative in the organization) and has now dropped ties with both groups. In a press release issued today the IMMAF … More IMMAF Overhauls Canadian Representation
(Flowchart via wikipedia) It was over 20 years ago when I ordered my first UFC event on Pay Per View (more accurately, my parents ordered it for me given that I was 16 at the time). The sport has come a long way since that time and revisiting the … More UFC 1 v. The Unified Rules of MMA; Some Fun With History
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
