Last month I canvassed the Diaz/St. Pierre Weigh in controversy (You can click here for a good timeline summary of the controversy)concluding that while there may be no legal remedy available to Diaz his camp’s comments on the Regie’s actions may lead to much welcome scrutiny of this Commission. Today the controversial pre-weigh in video with ‘off the … More Time for Some Disinfecting at the Regie
In wake of the recent Matt Mitrione tirade against transgender MMA fighter Fallon Fox the UFC has publicly released their “Fighter Conduct Policy” which can be accessed here: UFC Code of Conduct The policy appears to apply to fighters only, not other UFC personnel. It begins with an umbrella statement that fighters agree to “act in … More UFC Releases Code of Conduct
Conventional wisdom has long held that hits resulting in loss of consciousness were the primary factor in long term cognitive dysfunction in athletes. New research continues to shed light on this assumption and it is becoming clearer that while concussive events can lead to long term harm, cumulative sub-concussive events take their own toll. In a boxing … More Spar Smart! – Study Shows Long Term Brain Dysfunction More Related to Intensity of Sparring Than Frequency of Knockouts
Earlier today Nick Diaz’s camp made headlines arguing that the Quebec Commission relaxed their rules regarding weigh-ins by allowing a weight as high as 170.9 pounds to be rounded down to 170. This was apparently announced shortly before the scheduled weigh in arguably prejudicing a fighter who unnecessarily cut an extra pound. The second issue raised related … More The GSP / Diaz Weigh-In and Drug Test Controversy – My Two Cents
In case there aren’t enough reasons to avoid illegal Performance Enhancing Drugs, their use may also open the door to civil or criminal repercussions following otherwise lawful MMA bouts. You need look no further than the aftermath of the McSorley/Brashear altercation or the Bertuzzi/Moore incident to recognize that the law sets limits to consent of harm in sports. … More Does failing to disclose illegal PED use take away consent in MMA?
Last Summer British Columbia passed the Athletic Commissioner Act which will create a commission to regulate “professional” MMA and other combat sports on a Province wide basis. Despite this there is still little certainty about exactly how professional contests will be regulated in BC because the Athletic Commissioner Act Regulations have not yet been passed. The Regulations … More BC’s Athletic Commission Regulations Expected to be “Established Soon”
The short answer is arguably yes if Bill S-209 passes in its current form and if Provinces don’t act accordingly to fill in the soon to be created gap. As previously highlighted, the Canadian Government’s ongoing effort to amend the Criminal Code to make MMA legal in Canada is not without it’s shortcomings. One of … More Will The IOC’s Olympic Wrestling Exclusion Make Amateur Wrestling “Encounters” Illegal in Canada?
All contact sports come with concussion risks. However, as I have previously highlighted, combat sports do not come with a disproportionate risk of injury or concussion when compared to other contact sports. Adding to the scientific data behind this, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine has recently published an article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine finding “the majority … More More on Sport Concussion Risks – Which Sports Come With the Greatest Incidence of Concussion?
Today Dana White, the president of the UFC, is reported as stating that MMA “is the safest sport in the world”. Unsurprisingly a lot of negative feedback came from this easily refutable statement. While this comment should be criticized as being factually incorrect, what should not be lost in the debate is the fact that … More MMA Not The “Safest Sport in the World” But Safer Than Many Critics Think
Last month I discussed concussions in contact sports and highlighted some Canadian legislative efforts addressing this issue including Federal Bill C319. I addressed the Bill’s slow progress speculating that it may not become law. This week the Bill’s author, Member of Parliament Bill Thibeault, was kind enough to contact me giving me insight into the … More Bill C319 Not Likely To Become Law Any Time Soon
Combat Sports Law 