In recent years the Kansas Athletic Commission took the lead and approved open scoring in combat sports. Following this they compiled data dispelling many myths raised by opponents of the transparent system. Today the Colorado Office of Combative Sports passed a policy proposal bringing open scoring to the State. I reached out to Tony Cummings, … More Colorado Approves Open Scoring in Combat Sports
Update October 5, 2021 – Today the ABC Medical Committee released the below critical comments on the quality of regulation in BKB in the United States ABC MEDICAL COMMITTEE Statement Regarding BARE KNUCKLE BOXING DEATHUncasville, CT – Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB) has been gaining in popularity across parts of the United States. Since 2018, early … More Bare Knuckle Boxing Has First Reported Death in the Sport’s Regulated Era
In 2014 I started keeping a list of fighters that were injured (and even died) from rapid extreme weight cuts. In 2016 I stood up before the entire ABC convention in Las Vegas and read North American regulators the list so they cannot feign ignorance. Nothing has changed. In 2019 UFC fighter Aspen Ladd struggled … More Another UFC Fighter Misses Weight Looking Ill on the Scales. Will Regulators Act?
Olympic athletes typically live 5 years longer than the general population. However, Olympians involved in combat sports do not enjoy this advantage and have increased risk of neurodegenerative death when contrasted with other olympic athletes and the general population according to a recent study. In the study, titled Heads-Up: Risk-Specific Neurodegenerative Mortality and Years-Saved Analysis … More Study – Olympic Combat Sports Athletes Have Increased Risk of Neurodegenerative Death
As first reported by Conduct Detrimental, Mark Hunt’s appeal in his doping lawsuit against the UFC has been revived. By way of background Mark Hunt fought and lost to Brock Lesnar in 2017. Prior to the bout the UFC waived their normal doping protocols for Lesnar as an athlete (re)joining the promotion. After the bout … More Appeal Breathes New Life Into Mark Hunt UFC Doping Lawsuit
OK, this post is not law related but Roxanne Modaferri (who combatsportslaw had the pleasure of sponsoring a few times over the years during her run in InvictaFC) is about to set an MMA record. With her upcoming appearance at UFC 266 she will tie the record for most professional MMA bouts in woman’s history. … More Roxanne “The Record Breaker” Modafferi!
Adding to this site’s archives of combat sports safety studies, a study was recently published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine finding that “amateur boxing when younger was associated with a 2-fold increase in cognitive impairment“. In the study, titled Amateur Boxing and Dementia, the authors followed a group of 1,123 adult men whose health … More Study – Amateur Boxers Twice As Likely To Have Cognitive Impairment
Vitor Belfort is old. Evander Holyfield is much older. After a bout between Belfort and Oscar De La Hoya fell through because the latter came down with Covid-19 the promoter of the foiled bout suggested Evander Holyfield as a replacement. California State Athletic Commission Executive Director Andy Foster advised me that “I was not agreeable … More Let’s Talk Florida Licensing Standards And Holyfield vs Belfort
An interesting article was published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine calling on researchers to collaborate in making full contact combat sports with intentional head strikes ground zero for research involving head trauma in sport. Contrasting these sports with other contact sports where head trauma is incidental instead of a key goal … More Researchers Call for Combat Sports to Serve as “Ground Zero” In Concussion Data
Further Update September 7, 2021 – VADA themselves have now come out with public comment in wake of this scandal noting that their prohibited list bans certain stimulants at all times because “stimulants can enhance performance in ways that include, but are not limited to, increased metabolic rate, power, and strength. They decrease fatigue, aid … More Let’s Talk Oscar Valdez, VADA, WADA and the WBC “Clean Boxing” Program
Combat Sports Law 