A few years back I started documenting the legality of bare knuckle boxing which was first legalized by a State athletic commission in 2019 and had several other jurisdictions follow suit all with their own unique legal and regulatory framework. Bare knuckle mixed martial arts is now making a similar comeback and appears to be … More Documenting the Legality of Bare Knuckle Mixed Martial Arts
CombatSportsLaw was proud to once again sponsor up and coming pro MMA Fighter Serena DeJesus! DeJesus headlined this past weekend’s card promoted by Fusion Fight League and secured a victory over her UFC veteran opponent Elizabeth Phillips. Congratulations Serena! Serena is the first professional female MMA fighter diagnosed with autism. She is an inspiration to … More Congratulations Serena DeJesus!
Last month Renan Ferreira and Fabricio Werdum were involved in a fight with a controversial ending at a PFL event hosted in Atlantic City. Werdum had Ferreira in a triangle choke. Ferreira possibly tapped but the referee either did not see or did not believe it to be a tap and the bout continued with … More New Jersey Releases Reasons for Werdum v. Ferreira “No Decision” Appeal
Just a quick regulatory blast from the past. I recently finished reading Tris Dixon’s “Damage” (No this is not a sponsored post). I can’t say enough good things about this very sober and very real discussion about an important topic – long term brain trauma in boxing. If interested in my thoughts you can check … More First Time An Athletic Commission Refused to Licence A Fighter For Too Much “Mileage”?
Diego Sanchez’s former manager Joshua Fabia has been creating no shortage of controversy. In one of his latest escapades around the time of the Sanchez relationship breakdown he suggested the Nevada Athletic Commission “comes in and leans on Diego, and he has to throw a f—ng fight. Now, I have them recorded“. Suggesting a regulator … More Has Joshua Fabia Crossed the Regulatory Line?
In a historic step in combat sports regulation the first ever Therapeutic Use Exemption (“TUE”) by a US based athletic commission for in-competition medical cannabis use was granted to UFC veteran Elias Theodorou. Last year Theodorou obtained a TUE for medical cannabis from the British Columbia Athletic Commission. This TUE was approved again in 2021 … More First Ever Cannabis TUE Granted By a United States Athletic Commission
Few that pay attention to the issue disagree that MMA fighters at the highest level are financially exploited compared to other professional athletes. While revenue splits around 50/50 are seen in unionized major league sports and splits north of 80/20 in favour of fighters are seen in high level boxing the money flowing to fighters … More Fighter Pay – A Simple Fix to a Complex Problem
Adding to this site’s database of combat sports safety studies, a recent study was published in the Journal of Neurotrauma finding middle aged boxers and Muay Thai fighters showed vestibular damage typically only seen in the elderly population. In the study, titled Altered Vestibular Balance Function in Combat Sports Athletes, the authors measured muscle responses evoked with … More Study – Middle Aged Boxers Show Vestibular Damage Similar to the Elderly
Rapid Extreme Weight Cutting has become a norm in mixed martial arts with athletes often shedding significant pounds in the days before their official weigh ins through methods of dehydration and other extreme steps. Many have done so without consequence while others have done so to the peril of their health with numerous well documented … More UFC Performance Institute – Fighters Can “Safely” Lose 10% Body Mass During Fight Week
Combat sports are government regulated in the US and Canada. If you want to fight you need to be licenced by an athletic commission. If you want to be a second you need to be licensed. If you want to promote fights you need to be licensed. If you want to manage the career of … More Why Don’t Fighters Need To Understand Brain Damage?
Combat Sports Law 