I have not uploaded a YouTube video in over 10 years but decided to revive the channel. I will be posting videos addressing topics covered on this site starting with the bizarre story of how bare knuckle boxing came to be legal in Florida. You can find my previous articles on the topic here: Let’s … More The Bizarre Story Of Bare Knuckle Boxing Legality in Florida
Adding to this site’s database of combat sports health and safety studies, research was recently published in the Journal of The Physician and Sports Medicine addressing brain injury rates and risks of impairment from MMA. In the study, titled Head Injury in Mixed Martial Arts: a Review of Epidemiology, Affected Brain Structures and Risks of Cognitive … More Study – Risk of CTE From MMA “Should Not Be Underestimated”
In recent years concussion recovery advice has shifted from a model of strict physical and mental rest while symptoms persist to a more active model with activity being recommended so long as symptoms are not aggravated. A recent study was published in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine reviewing the recovery of athletes who suffered and … More Study Shows Modern Concussion Treatment Strategies Lead to Faster Symptom Recovery
In 2016 the California State Athletic Commission spearheaded reforms to the culture of rapid extreme weight cuts in combat sports. One of the reforms created was an earlier weigh-in to “ensure healthy rehydration and penalize athletes who engage in extreme weight cutting” which was widely adopted by other regulators. Recently a study was published examining … More Study – Early MMA Weigh Ins “Exacerbated” Effects of Rapid Weight Cutting
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (“CTE”) is the brutal, degenerative and incurable brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. Cases of the disease are linked to basically all contact sports and mixed martial arts is no exception with the list of known cases steadily growing. If you are a combat sports trainer and your athlete develops CTE … More Can a Trainer Can Be Liable For a Fighter Getting CTE?
Update – USADA has now released a press release with their take on these changes along with their actual policy wording below. It is worth noting that ‘substances of abuse’ mean not just cannabis but also various narcotics and stimulants. Also worth noting that the lack of punishment is not automatic but discretionary and premised … More “Substances of Abuse” Modified Under UFC/USADA In Competition Ban
One of the more recent strategies in suing following UFC and other combat sports piracy claims in the US are not only lawsuits seeking damages for violations of the Communications Act but also for Copyright infringement. Both can attract steep damages with reasons recently published demonstrating this pursuant to the Copyright Act. In the recent case … More $90,000 Damages Awarded For Copyright Infringement After Pay Per View Piracy
Dr. Samuel Stellpflug, physician and BJJ blackbelt who has authored numerous peer reviewed articles addressing strangles in combative sports, has just published his latest paper in which he reviews all submission finishes via strangulation in UFC history. In the paper, titled Analysis of the fight-ending chokes in the history of the UFC mixed martial arts … More Physician Reviews and Analyzes All Choke Submissions in UFC History
Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on the Canadian combat sports scene with events sidelined due to the pandemic and even training across much of the Country being ground to a halt. Today the BC Athletic Commission has announced, with “an abundance of caution” the expectation that professional events may start resuming in the New Year in … More BC Athletic Commission Looks to Resume Pro Combat Sports in New Year
The first contract fighters sign is sometimes their worst. Their deal with their manager. The world of MMA management is poorly regulated. It varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and standards are far below those in unionized sports where players associations impose strict thresholds for agent certification. In some States and Provinces anyone can be a … More MMA Manager Contracts – A Critical Look
Combat Sports Law 