Combat Sports Law

At UFC 207 Time Means landed illegal knees to the head of a grounded opponent resulting in a no-contest.  Following the bout Means gave an interview where he demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of the definition of being grounded.  Under the so called ‘unified’ rules of MMA these misunderstandings should not exist as the definition has … More 2017 – The Year of MMA’s “Dis-unified” Rules

Earlier this month Jake Ellenberger lost a bout in a bizarre fashion.  While competing on the UFC TUF 24 finale Ellenberger slipped and his left foot wedged between the mat and the bottom fence..  His opponent proceeded to (legally) reign down strikes until referee Herb Dean called timeout.  He inquired if this could be considered an equipment failure, and … More Nevada Athletic Commission Dismisses Jake Ellenberger Foot Wedging TKO Appeal

This week it was announced that UFC heavyweight Josh failed an out-of-competition drug test administered by USADA on December 9, 2016. With this news Barnett may gain the unenviable distinction of earning the most doping failures in MMA history testing positive after UFC 34, then testing positive for Boldenone, Nandrolone and Fluoxymesterone after UFC 36 … More Can USADA Consider Josh Barnett’s Past Doping When Punishing Him?

Update – McGregor and the NSAC have reached a settlement with his fine being reduced to $25,000 and to complete 25 hours of community service _____________________________ Judicial Review is the legal tool available to fighters who feel wronged by the actions of an Athletic Commission. Conor McGregor, who after a press conference incident was fined … More Conor McGregor – Nevada Commission “Clearly Erroneous” In Their Actions

Update February 17, 2017 – Today USADA ‘cleared’ Justino from the alleged violation granting her a retroactive TUE for physician prescribed Spironolactone.  The press released noted as follows: In the case of Justino, the application for a TUE was granted because the athlete had an unequivocally diagnosed chronic medical condition for which the use of Spironolactone … More Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino Notified of Potential Doping Violation

In August 2016 members of the Association of Boxing Commissions overwhelmingly voted in support to amend MMA’s so called ‘unified rules’. The ABC aimed for a timeline for the new rules to come into force on January 1, 2017. While the consensus for change was near unanimous the vote itself was not binding on any … More John McCarthy Explains MMA’s Updated “Unified Rules”

Earlier this week the Nevada State Athletic Commission accepted settlement agreements for Nate Diaz, Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar. Diaz was issued a $50,000 fine (2.5% of his purse) and given 50 hours of community service for throwing a water bottle at Conor McGregor at a pre-fight press conference. Jon Jones received a one year … More Full Nate Diaz, Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar Settlement Agreements

Update December 14, 2016 – Today I spoke with Andy Foster, Executive Director of the CSAC, who advised that the CSAC is not requiring C3 testing as part of the formal licencing application, however they will be conducting a number of tests over the next year and studying the data. He confirms that the CSAC … More California Adopts C3 Neurological Testing For Combat Sports Athletes