There is room for improvement when it comes to appeal rights in combat sports. In most jurisdictions fighters can only successfully appeal a bout result if they could prove there was collusion (ie crooked officiating), the scorekeeper made a mathematical error in adding up the judges scores, or there was an error in interpreting the … More Colorado Looking At Expanded Fighter Appeal Rights
Litigation has probably been the best tool to shed light on contract terms of various MMA promotions. Recently a PFL contract made its way into the public sphere as a result of this (HT to Elthon Costa for first breaking this news). By way of background a fighter and the promotion were involved in a … More Shedding Light on PFL Contract Terms
Presently CTE can only be diagnosed after death. But there are criteria for diagnosing suspected CTE in the living which is useful for research and other purposes. It is called Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome “TES”. A recent study was published researching athletes with and without TES and seeing how they performed on double leg balance testing. … More Declining Postural Balance “Significantly Associated” With Suspected CTE in Fighters
In a court filing this week in the UFC antitrust lawsuit it was revealed that not a single eligible fighter asked to be removed from the lawsuit. By way of context several fighters started a proposed class action against the UFC arguing they are operating an unlawful monopsony which economically exploits fighters. The lawsuit was certified … More Zero Eligible UFC Fighters Asked To Opt Out of Class Action Lawsuit
Yesterday the ABC’s MMA Rules Committee met and voted to address two controversial aspects of the Unified Rules of MMA. The 12-6 elbow foul and the definition of grounded fighter. The straight up to down elbow is a longstanding foul since the initial creation of the unified rules in New Jersey over 20 years ago. Recently … More MMA Rules Committee Votes to Remove 12-6 Elbow As Foul and Redefine “Grounded” Fighters
If you have a good fight record you probably will have better long term brain health than fighters with a losing record, right? This was the hypothesis in a recent study. Turns out the answer is no. In fact fighters with a better win/loss ratio had greater measurable brain harm than fighters with a losing record. The recent … More Unsettling Truth – Winning Fighters Found To Have More Long Term Brain Issues Than Losers
Next week the Association of Boxing Commissions MMA Rules Committee will be discussing removing the 12-6 elbow as a foul and also further clarifying the definition of a grounded fighter. Recently data has been published demonstrating the 12-6 elbow is no more forceful than other legal elbows, whether from a standing or grounded position such … More MMA Rules Committee To Discuss Removing 12-6 Elbow Foul and Redefining “Grounded” Fighter
The now certified class action anti trust lawsuit against the UFC is getting ever closer to trial presently scheduled in April, 2024. This week one of the last remaining hurdles was removed. The UFC brought a motion for summary judgment which sought to dispose of the case in their favor prior to trial. Judge Boulware denied the … More UFC Motion For Summary Judgement Denied in Antitrust Lawsuit
In 2019 Ontario passed a new Combative Sports Act into law. The legislation allows the overhaul of how combat sports are regulated in the Province. The law, however, has yet to come into force which will happen “on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor“. Despite this very long passage of time it … More Ontario Announces New “Combat Sports Advisory Council”
A profound spinal cord injury and a profound brain injury. Two tragic outcomes in the combat sports community in recent weeks. This week Leah McCourt shared that MMA fighter Ryan Curtis suffered a severe spinal cord injury in training. In addition to the spinal cord injury he suffered “a broken back, broken neck and dislocated spine”. A … More Combat Sports Struck With Two Tragedies in Recent Weeks
Combat Sports Law 