Earlier this year One Championship held an event in Colorado under their ‘global’ ruleset. The main difference with these compared to the “unified” rules is allowing knees to the head of grounded opponents. Colorado cleared the way for the use of alternate MMA rulesets in 2021. I obtained a full copy of the approved rules … More ABC Leans On Colorado To Disavow ONE’s “Global” MMA Ruleset
This week a research article was published by the European Society in Medicine calling for better brain health awareness in sport. In short the neurosurgeon author discussed the inherent vulnerability of the brain to repeated subconcussive impact, its ties to dementia and CTE and the need for better education in sport about this blunt reality … More Neurosurgeon Calls for Better Brain Health Education in Sport
This week a study was published at the National Library of Medicine discussion and contrasting eye injury rates in Boxing and MMA. The authors reviewed data from the Nevada Athletic Commission for Boxing and MMA bouts for a 20 year period form 2000-2020. In short they found that boxing had higher eye injury rates than … More Study – Eye Injury Rates in Boxing and MMA
CTE is caused by repeated brain rattling. Data shows that the ‘dosage’ of cumulative brain rattling is tied to causation and severity of the disease. This week data was published highlighting confirmed CTE in young athletes. In a word it is sobering. The study, titled Neuropathologic and Clinical Findings in Young Contact Sport Athletes Exposed … More Confirmed CTE In Young Athletes
Last week in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (“ABC”) annual conference, regulators brought in three new procedural changes to the official Unified Rules of MMA. These ‘procedural changes’ are simply codifications of best practices in several situations that often come up during a bout. In short these note … More MMA’s 3 New Unified Rule Clarifications
Update August 9, 2023 – I have obtained a copy of Judge Boulware’s reasons certifying the lawsuit as a class action. Here they are in full ______________________________________________________________________ In December 2020 Judge Boulware stated the lawsuit alleging abuse of illegal monopsony power by the UFC was likely going to be certified as a class action. Then … More UFC Antitrust Lawsuit Officially Certified As Class Action
Last week in Las Vegas the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports approved an official unified set of bare knuckle fighting rules. One commission abstained from voting with every other commission unanimously approving the ruleset. Bare knuckle fighting remains illegal in several jurisdictions including some who approved the vote at the ABC conference. The … More Official “Unified Bare Knuckle Fighting” Rules Approved by ABC
This week the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports hosted their annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Present were regulators from across the US, Canada and beyond. As part of the Athletes Voice Committee (a new committee formed this year to give fighters an organized seat at the regulatory table) we presented three initiatives … More Athletes Voice Committee Advocates For Unified Appeal Rights, Manager Regulation and Improved Brain Health Education
Another rule clarification came forth at this years annual Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports conference in Las Vegas. In short it is being proposed that cut persons be allowed to work a cut during a round if the cut came about from a foul. The practice clarification reads as follows: Intention: When a … More ABC Proposes Using Cutpersons During Rounds To Attend To Fouls
This week the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) brought forth a proposed codification to referee practices after they stop a bout to take a foul. There is presently inconsistency about how referees position fighters after breaking for a foul. In short the new clarification notes that no fighter should be rewarded by … More ABC Proposes Clarifying Fighter Positioning Post Foul
Combat Sports Law 