Ontario Pledges To “Clarify The Legal Status of Amateur Combative Sport”

December 1, 2015

The Province of Ontario has been one of the slowest in Canada to respond to their Criminal Code powers to legalize amateur mixed martial arts and other combat sports.  As previously discussed, Ontario’s response to date has been silence making amateur MMA along with a host of other combative sports technically illegal in the Province. Last … More Ontario Pledges To “Clarify The Legal Status of Amateur Combative Sport”

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic Handed Two Year Ban for Doping

November 25, 2015

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic recently retired from MMA in the midst of a doping scandal.  Cro Cop admitted to out of competition use of HGH shortly after being subject to USADA testing and now has the distinction of being the first fighter to be sanctioned under the UFC’s/USADA anti doping regime. He was handed a 2 … More Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic Handed Two Year Ban for Doping

39% Kickboxing Injury Rate Revealed in 15 Year NSAC Record Review

November 17, 2015

Note – The below findings likely exclude concussions which appear to be “significantly underreported” with the authors noting that 40% of contests end in KO/TKO and concussions are likely in many of these bouts.  In other words, the study finds there is a 39% reported injury rate in kickboxing bouts in addition to the likely … More 39% Kickboxing Injury Rate Revealed in 15 Year NSAC Record Review

Michigan Amateur Combat Sports Bill Signed Into Law

November 13, 2015

Recently Michigan’s legislature passed a Bill seeking to regulate amateur Mixed Martial Arts.  This week Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed the Bill into law. The AP published the following press release – LANSING, Michigan — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed bills regulating mixed martial arts bouts between amateur fighters. Snyder says in a news … More Michigan Amateur Combat Sports Bill Signed Into Law

Welcome BJPenn.com Readers – Martial Artists Hands as Deadly Weapons!

November 12, 2015

Earlier today I had the privilege to co-author an article with Michael Martin, JD, Content Manager for Strong Sports Gymnasium in downtown Los Angeles, for BJPenn.com detailing how fighter Jamual Parks had his MMA trained hands recognized as deadly weapons. The full article can be found here.   For readers looking for more on this … More Welcome BJPenn.com Readers – Martial Artists Hands as Deadly Weapons!

CroCop’s “Potential Anti-Doping Policy Violation” – Let’s Talk Retirement and Due Process

November 12, 2015

Update October 12, 2015 – Cro Cop, in a post on his website, has now admitted to taking banned growth hormone noting as follows – “With each blood plasma, I had a little mix of growth hormone to make my shoulder heal faster. Growth hormones are on the list of banned substances. I knew that already..After … More CroCop’s “Potential Anti-Doping Policy Violation” – Let’s Talk Retirement and Due Process

USADA/UFC’s “Prohibited Association” Policy Rears its Head on Cusp of Straweight Title Fight

November 9, 2015

Canadian MMA fighter Valerie Letourneau has learned a lesson about the scope of the USADA/UFC anti-doping’ program’s “prohibited association” policy on the eve of her straweight title fight against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 193. Letourneu planned on being cornered by training partner Hector Lombard, a fighter who is currently serving a one year suspension issued by the … More USADA/UFC’s “Prohibited Association” Policy Rears its Head on Cusp of Straweight Title Fight

Study – Contact Sports “Greatest Risk Factor for CTE Pathology”

November 9, 2015

Update December 2, 2015 – The full study can be found here – CTE in Amateur Athletes Study  The Mayo Clinic has uploaded the following useful video summarizing this study –   _____________________________ Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disorder related to repetative traumatic brain injury is perhaps one of the most troubling risks associated with … More Study – Contact Sports “Greatest Risk Factor for CTE Pathology”

Why Vitor Belfort and the UFC’s TRT Athletes Should No Longer Be Fit to Fight

November 5, 2015

This week the most stigmatized fighter for past Testosterone Replacement Therapy use, Vitor Belfort, denied any wrongdoing being quoted as saying that he never fought while on TRT “without approval of a commission and the UFC“. Belfort goes on to note that “fourteen guys” on the UFC’s roster were also on TRT and were presumably granted … More Why Vitor Belfort and the UFC’s TRT Athletes Should No Longer Be Fit to Fight

UFC 133 Piracy Leads to $7,000 Damage Award

November 3, 2015

Adding to this site’s archived cases of UFC pay per view event piracy prosecutions, the latest reasons for judgement were released last month assessing damages for piracy of UFC 133. In the recent case (Joe Hand Promotions, Inc v. Thirsty Camel, Inc) the Defendant establishment displayed UFC 133 without paying sub-licencing fees to the Plaintiff. … More UFC 133 Piracy Leads to $7,000 Damage Award