Many jurisdictions require fighters to complete a pre bout medical questionnaire prior to competing in combat sports. Often these questionnaires are filled out under penalty of perjury. Nevada is one such jurisdiction. Fighters often lie on these forms as injuries are rampant and disclosure could derail a bout and payday. Despite frequent lies there are … More Nevada Hands Out Suspensions in Aftermath of MMA “Insider” Betting Scandal

This week the Association of Ringside Physicians published a position statement on young fighters. Titled Physiological and Medical Considerations for the Younger Combat Athlete, the authors reviewed hundreds of peer reviewed sources and made several recommendations. Among the most notable recommendations were the banning of weight cutting for athletes under 19, banning head contact in … More Ringside Doctors Call For Weight Cut and Sparring Reforms For Young Fighters

The combat sports community, one where brain health knowledge is crucial given the inherent risks of the sports, lacks adequate awareness according to several studies. The latest study exploring this topic was published this month focussing on youth karate athletes. In the study, titled Concussion history and knowledge among top-level youth karate athletes, the authors … More Study – Significant Concussion Ignorance Among Youth Karate Athletes

This study is a few years old but came to my attention today when I was reading this recent article arguing that children under 15 should not be allowed to compete in full contact Muay Thai. In the article the authors cited a 2018 study of brain trauma in children who participate in Muay Thai. … More Study – IQ Progressively Decreases in Children With Each Year of Muay Thai

Harm and even deaths from rapid extreme weight cutting in MMA are well documented. Despite this the practice remains prevalent with athletes hoping to gain any competitive advantage they can. This month a study was published suggesting athletes who regain more weigh do not get any statistically significant competitive advantage. In the study, titled The … More Study – MMA Athletes Who Regain More Weight Do Not Get Competitive Advantage

How common is doping in combat sports? Far too prevalent and laxly enforced according to an article just published in the journal of The Physician and Sports Medicine. In the article, titled Doping in Combat Sports: a systematic review, the authors reviewed all available English language published articles on the topic to review the prevalence … More Study – “Unsettling” Levels of Doping in Combat Sports

From time to time the Association of Ringside Physicians (“ARP”) publish position statements on crucial health and safety issues in combative sports. Their latest position statement covers all things eye health from pre fight examinations, disqualifying medical conditions and post bout care. In addition to this the statement calls for use of curved MMA gloves. … More Fight Doctors Call for “Curved-Finger MMA Glove Design” to Reduce Eyepokes

Study after study show CTE is a disease of mileage. The more brain rattling an athlete experiences over their career the greater their chances of acquiring the deadly brain disease. CTE does not care what sport you play. It does not care if you are an amateur or a professional. It does not care if … More Study – Odds of Getting CTE Increase 34% With Each Year Playing Contact Hockey

Yes I actually wrote that headline. I guess this is what I’m doing with my law degree now… Let’s get in to it. Earlier this year the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports voted to update the Unified Rules of MMA. The 12-6 elbow was removed as a foul. In an unexpected turn of … More Is the 12-6 Elbow to the butthole legal?

Alberta is a total outlier when it comes to combat sports regulation. Throughout all of CAnada and the US combat sports are overseen by Provincial, State or Tribal commissions. Alberta, however, does not have a provincial commission and instead allows municipalities to oversee these sports. In 2017 former UFC athlete Tim Hague died following a … More Judge Recommends Alberta Scrap City Athletic Commissions and Move to Province Wide Model