http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/article/20110728/KAMLOOPS0101/110729850/-1/kamloops01/cost-of-victory-too-high-for-fighter
The BC medical Association has renewed its calls to ban MMA after a fighter in a toughman event needed emergency surgery to prevent brain damage.
The original report is posted above and is actually pretty good - but a little vague on a few things.
- I gather this was a toughman-style boxing match. The event itself also included some sort of MMA matches. But most reports I'm reading don't even mention boxing. It's just another "MMA is bad," story.
- The guy fought twice in one night?
- The BC Medical Association isn't calling for a ban on boxing?
- Was this show sanctioned by any regulatory body? Isn't the reason for sanctioning to insure that underground shows like this are dragged into the light and forced to follow proper safety procedures?
Does anyone have any insights or answers on this?
To clarify, I am not accusing the original reporter of sloppiness. However, it has been picked up nationwide and is being reported that the guy fought in an MMA match.
Its actually worse than you mentioned. The "promoter" has a history of putting on unregulated 'toughman boxing' fights for years. Now that MMA is a better bet to make a buck he, and others, have switched to toughman MMA.
The event in question was NOT sanctioned in any way, was technically 'illeagl' in that prize money was offered. The event was held on First Nations land to avoid the city of Kamloops intervention.
The event itself is called MMA BUT uses different rules (shorter rounds, 20 sec on the ground, knockdown counts etc).
This is an example of how bad someone can distort OUR sport in order to make a buck AND how the negative fallout effects MMA fan and competitors everwhere.
THey did not have a ringside Doctor, and by reading the promoters quotes doesnt feel needs one.
We have created www.MMABC.ca to create a Provincial Sporting Association to regulate AMATEUR MMA in BC. THis is exactly the reason why!!! THe next step is for the creation of a Province wide 'First Nations Combative Sports Commission' that has the authority to properly regulate fights on First Nations lands!!
Bill 'The Butcher' Mahood
ALSO....Fighters and Coaches need to take some responsabilty for these types of events. If teams ONLY agreed to fight on properly regulated events then they would be protecting themselves AND safegaurding the sport.
STOP SUPPORTING EVENTS THAT ENDANGER OUR FIGHTERS AND OUR SPORT!!!!!!!!
MMA IS dangerous and injuries WILL happen. Through proper regulation ( certified refs, initial medical screening, blood work, Qualified Ringside physicians, E.M.T's on site, following the rules and regulations in exsistance) we can minimize the risk to participants.
Butcher
Bill, your org needs to get a news release out to CBC and the rest of the media.
If they can see that even MMA professionals want these events banned - maybe they'll see them for what they are: dangerous sideshows that give real MMA a bad name.
I shoulda gone to that, damnit. Hell, I shoulda fought in it, I doubt he would have googled me.
I think toughman tournies like this are stupid which is why I didn't attend although I live just down the road...but I don't believe in government bureaucracy or regulation. They can pry my right to promote amateur sporting events from my cold dead hands!
Screw big government, SELF regulation is best. Consenting adults should not be saved from their own stupidity.
Also, there will always be some awesome promoting loop-holes. Pro Wrestling requires NO regulation (and if the outcome isn't predetermined, who's business is that but the "wrestlers") and I am a Shootfighter after all! I could do events at the theatre downtown and the city could do NOTHING about it.
I don't like commissions, I don't like the government intruding into my life any more than necessary. No offence to commissioners, I know you have the best intentions.
Other reports are stating that the fellow that had the brain damage should not have been cleared to fight in the first place. He has been on government support because of a car accident as a child (brain trauma). This is a joke and even more of a reason for MMA to be sanctioned! 
This is really irresponsible journalism.
Not good.
Like I said, I think the initial story is fine, if a little unclear on the details that interest the MMA community most.
Then it gets picked up by the wires and subsequently re-reported. It's like a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy.
This is the media world we're operating in.
Don Arnott has been putting on Boxing/Toughman events for decades...it's got nothing to do with "legit" MMA.
So you think your tough is NOT MMA and the press idiots should have enough common sense to make the distinction!
They have a boxing division and an MMA division. They do both at the same event.
I think people are saying it's not legit MMA. I've never seen their MMA, but I have seen their boxing, and you could hardly describe it as legitimate boxing.
ttt
I've seen KOTC events that didn't look like legit MMA either, LOL...but I agree that SYWF is bush league.
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Mahood running a club set up and financed by the Hells Angels? How is THAT good for MMA's credibility in BC?
99YahooX - Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Mahood running a club set up and financed by the Hells Angels? How is THAT good for MMA's credibility in BC?
Never.
LOL, damn...that's some harsh trolling