As Wontsubmit is well aware, I am the head commissioner for the state of North Dakota. I can't speak for any other commissioner, or any other commission, but I can tell you this.
This first year of regulated MMA has cost me about $1,000 out of pocket. So if this is all about money, I sure as heck aint getting mine. In fact it was just January 1 that we have started reimbursing commissioners for their travel related expenses.
Aasen, I don't know you and you are probably a decent guy, but you can pretty much kiss my ass when you say we aren't concerned for the fighters safety. My two biggest concerns in the sport of MMA are for the fighters safety and that they get paid. My job as I see it is to make sure that it is a fair contest and that the fighters get paid. At the end of the night everyone should get to go home to their families.
In the short tenure of our commission I have had promoters try to use gloves that even the manufacturer said they wouldn't use in MMA (unless you want it to be a blood bath...the manufacturers words). I have had promoters lie to me about the training a fighters has...i.e the fighter says I haven't trained while getting licensed. I have had fighters purport to be "UFC registered" when in reality they are like 5-28.
As a commissioner, I try to be an objective set of eyes on an event when the promoter might be too busy, or have a financial motivation to put guys in the ring together, who have no business fighting.
In addition, I am there to ensure the fighters get paid what there contracted purse. How many times have we heard of fighters getting screwed by shady promoters...that doesn't happen here.
Bottom line is, right, wrong or indifferent, this sport will be regulated or it wont exist.
I don't think anyone is against a commission. All of the things you brought up are valid points and things I would like to see taken care of by a commission. What we are aainst is a boxing commission that doesn't know anything about mma regulating our sport. Boxing has as much to do with mma as track and field does with football. If a boxing commission is willingto admit they dontt know mma and are willing to listen and learn as Las Vegas has done, I am all for it. If they want to come in and takeover our sport their way as California has done (and Minnesota appears as though thye want to do), this is unacceptable.
"Bottom line is, right, wrong or indifferent, this sport will be regulated or it wont exist."
And as for this, that is simply not true. See Wisconsin for example. And then agan, even if the state does ban it, the state has no authority over indian resrvations.
the state has no authority over indian resrvations
The state can put alot of preasure on a reservation if they choose to. If they choose to is the key phrase. There are things a state can take away from these reservations if they refuse to recognize or honor state law.
Dont think that these reservations would risk losing major funding or certain privilages just to put on a MMA show. If it came down to it the state would win if they wanted to pursue it.
Dear Kurle, kiss my ass right back. You folks in ND. have a MMA commission in place,to compare ND. with MN. is like comparing Texas with New York, our states have different political agendas, I never said ND. wasn't concerned about safety but I truly do believe that the MN. boxing commission is motivated by monetary gains first and fighter safety second, and I am sure you are a decent guy also, Scott LeDouche has said that he wants to tax MMA so high that it will basically ban the sport in MN. now you tell me what the hell that has to do with fighter safety.
Scott ledouche is a nut ball, but with properly written rules and regulations, set fees and a watchful eye Scott would only beable to enforce what the state has passed into law.
Having the boxing commission regulate the sport is not the end of all things in MN mma. If do right, no can defend. There are several ways this can be handled. I have said it before, keep an open mind. You may have to settle for less than perfect.
Interestingly (but unrelated to this discussion) I am also on the boxing commission, but my background is MMA.
State MMA and/or boxing commissions don't have jurisdiction over Tribal Casinos. Some tribes have their own commissions however. What the state can do pull fighter and promoters licenses within the state for participating in a non-regulated show on the reservation.
"And as for this, that is simply not true. See Wisconsin for example. And then agan, even if the state does ban it, the state has no authority over indian resrvations. " ... in current state this is true, however, I expect to see some sort of legislation (either banning or or requiring its regulation by a commission) in every state within 5 years.
Aasen, I retract my statement. My initial take of what you said was that it was directed at commissions in general...upon reading it again, it appears to be directed at MN, although it does have undercurrents of wanting no regulation at all.
I don't know Scott LeDouche at all, but it seems to me instead of railing against commissions I would focus more specifically on this particular commissioner...from what I understand he gives more than enough fodder
1. animal food: hay, straw, or similar food for livestock
2. material for stimulating response: people, ideas, or images that are useful in stimulating a creative or critical response
3. expendable people or things: people or things regarded as the necessary but expendable ingredient that makes a system or scheme work ( usually used in combination ) case studies seized upon as thesis fodder
transitive verb (past and past participlefod·dered, present participlefod·der·ing, 3rd person present singularfod·ders)
from what I have heard, the MN boxing commission(excluding LeDouche) wants nothing to do with MMA. This has come right from the mouth of Dick Day(sp?). He is on the MN boxing commission, and has stated that LeDouche is the only one that is pushing for this. No one else wants anything to do with MMA. Now I find that hard to believe, giving our current status.
I believe that Reilly has stated it best. MMA should have not 1 fucking thing to do with anything, or anyone in Boxing. They tried to "sneak" by two riders already without telling us. Thanks to those that caught this.
Wont submit has some good points about not burning all bridges, even though I dont want to burn any bridges with boxing, I'd like to BLOW those bridges up! It is possible that this could happen, and if it does, we need to be on terms with someone there.
The overseeing committee should be fair and unbiased. that is the way it should be. but thinking about this, I know that there are some people in MMA that have trained at alot of camps, attended alot of different promotions shows, reffed alot of different shows, and fought at alot of different shows. I see it impossible to bring in a knowledgable judging, reffing, etc staff, that nobody has any ties to...?
"Boxing has been legendary for its corruption, more people die in 1 year of boxing then all the years of MMA put together since its birth, someone correct me if I am wrong but I think the only death in MMA has been Dudley Dedge and it happend in Russia, so please stop arguing all of your bullshit and tell it like it is, say the commission just wants their cut, if you admit that they just want their money I will have Gavin buy you a beer."
I agree with everything in your post, Eric. Of course the commission just wants their cut, but what are you going to do, just continue without anything in place? That obviously isn't an option anymore, so at this point it seems you just have to pick your poison. You can either try and grind out shows while the commission taxes you like a whore, or have no MMA whatsoever. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I imagine that even if the boxing commission were to oversee MMA, it wouldn't be for long. Sounds like Reilly is on the right track in regards to putting together an independent commission, but like he said before... WE NEED MONEY! Maybe we can have a group bakesale at the EFX show on Thursday.
If this goes down I dont think there will be a "Battle at The Barn" Or a "Fight at the Greens."
Everyone is too "Small-time" around the Rochester area...
Thai boxing officials have the blood of Lito Sisnorio on their hands in the wake of Sisnorio's death following a KO loss to Chatchai Sasakul over the weekend. Sisnorio, from The Philippines, had an undocumented record of 11-4-1 (at best) coming into the fight, and he was repeatedly used as an opponent to build up the records of some of Thailand's best boxers in the lowest weight classes. About two months ago, Thai officials sanctioned a fight between Sisnorio and Pongsaklek Wongjongkam, who perhaps belongs on world pound-for-pound lists. Wongjongkam is the reigning WBC flywieght champion, has a record of 64-2 and hasn't lost since 1996. Sisnorio was thrown in with Wongjongkam and got stopped in the fourth round. Barely two months later, Thai officials allowed Sisnorio back in the ring with Sasakul, another destroyer. Sasakul, a former WBC flyweight champion himself, has a record of 58-3, with two losses in world title fights and the other a close decision loss to a Japanese boxer in Japan. According to the website philboxing.com, Philippine boxing officials had not given permissen for Sisnorio to take this fight. What is clear is that the Thai commission, whose function is to make sure boxing contests are as safe as possible, did not block this mismatch, which occured barely 60 days after a previous mismatch. As a result, Sisnorio is dead at age 24 from a blood clot on the brain. Shame on everyone involved in arranging these matches, save for Sasakul himself, who was just doing his job as a boxer. Rest in peace, Lito Sisnorio
The overseeing committee should be fair and unbiased. that is the way it should be. but thinking about this, I know that there are some people in MMA that have trained at alot of camps, attended alot of different promotions shows, reffed alot of different shows, and fought at alot of different shows. I see it impossible to bring in a knowledgable judging, reffing, etc staff, that nobody has any ties to...?
It is not easy, I am having problems with this right now. Luckily the commission is working with us on our different refs and new judges. People will have to be trained and they will have to learn. It is new here (regulation)so it is understandable there are going to be new people in new positions.
