OT: CMA looks to ban MMA in Canada

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NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario -- The Canadian Medical Association is calling for a ban on mixed martial arts in Canada.

Delegates at the annual meeting voted Wednesday to have the doctors group seek a government ban on the sport.

The vote came after often contentious debate among 250 doctors at the meeting in Niagara Falls.

Those in favor of banning the sport say it puts fighters at risk of severe head trauma and other injuries that could have lifelong effects.

They argue that unlike sports such as hockey and skiing, the intent of mixed martial arts is to incapacitate one's opponent.

Seven provinces in Canada sanction mixed martial arts prize fighting. The Ontario government recently changed its stance and will allow mixed martial arts in 2011.

Canadian Medical Association calls for MMA ban - ESPN

 

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Last time I looked, the intent of boxing is to pretty much incapacitate one's opponent...

 

[pixburgher66]

As someone going into sports medicine, I'll say this, keeping in mind that I'm not really a fan of the sport in general: I will never work as a trainer for the sport. It comes with insane baggage and I'm sure it's horrifying the injuries that are ignored because they're "tough men". Sorry Mr. Tough Man, everyone gets concussions, and even YOU can be killed by that. So, I can understand why a group like the CMA would take such an action, because for as much smack as the NFL is getting for their concussion/injury care (or lack there of) a sport like MMA has to be 10 times worse, because basically a fighter WILL get one every fight. If treated properly these guys would probably only have careers around 3-5 years, because after as many concussions as months pass, you can't participate safely. Okay, I'm just ranting now. Carry on!

EDIT: typo...sorry. CANT participate.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

This was all spawned by 1 doctor at VGH emergency after UFC 115 in Vancouver in June who filed a complaint (so to speak) with BCMA after almost every fighter on the card went to hospital after their fights with a laundry list of injuries like broken arms/ankles/lacerations/contusions ... here was the list of medical suspensions

Rich Franklin: Suspended 60 days (60 days no contact). Additional suspension of 180 days (left forearm) unless cleared by an orthopedic doctor.
Chuck Liddell: Suspended 60 days (60 days no contact). Additional suspension of 180 days (head/face contusions and lacerations) unless cleared by negative CT scan.
Pat Barry: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact). Additional suspension of 180 days (right hand and left ankle) unless cleared by an orthopedic doctor with negative X-rays.
Mirko Filipovic: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact). Additional suspension of 180 days (head/face contusions) unless cleared by a Maxillofacial doctor with negative CT scan.
Gilbert Yvel: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact). Additional suspension of 180 days (head contusions, left thumb and right hip) unless cleared by negative CT scan and X-rays.
Ben Rothwell: Suspended 30 days (21 days no contact). Additional suspension of 180 days (right knee) unless cleared by an orthopedic doctor.
Rory MacDonald: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact). Additional suspension of 180 days (head/face contusions) unless cleared by negative CT scan.
Mac Danzig: Suspended 30 days (21 days no contact). Additional suspension of 180 days (left elbow) unless cleared by negative X-rays.
Mario Miranda: Suspended 180 days (left forearm) unless cleared by negative X-rays.
David Loiseau: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact). Additional suspension of 180 days (head/face contusions) unless cleared by negative CT scan.
Ricardo Funch: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact). Additional suspension of 180 days (left foot) unless cleared by negative X-rays.
Jesse Lennox: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact). Additional suspension of 180 days (left thumb and right ankle) unless cleared by negative X-rays.
Paulo Thiago: Suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact (head contusions).
Evan Dunham: Suspended 30 days with 21 days no contact (head contusions).

you would expect more research from a medical association before such a reactionary knee jerk decision/stance. John Hopkins journal of sports science and the British journal of sports medicine have done studies that say MMA is no more dangerous than boxing

 

[jstewismybastardson]

As someone going into sports medicine, I'll say this, keeping in mind that I'm not really a fan of the sport in general: I will never work as a trainer for the sport. It comes with insane baggage and I'm sure it's horrifying the injuries that are ignored because they're "tough men". Sorry Mr. Tough Man, everyone gets concussions, and even YOU can be killed by that. So, I can understand why a group like the CMA would take such an action, because for as much smack as the NFL is getting for their concussion/injury care (or lack there of) a sport like MMA has to be 10 times worse, because basically a fighter WILL get one every fight. If treated properly these guys would probably only have careers around 3-5 years, because after as many concussions as months pass, you can't participate safely. Okay, I'm just ranting now. Carry on!

EDIT: typo...sorry. CANT participate.

youre wrong

 

[jstewismybastardson]

more


Proponents of MMA have argued there is no evidence the sport is any more dangerous than other contact sports and that there is a long list of rules designed to keep fighters safe.

Gillespie has admitted on B.C. radio that he has never watched an MMA event and that the B.C. Medical Association did no research of the sport before presenting the motion to ban. The group says the sport is too new to have proper studies in place, and BCMA media rep Sharon Shore alleged to MMA proponents and journalists via email this week that studies widely circulated that present MMA as being less dangerous than basketball, boxing and wrestling "have been done on behalf of the MMA franchise (not unlike drug effectiveness studies undertaken by Merck or Pfizer)" and are thus not being considered as part of the proposal.

A 2006 study by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine pointed to the numerous ways a fighter can win an MMA contest, such as submission holds and grappling superiority, as evidence that the sport is far less focused on head trauma than other sporting activities. In addition, the study pointed to an absence of full-contact sparring during training and the rule that there should be no standing eight-count as further evidence that boxing is far more dangerous as an activity.


A study by the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine has suggested severe injury rates in basketball were seven times higher than martial arts.

Shore stated that the BCMa was basing their ban on a British Medical Association study, but a 2008 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that "the overall risk of critical sports-related injury [in MMA] seems to be low."



Read more: Nationwide mixed martial arts ban debated by Canadian doctors as pro-MMA safety studies are ignored

 

[SLY]

It's not the doctor's place to come in and try to ban a sport. If these men didn't want to deal with the possible outcome of the fight, then they would'nt take part in it. I'm pretty sure there was a study that stated MMA was safer for a person than boxing. I love boxing much more than MMA, but in boxing your almost always going for the head. In MMA, there are tons of different ways to win a match. Canadian doctors need to be kicked upside the head

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

Just another example of a socialist government tryin' to squash some more freedoms.

 

[dash]

Just another example of a socialist government tryin' to squash some more freedoms.

The irony is that current Canadian PM Stephen Harper is probably more to the right than Obama...

 

[jstewismybastardson]

The irony is that current Canadian PM Stephen Harper is probably more to the right than Obama...

also ironic because the BC Medical Association had been drifting towards acceptance of privately funded 2 tiered medical care in Canada in the past couple of years as a way of decreasing the burden on the public system

i wonder what would happen if the UFC went to the BCMA with some grant money to fund a study on the dangers of MMA ... im not sayin, im just sayin

 

[Slimpikins]

The irony is that current Canadian PM Stephen Harper is probably more to the right than Obama...

Yeah but that is like being less ugly than the fat girl at the bowling alley

 

[dash]

Yeah but that is like being less ugly than the fat girl at the bowling alley

Hey now...I met my wife in a bowling alley.

 

[pixburgher66]

youre wrong

than the NFL? documented cases may be hazy, however, i can tell you that chances of blunt force to the head are probably just about the same, with the difference being that one has a helmet (although the helmets the way they're worn in the NFL are screwed up anyway).

 

[SLY]

You can't really compare the two sports. I just don't see where doctor's feel they have the right to try and ban a sport in a country altogether.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

than the NFL? documented cases may be hazy, however, i can tell you that chances of blunt force to the head are probably just about the same, with the difference being that one has a helmet (although the helmets the way they're worn in the NFL are screwed up anyway).

ok so let me get this straight ... lineman knocking head/helmets in 2 a day workouts for close to a month before the regular season opener is the same as non-contact sparring in mma that happens in a month leading up to a fight?

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I just don't see where doctor's feel they have the right to try and ban a sport in a country altogether.

not to mention ... you ban the sport ... you drive it underground ... you have no more regulation ... you have no more imposed 180 day suspensions from a governing body like UFC stemming from lacerations

... you have no more ability to do further studying of the dangers of the sport

!!!ridonculous!!!

 

[Slimpikins]

Hey now...I met my wife in a bowling alley.

No offense intended, I am actually in a work bowling league (and caught myself watching a PBA event on ESPNClassic recently ).

How about:

That's like being less nerdy than the coolest accountant.

 

[dash]

No offense intended, I am actually in a work bowling league (and caught myself watching a PBA event on ESPNClassic recently ).

How about:

That's like being less nerdy than the coolest accountant.

lol...I just had to throw out that comment about my wife just to see the reaction.

/slim, if if recall correctly, aren't you an accountant?

 

[Dacks]

As someone going into sports medicine, I'll say this, keeping in mind that I'm not really a fan of the sport in general: I will never work as a trainer for the sport. It comes with insane baggage and I'm sure it's horrifying the injuries that are ignored because they're "tough men". Sorry Mr. Tough Man, everyone gets concussions, and even YOU can be killed by that. So, I can understand why a group like the CMA would take such an action, because for as much smack as the NFL is getting for their concussion/injury care (or lack there of) a sport like MMA has to be 10 times worse, because basically a fighter WILL get one every fight. If treated properly these guys would probably only have careers around 3-5 years, because after as many concussions as months pass, you can't participate safely. Okay, I'm just ranting now. Carry on!

EDIT: typo...sorry. CANT participate.

Eh, I don't know if you know that much about MMA. The UFC for one takes the health of it's participants very seriously. Lots of high-profile competitors have backed out of scheduled events just weeks before, often costing them in the hundreds of thousands of earnings. "Tough Men" who didn't have to listen to doctors wouldn't have to do that.

Secondly, the comparison to boxing. Which is more dangerous?

Sport A: Striking is mixed in with wrestling and grappling, meaning there are a number of different ways to finish an opponent. Typically only three rounds per match, sometimes five. Judges who step in to finish the fight as soon as someone "can no longer intelligently defend themselves".

Sport B: Sometimes ten to twelve rounds. All punching, most of which is aimed to the head. Bigger gloves, which means the athletes worry less about hurting their hands and more about hurting the opponent. If you get knocked down, you get eight to ten seconds to rest before you start getting punched again.

I mean, if you're against boxing as well, then you'd have a point, but a lot of the MMA detractors think it's much worse than boxing, where logic and statistics show that, at least in terms of head trauma, it's much much safer, and probably safer than football.

People need to see MMA for what it is (extremely giften, usually respectful athletes engaging in a chess match of combat techniques with occasional knockouts and a bit of blood), instead of the fantasy (deranged toughman no-holds-barred human cockfighting bloodfests).

 

[SLY]

Eh, I don't know if you know that much about MMA. The UFC for one takes the health of it's participants very seriously. Lots of high-profile competitors have backed out of scheduled events just weeks before, often costing them in the hundreds of thousands of earnings. "Tough Men" who didn't have to listen to doctors wouldn't have to do that.

Secondly, the comparison to boxing. Which is more dangerous?

Sport A: Striking is mixed in with wrestling and grappling, meaning there are a number of different ways to finish an opponent. Typically only three rounds per match, sometimes five. Judges who step in to finish the fight as soon as someone "can no longer intelligently defend themselves".

Sport B: Sometimes ten to twelve rounds. All punching, most of which is aimed to the head. Bigger gloves, which means the athletes worry less about hurting their hands and more about hurting the opponent. If you get knocked down, you get eight to ten seconds to rest before you start getting punched again.

I mean, if you're against boxing as well, then you'd have a point, but a lot of the MMA detractors think it's much worse than boxing, where logic and statistics show that, at least in terms of head trauma, it's much much safer, and probably safer than football.

People need to see MMA for what it is (extremely giften, usually respectful athletes engaging in a chess match of combat techniques with occasional knockouts and a bit of blood), instead of the fantasy (deranged toughman no-holds-barred human cockfighting bloodfests).

Couldn't have said it better. With that said, Boxing owns MMA!

Jack Dempsey, 'nuff said.