B.C. Medical Association to Propose Country-Wide Ban of MMA in Canada

The dust has barely settled from the landmark announcement that Mixed Martial Arts is set to be legalized in Ontario, Canada. While I’m sure that Dana White and all the UFC top brass for that matter are already figuring out a can’t-miss card in order to made a definitive statement for their first Ontario show, there’s already an outcry against the legalization, and one group in particular wants to have MMA banned throughout the entirety of the country, not just in Ontario. The B.C. Medical Association wants its national body, the Canadian Medical Association, to consider a resolution at its next annual meeting that would ban both amateur and professional MMA throughout all of Canada. The CMA has even advocated for the ban of both amateur and professional boxing since 2001. While I’m never quick to dismiss the opinion of the men in the white coats, this is one idea I’ll never support.

The rallying point for the pro-ban BCMA is the perceived lack of safety for MMA fights. BCMA president Dr. Ian Gillespie had this to say about Mixed Martial Arts: “MMA fighting, like boxing, is distinct from many other sports in that the basic intent of the fighter is to cause harm in order to incapacitate his or her opponent. And what distinguishes MMA fighting from boxing is the use of various techniques to do so that aren’t limited to punching, and there may be the presence of fewer safety rules. For instance, allowing a fighter to continue to attack when his or her opponent is down.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, I can understand these concerns if I put myself into the shoes of an outsider looking in. If I was completely new to the sport, I admit that it would be pretty offsetting to see two grown men step inside a solid metal cage and then attempt to punch, kick, twist, grapple, and slam each other until only one man is left standing. MMA is very physical, bloody at times, and it looks very violent at first glance. But the simple fact of the matter is that MMA has come a long way from the “human cockfighting” days, and the rules in place right now make Mixed Martial Arts one of the safest sports known to man.

To start, there are no rabbit punches (incredibly dangerous punches to the back of the head). The referee or the doctor in attendance can stop the fight at any time for any reason, and even if it earns them some intense hatred from the fans (and this has happened several times), most referees and fight doctors continually err on the side of caution. The fighter himself/herself can stop the fight at any time, and even a fighter’s corner-men have stopped fights in the past. And I hate to make a “boxing vs. MMA” point, but hitting a fighter while he’s down is far more safe than letting a fighter continuously answer a standing count after nearly being knocked senseless. In an MMA fight, you only get stopped once. In most boxing fights, so long as you can get to your feet, you’re free to absorb more punishment. And even if you think that the example I just used is just a case of skirting the issue, I refer you back to the qualified, commission-approved referees and doctors.

To wrap it all up plain and simple: don’t judge a book by its cover, and have a little faith. MMA may look incredibly violent, but there are a large number of rules in place to protect pro MMA fighters. MMA doesn’t need to be banned, it needs to be accepted. Give it a chance, and the results will surprise you. This sport we love so much has some of the best athletes walking the planet competing in it, and believe me, if this sport wasn’t safe, there would be no way these incredible natural athletes would still be competing in it. Sometimes even the smart men and women in the thick white coats need a little schooling.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Does the BCMA have any kind of point, or are these the same prejudices that have always been held against Mixed Martial Arts?