No Harm, No Foul: Oxygen OK'd by Texas

While the Strikeforce event last Saturday, in Houston, Tex., has unveiled some interesting outcomes, exciting fights, the event itself didn’t leave unscathed–not without controversy at least.

The San Jose, based promotion took its show on the road down south, when Strikeforce visited Texas with two-title fights and some sure crowd pleasers.

Probably the two bouts that stuck out the most come fight night, being King Mo’s first defeat as a mixed martial artist at the hands of challenger Rafael Feijao (for Lawal’s 205-pound strap)–in devastating fashion at that–and K.J. Noons’ one sided beat down of former UFC lightweight competitor Jorge Gurgel.

While both fights shared different outcomes, both have one thing in common: a canned supplement of oxygen, which by most states who govern mixed martial arts contests, is deemed illegal or is largely unmentioned/vague in most regulations.

MMAJunkie.com picked up the beat of the story, when said media source spoke to the Public Information Officer of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Susan Stanford, who deemed that said participants Noons and Lawal were well within the guidelines when the competitors chose to use the “enhancers”, which most athletes believe aid in respiratory recovery between rounds.

“It’s my understanding that the physician did consult with the ringside physician, and it was approved by the physician,” Stanford said while speaking with MMAJunkie. “It was within (the rules).”

And according to MMAJunkie, “Combative Sports Program statutes do not specifically address the use of oxygen; Stanford said banned substances include Monsel’s solution, silver nitrate, ammonium capsules and smelling salts”.

So, do you see an unfair advantage being used for said athletes using canned oxygen, or is it simply another aid that should athletes feel deem a specific purpose, should be used come fight time.