The Triangle Choke: Those Who Fail to Learn from History - Part 3

Parts I and II of the series explained what happened that led to the decline in the popularity of boxing and how MMA is sadly following the path to destruction. The final installment will examine the rules already in place and what should be implemented to further protect the sport and it’s athletes.

Before we get into the measures already in place, it must be stated that most involved in the sport of MMA are on the up and up. The promoters who are not, typically have little background in sports and even less in business. Why then would they get involved in MMA? Of course large egos play a part but in reality they see dollar signs in a sport that is largely unregulated. Those types cheat and manipulate there way into MMA and leave casualties along the way - all in the name of the almighty dollar. Remember when people say its not about the money- its about the money. What is in place and what should be done?

Current : In a nutshell, State Athletic Commissions govern all aspects of MMA, which typically standardizes the licensing process for promoters and fighters and rules inside the cage, both professional and amateurs. Commissions have virtually the same rules inside the cage for professional fighters while the rules vary from state to state with consideration to amateurs. The testing requirements (HEP B &C, HIV etc) are becoming the norm for professional fighters and are starting to become instituted for amateurs in some states. The requirements for promoters in terms of bonds, insurance, licensing, etc is somewhat standard. The entire process has grown by leaps and bounds within the last two years and continues to be evaluated and improved. However, the sport is still relatively young and has some major rules to adopt to avoid the downfalls of boxing.

Needed Changes: All of the rules previously mentioned are certainly worthwhile yet they don’t govern the entire process. Simplistically, at a micro level, the commissions’ rules govern events from the event card being approved to the action in the cage. However, there are many issues that occur prior to an event being announced and within that time frame that must be regulated .

The first is to ensure the separation of duties of both promoters and matchmakers from any management or gym affiliation. This HAS to happen to avoid any and all perceptions of improprieties on match-ups and results. This is possibly the biggest issue that set boxing back for decades. A promoter should run a promotion and a match-maker should create cards- it is that simple. This would eliminate bias towards gyms and/or fighters. While this will be very difficult to legislate, when these situations are blatantly obvious (which they typically are) they must be addressed with a heavy hand.

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The second rule protects not only the fighters but the fans as well. If a promoter cancels their event or their professional fights they should receive severe penalties that grow with each occurrence. If the situation continues, they should be banned for a period of time if not permanently suspended. This happens far too often which prevents fighters from taking other fights and costs professional fighters their purse. The implementation of this rule will assist fighters and fans alike.

The third rule involves the marketing of events. I’ve personally witnessed it far too often. Promoters will start marketing their event with billboards, commercials and materials with fighters who HAVE NOT agreed to fight in contract or in principle. Yes, it’s astounding and yes you are reading correctly. This is obviously done with popular fighters in an attempt to increase ticket sales. The athletic commissions must randomly, at least, monitor the marketing activities of promotions. If a fighter isn’t participating and is on marketing materials, an in-depth investigation should take place. Harsh penalties must be in instituted for violating these rules.

There you have it- the big three! If implemented, the big three will make a positive impact on MMA and help avoid the downfalls of boxing.

“Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.”- Winston Churchill

By Scott Dryden
ProFighting-fans.com Editor-in-Chief