Issue 143
July 2016
Lessons need to be learned from Joao Carvalho’s death to avoid further tragedy in MMA
Marc Goddard
The international referee demands MMA reform to protect fighters
The death of Portuguese fighter Joao Carvalho in April sent shockwaves through mixed martial arts. One can only hope it can be the catalyst that’s been required for the sport to finally be properly regulated on a global scale.
Carvalho died two days after facing SBG Ireland fighter Charlie Ward on a professional fight card in Dublin, Ireland. He lost the fight via third-round TKO and though he walked unaided from the cage, he later complained of feeling nauseous and was rushed to hospital. Emergency brain surgery couldn’t save the 28-year-old’s life.
In the aftermath, mixed martial arts’ place in society has become hot debate. The often forgotten harsh reality of the risks associated with combat sports bites hard on us all. But we must use moments like this as a spur to move us forward, never back.
There should be an enquiry into how mixed martial arts is regulated by the countries that have no athletic commissions to supervise it. Unlike in the United States, it’s not regulated by any level of government in the UK, Ireland and most other European nations. When the UFC stages events overseas, it self-regulates to the standards approved in the US, but this level of in-house governance is substantially higher than what most domestic promoters can afford or are willing to provide.
If the world learns anything from Cavalho’s death, it’s that the governments of the world must finally accept and recognize mixed martial arts. Every country needs to comprehend the sport and set a benchmark to ensure minimum safety measures are put in place.
Unregulated MMA has always been a major concern. Unfortunately it’s more prevalent than ever due to the explosion of the sport’s popularity over the last few years. Its participants have no medical guidelines or criteria to adhere to. Instead, fighter safety is in the hands of the promoters themselves, who are relied on to bring in the relevant specialists and standards.
A minimum level of safety requirements for athletes were first set in the UK by Safe MMA. This was the first step of its kind and included out-of-competition and pre-fight medicals, as well as blood screening for all fighters. It also set guidelines for the doctors in attendance and introduced detailed post-fight medicals and enforced medical suspensions to take care of athletes’ well-being after they’ve competed.
Safe MMA also created the Fighters Register, which provides an accessible database of approved and screened fighters that can be selected from by any affiliated promotion that is signed up to and adhered to the scheme.
It’s now time for Safe MMA and other organizations committed to enforcing the sport’s safety regulations to go back and reinvent their processes. They need to ensure compulsory brain scans are also in place for all of its participants as part of their pre and post-fight requirements.
It will be difficult to adhere to and lawfully enforce these measures without governmental support, which is why it is of paramount importance they get involved too. The ultimate aim in the aftermath of Carvalho’s death is to prevent a similar tragedy occurring in the future.
Not Safe
Unregulated in Ireland
In Ireland, professional promoters and fighters are encouraged to seek approval from the country’s branch of Safe MMA. However, since there is no MMA governing body, there is nothing to stop them if they don’t.
