Issue 068

October 2010

By Gareth A Davies.

“Violence begets violence. To us, we can’t imagine putting people in a cage, sometimes literally fighting to the death – because a fighter was tragically killed a week ago in South Carolina. To put two men in a cage or two women in a cage and let them fight until one is dead, this is not something for a civilized society.”

They are the words of Bob Reilly, New York State Assemblyman, the one-man machine vehemently campaigning against mixed martial arts.  

A few weeks back, I found myself in a recording studio in Bush House, home of the BBC World Service and other esteemed, heavyweight British news-reporting institutions. Between the Doric pillars of the entrance to Bush House in the Aldwych, weighty matters have been debated by the Great and the Good. Suffice to say, even mixed martial arts has its moments there: your columnist was invited to the BBC to debate the moral and legal consequences of mixed martial arts competitions, and the plus side of MMA as a sport, with Reilly, the New York Assemblyman, on the end of a phone. The presenter was Dan Damon for BBC World Update.  

Reilly has developed a reputation as arguably the most hated man in MMA. He appears intent on waging his campaign to ban the sport from the Big Apple. His arbitrary views rather beggar belief. 

There have been two deaths in MMA, and Reilly was itching to stress those. Yet many people die playing many sports. In fact, a young man named Michael Kirkham had died the week previously, the second death in the history of MMA. He was 6’ 9” tall, and a lightweight. 

Reilly had seen his opportunity and grasped it with both hands, beginning by stressing his distaste for MMA that ended in him describing it as two men – or women – fighting to death, sometimes, in a cage. He claimed the sport would increase violence in the United States. 

Fortunately, I was armed with a statement from Michael ‘Tree’ Kirkham’s family. Otherwise Reilly would have been hanging the death out to dry. I read out a part of the eulogy as it was so touching. It went: “We would like everyone to know a little bit about who Michael Kirkham was. He was a loving and caring son, brother, fiancé, father and friend. Michael never met a stranger. Everyone to him was just a friend he hadn’t met, yet. He was a talented musician and artist. He loved MMA with a passion and was following his dream. This was just a tragedy and was in no way the other fighter’s fault. We hope he goes on to be one of the best in this sport. We also hope that this does not become an argument for trying to ban the sport that Michael so dearly loved. He would not want his name to be used for that purpose.”

Assemblyman Reilly seemed to think “children increasingly copy” MMA. There is no evidence to support this. But if they go to gyms, find discipline in their lives and do not pick up guns or knives as a result, then the sport is playing its civic role. It’s a spectator sport, but yes, if it wants to grow, it should look to perform a wider brief in society.

I have mentioned to the UFC about creating a charity trust to work in communities, and I’m aware that several fighters give up certain days each year to work in this capacity. This needs to be encouraged and increased. To be a part of a community, you need to be in the community. MMA is no longer an ‘outlaw’ sport.

And that is where Reilly is patently wrong. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, which saw teen rioting this summer, the police are encouraging the use of MMA training and classes to teach kids respect and controlled aggression. Local community groups are also using MMA to entice young people off the streets in the toughest areas of the city. It has had a dramatic, and positive, effect in areas of regular delinquency.

During Prohibition (the banning of alcohol in the US) illegal shebeens appeared in dark alleyways and in cellars everywhere. With pubs and bars licensed, alcohol is regulated and controlled. It is the same way with MMA. Mr Reilly should be able to recognize this – after all, he ran The Partridge Pub on Madison Avenue for almost 30 years, closing it in 2006.

Senator John McCain has long since retracted his views that MMA is ‘human cockfighting’. The sport is booming, and the younger generations love its appeal. It is sanctioned already in 44 US States. 

Why not get Reilly to come to “ultimate fighting”, as he calls it, and see the processes in place? To dismiss Reilly as a crank is a mistake because he is clearly influential. What he needs is educating on the reality of the sport.

Gareth A Davies is boxing and MMA correspondent for The LondonTelegraph