07/25/2012
It's time South Dakota promoters and fighters start working together for the sake of the sport in S.D. Although former governor Mike Rounds passed legislation in 2009 for an athletic commission to oversee both boxing and M.M.A. it was never enforced and has since expired. According to a Rapid City Journal article, Governor Dennis Daugaard believes "a commission would lead to more fights and therefore more injuries and deaths."
I don’t see an athletic commission developing in South Dakota any time soon. If nothing else MMA could potentially be banned in South Dakota.
In the meantime, we would all benefit from working together and incorporating sanctions that the majority of the country uses such as:
Unified rules
Weight classes'
Requiring Hep B,C and HIV tests
Pre and post fight physicals
Insurance
Medical staff cage side
Report your fight results to either Sherdog or MMA.tv.
Record specific injuries
Some MMA promotions follow these guidelines some don’t; arguably we don’t have an athletic commission to enforce sanctions. However, if we don’t have self regulation we will continue to see MMA banned in more communities through out South Dakota and possibly state wide. Self regulation and a collaborative effort of all MMA promotions and competitors is our only option.
Currently The Cage Inc, KO Events, SD Total Combat and Warriors Challenge are requiring blood tests that I am aware of. This is not a jab at other promotions, none of us are perfect. It's time we work together for the sake of MMA in SD.
Feel free to tag SD promotions and fighters.
This is not a rant about any particular promotion, dont make it that way and keep negative opinions to yourself.
