State senators have postponed a decision to legalize mixed martial arts contests ? commonly known as ultimate fighting ? after some lawmakers said the sport was too dangerous.
The proposal would require mixed martial arts contests to be regulated by the same state agency that oversees boxing matches. But some senators said the sport, in which contests are sometimes fought in cages, was far more brutal than boxing and kickboxing.
The State Athletic Commission has jurisdiction over all boxing, kickboxing and wrestling contests held in Maryland, with the exception of intercollegiate or amateur events. Mixed martial arts are currently regulated through statute or regulation in 26 states, including Washington, D.C., and Virginia, according to state analysts.
Supporters such as John Rallo, who owns a mixed martial arts school in Baltimore, point to a 2006 Johns Hopkins University study that indicates injury rates for mixed martial arts contests are similar to other sports, including boxing. Knockout rates are lower in mixed martial arts than boxing, according to the study.
“It?s kind of ridiculous that you can be OK with guys using parts of the body as weapons in one sport but not another,” Rallo said. “That?s not the way laws are supposed to be written.”
Rallo said some of his students travel out of state to compete in mixed martial arts. Sen. Joan Carter Conway, a Baltimore City Democrat supporting the legislation, said others compete in underground matches in Maryland.
“You could continue to have this going on unregulated, if that?s what you want to do,” Conway said. “We want the sport regulated.”
