Iowa's Version of MMA Tort-Reform Was A Recipe for Disaster 

“No thought was given to the human cost of unregulated MMA.”

That statement comes from “The Underground”, the MMA Warehouse in an article Sherdog wrote as Part II of Zach Kirk’s fight and his being paralyzed for life.

Here is the real disgrace.

In days, Kirk went bankrupt. The rest of Kirk’s medical care costs -- hundreds of thousands of dollars -- was paid for by the citizens of Iowa. 

This is what you get when farmers turn legislators and think they know law and can assess legal risk. Like lawyers trying to plant a straight row of crops, farmers’ legislating makes for a lousy result. Deciding what corn to plant isn't the same as analyzing the legal principles and making sensible public policy. No lawyer in his right mind would have voted to deregulate MMA fighting. Boxing I understand, MMA I do not get. It's nothing more than what Romans did with lions fighting slaves. What's attracting young men to the sport is the lack of regimented training and the promise of big money. Regulations and fighter protections are not just necessary for the fighters but also for the taxpayers who end up footing the bill when fighters through fighting become seriously, permanently and totally disabled. 

Like I said, I'm not planting corn any time soon. But put me on the Boxing Commission and I'll protect the Iowa tax dollars. 

Spectators sometimes became part of the Coliseum show -

Although the typical Coliseum of Rome combatants were trained gladiators, convicted criminals and prisoners of war, occasionally glory-seeking individuals volunteered to fight. Often they overrated their skills and suffered the consequences.

The only possible winner was the promoter. In a situation analogous to the national economic crisis occurring at the same time, the profits associated with amateur MMA were privatized -- kept by the promoter -- while the financial costs of those risks were borne by the taxpayers. 

Tort reformers aren’t reforming torts for the good; they are reforming tort law to line their own pockets while shifting the liability of all financial risk to the taxpayers. MMA fighting, unlike classic boxing is brutal. There are few protections and the fans control the bout not the referee. The allowance of MMA fighting is barbaric to say the least. Just ask Zack Kirk, who, according to this article, is now paralyzed and dependent upon the taxpayers for what he can get to eke out a subsistence living.

I see the Iowa Labor Commissioner issued two cease and desist orders regarding two MMA events. Good for the Labor Commissioner. At last someone with common sense. As for farmer legislators I’ll make you a promise, you stay out of the halls of government and I’ll not plant field corn.

2/25/2011

Contact:

Kerry Koonce

For Immediate Release: February 25, 2011
Contact: Kerry Koonce
Telephone: (515) 281-9646

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Iowa Labor Commissioner Orders Cease and Desist Action Against Two Mixed Martial Arts Events
Organizations Failed to Comply with Iowa Law

DES MOINES – The Iowa Labor/Athletic Commissioner is issuing a cease and desist order against the Xtreme Fighting Championship 7 events scheduled for Friday night in Iowa City at the Wildwood Smokehouse and Saloon and Saturday night at Steamboat Rock Schoolhouse in Steamboat Rock, Iowa.

Iowa’s Mixed Martial Arts laws changed July 1st requiring promoters to submit fighter blood work, show proof of medical insurance, submit fighter contracts and ensure that all fighters, professional or amateur, are 18 years of age or older. The event promoter, Travis Fulton, has failed to license and bond his events with the State of Iowa.

“The laws surrounding mixed martial arts fights are there to protect everyone involved,” stated Iowa Labor Commissioner David Neil. “The licenses, bonds and medical certifications ensure that fighters are in condition before the match and the required health insurance prevents Iowans from picking up the bill for medical expenses when fighters frequently end up in the emergency room following a match.”

Iowa issued nearly 140 fight licenses in 2010 and most promoters work cooperatively with the department and follow the laws to ensure that all safety and health measures are intact. The few promoters who consistently try to skirt Iowa’s laws present an unprofessional image that affects everyone involved in the sport.

Promoters who hold fights in violation of Iowa’s Mixed Martial Arts laws are subject to a $10,000 administrative fine and a criminal conviction of a serious misdemeanor.

http://www.iowaworkforce.org/news/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=868

For more on this subject read:

• Fistic Medicine: The Zach Kirk Saga Part 1
• Fistic Medicine: The Zach Kirk Saga Part 2
• Ultimate fighting in Iowa spotlight
• Iowa Fighter Paralyzed After MMA – Fight, Donations Currently Being Accepted.
• Iowa Fighter Zach Kirk Suffers Broken Neck, Paralyzed During Fight
• Paralyzed Iowa Fighter Works To Walk Again – KCCI Video Clip
• MMA Fighter Fights For Recovery – Submissions 101