So that’s a no, then?
The Irish Martial Arts Commission are involved in a process to determine if Mixed Martial Arts is to become an affiliate sport, and therefore received funding and regulation from Sport Ireland.
However, according to a RTE report, there appears to be little chance of the process being successful for MMA. The IMCA wrote to the International Olympic Committee earlier this year saying that in its current form MMA is not a sport.
They compared it to dog fighting, and therefore it should not be legitimised, describing MMA as “pornographic, sadistic and voyeuristic to its core.”
There were calls to formally recognise MMA in Ireland following the death of Joao Carvalho, as a result of head injuries sustained in a bout with Charlie Ward in April at the National Stadium in Dublin.
Professor Dan Healy, a leading neurologist, said at the time that authorities should either “have the courage to ban it, or take safety out of the hands of commercial promoters”.
However, according to RTE, the ICMA report argues against MMA becoming an affiliate sport.
“We have to be strong enough to say no – to draw a line – and live with the criticism of the MMA fan core and vested business interests,” the report reads.
“If MMA is not interested in changing the rules regarding elements such as ‘ground and pound’ then a ban is the only option to those whom ‘they’ are saying should regulate MMA.”
