Under 16s fighting MMA with head shots

Jason Mc

What is the general practice in MMA shows around europe or in the states?

Whats ur views on the subject?

We have been a little worried about having teens fight at our show as we don't want bad press and I wouldn't particularly want to see 14 year olds getting knocked out

I appreciate though the chance is probably less than a teen getting KO'ed in Thai Boxing or Boxing

peter p

Jason Mc wrote: »

What is the general practice in MMA shows around europe or in the states?

Whats ur views on the subject?

We have been a little worried about having teens fight at our show as we don't want bad press and I wouldn't particularly want to see 14 year olds getting knocked out

I appreciate though the chance is probably less than a teen getting KO'ed in Thai Boxing or Boxing

In boxing they have headgear though, not to mention 14oz gloves

cowzerp

peter p wrote: »

In boxing they have headgear though, not to mention 14oz gloves

10oz gloves, 14 would be for sparring only and head gear makes feck all difference to impact of blows, as i said many times they do stop cuts though but a bit of vaso would solve that problem. or wear head guards in the mma if its that big a deal..

if kids are to train MMA they might aswell fight it, just tame the rules down a bit for maximum safety, it should be all about learning, i'd use the new D class rules, bigger gloves, shin pads and no knee's to head

Roper

Different shows have different policies but for my money:

Minors 17 and under should be protected as they legally cannot make their own decisions, no matter how mature they seem to be. Blows to the head are bad for anyone, but particularly bad for those with underdeveloped mastoids as kids will have, and if I remember the science correctly, the subarachnoid space between the skull and brain is smaller in children/teens than in adults. This means less cerebrospinal fluid to cushion blows to the head's impact on the brain. I'm open to correction on that last one as I spoke to a paediatrician about it and may be misrepresenting/remembering what he said.

I don't have the answers, but I think a head guard would be number one. We've trialed headguards in amateur style MMA matches and while there are some technical difficulties in grappling, the awkwardness is worth the reward. Kids should absolutely always use the bigger gloves, there is no excuse for them not to.

Personally I think having teens fighting full contact without safety equipment is high risk at best.

McManus

I think its always a good start to a fight night having under 16s fighting in shows! These are always entertaining fights and these young lads are the future of the sport! So let them fight and gain valuable experience!

Dave Joyce

I appreciate though the chance is probably less than a teen getting KO'ed in Thai Boxing or Boxing

We don't allow head contact for all fighters under 16 years in the Irish Muaythai Council and from there on, fighters would still be strictly matched.