Irish mma governing body

El Guapo!

Is it time a governing body for irish mma was set up?
I think it is.

With the fast growth in popularity of the sport in this country, I think that for the good of the sport, a governing body should be established.
In general, the mma clubs and promoters in Ireland work really well together and there doesn't seem to be too many problems apart from the odd hiccup every now and then. But if you consider the massive increase in the sports popularity over the past few years, maybe its time now to have a governing body to set up rules and regulations that will help the sport as it grows even further.

There's already clubs springing up left right and centre offering "UFC training" and "cage fighting training" etc. From what I've seen so far though, these clubs don't tend to be that popular once its members realise its not a legitimate, properly run mma gym. But what about when the sports popularity grows even further and these clubs pop up everywhere? They'll start to hold competitions between each other and it'll be only a matter of time before a serious injury occurs and sets the sport back ten years in this country. Now I know that any reputable clubs won't put their fighters on cards that are held by these clubs, but all it takes is one accident at an unregulated event.
Similarly, there's bound to be cowboy promoters out there that will see a way to make a quick buck and put fighters safety at risk with a poorly ran event.

Isn't it time that a governing body was set up, and set about promoting the sport as a fun, safe, respected sport?
If all legitimate clubs were members of this body, then an event could only be held by registered clubs and could only include fighters who are registered and have gone through proper medicals etc before being licensed.

An event could only use refs, cut men, judges etc that are recognised and licensed by the official governing body. I think this would be an important point and would improve fighter safety and encourage fairer judging etc. (I'm not saying anything is wrong with the judging at the moment)
If all this was set up, and an unregulated bout took place and someone was seriously injured, then the backlash would be far less as the point would be made that the bout was not sanctioned by a governing body.

There's plenty of positives from having an official body and very few negatives. I think, as a whole, it can only be a good thing for the sport and improve its image in Ireland.

I'd be interested to hear other people's thoughts on it.

The Bored One

Without official recognition from the Irish Sports Council or other official governing bodies any MMA council is useless. If an MMA governing body does not have recognition from an higher bodies then there is nothing stopping people setting up their own competing or alternative MMA councils.
And given that MMA isn't really recognized as an actual sport by the sports councils or as a martial art by the martial arts bodies, its highly unlikely that a council with official backing could be setup at this time.

El Guapo!

Well then the question is, why is mma not recognised by the sports council?
And why is there not a campaign to get it officially recognised?
Surely for something this important there should be a campaign and people lobbying to get the sport recognised.

cowzerp

El Guapo! wrote: »

There's already clubs springing up left right and centre offering "UFC training" and "cage fighting training" etc. From what I've seen so far though, these clubs don't tend to be that popular once its members realise its not a legitimate, properly run mma gym. But what about when the sports popularity grows even further and these clubs pop up everywhere? They'll start to hold competitions between each other and it'll be only a matter of time before a serious injury occurs and sets the sport back ten years in this country. Now I know that any reputable clubs won't put their fighters on cards that are held by these clubs, but all it takes is one accident at an unregulated event.
Similarly, there's bound to be cowboy promoters out there that will see a way to make a quick buck and put fighters safety at risk with a poorly ran event.

This has been happening for years-and even with a governing body these clowns can still run their own show outside of the body-it happens all the time in the states.

There was some work been done on the body thing but it seems to have gone quiet, if a body is been formed it needs to be discussed continually till people know what they need to do and to put right in there clubs, you can't just 1 day dump a body on all clubs and then when they don't have what the body wants there gone, this is how splits occur.

As it stands clubs don't seem to care when clubs are set up all the place with coaches having never set foot in the cage at all, not even amateur! Of course there is exceptions when the coaching team has a few coaches with STRONG backgrounds in the 3 main areas of MMA, striking, Clinch and Ground fighting but these are more the exception than the rule!

Their is loads of clown clubs out there running to make a buck and training to pathetic and possibly dangerous ways due to lack of experience when good clubs are only down the road so they where never needed in the 1st place-most these type clubs never compete because they know they cant back up there boasts to their students.

So even without a governing body these clubs need to be not dealt with and not only that they should be highlighted as been cowboys.

Rant over.

Niall0

There's an organisation that was recently set up in the uk called safe mma to deal with some of these issues. Maybe some of the shows can get associated with them to raise the safety standards of mma in Ireland.

El Guapo!

cowzerp wrote: »

This has been happening for years-and even with a governing body these clowns can still run their own show outside of the body-it happens all the time in the states.

Well in that case, shouldn't the sports council try and get a law passed that nobody is allowed to hold an event or run a club in any combat sport unless they are officially recognised by the council? For safety reasons, this should be put in place.
If that was sorted out, and mma became officially recognised, that would put a stop to the cowboys.

cowzerp

El Guapo! wrote: »

Well in that case, shouldn't the sports council try and get a law passed that nobody is allowed to hold an event or run a club in any combat sport unless they are officially recognised by the council? For safety reasons, this should be put in place.
If that was sorted out, and mma became officially recognised, that would put a stop to the cowboys.

That would end mma straight away.

And in reality most martial arts events-lots have bodies but they mean very little in many cases.

I'm suggesting that as a scene we don't work with cowboys.

El Guapo!

cowzerp wrote: »

That would end mma straight away.

That's why mma would need to be recognised first!

cowzerp wrote: »

And in reality most martial arts events-lots have bodies but they mean very little in many cases.

I'm suggesting that as a scene we don't work with cowboys.

I suppose that's probably the best option at the moment. But will that work in the long term?
I can just see something happening in the future, and this backwards country doing all it can to ban mma. The Joe Duffy brigade would be out in force.

Clive

A lot of confusion on this thread about the Sports Council already. The ISC do not "recognise" sports or anything like it. Let me give a concrete example:

I set up the Irish X-Arm Federation (IAXF). We get members, a constitution, a democratically elected committee, keep our accounts in order and adopt the ISC child protection guideline and anti- doping rules. we affiliate the international X arm association, and run events( with proper insurance, medical cover etc) for a few years. All 20 clubs in the country are affiliated and there is no competing body.

We go to the ISC and ask to be recognised as the National Governing Body for X arm. They look at all the details and come back and say that that X arm is a form of arm wrestling and we should join the Irish Armwrestling Association. We apply to them but they want nothing to do with us. After much further discussion, we arm recognised as the NGB for X arm. We get a small grant for administraion and our athletes are eligible for the carding scheme. Anti-doping tests begin at our events occasionally.

Two years down the road, a few clubs split away and form the Irish National X arm Association. The IXAF is still the NGB but nothing can stop the INXAA from putting on events etc.

That's what an NGB would be about. What people seem to be looking for is legislation to control sports clubs and events.

Under the framework we have at the moment, all we can do is police ourselves (regardless of NGBs councils etc). You can't control people outside of your association, they can do what they want.

El Guapo!

Good post Clive.

I understand what you're saying, and I know there's no controlling what other people do until such a time that legislation is put in place. Would it not be wise to get legislation put in place when it comes to combat sports? If any joe soap can set up clubs and hold events then surely the risk of injury is much higher in combat sports when compared to something like football. That's probably a whole other argument though.

What I'm saying though is why not try to set up an NGB an get all the reputable clubs involved. It won't eliminate the cowboys but it may slow them down. It would be an extra selling point to attract members to a club that is governed by an official body rather than just some random bloke operating a cowboy club from the local parish hall.
Also if there was an NGB that was recognised by the sports council, that would open up the gates for funding and grants for the sport, which can only be a good thing to help develop the sport at the grass roots level.

_oveless_

Clive wrote: »

A lot of confusion on this thread about the Sports Council already. The ISC do not "recognise" sports or anything like it. Let me give a concrete example:

I set up the Irish X-Arm Federation (IAXF). We get members, a constitution, a democratically elected committee, keep our accounts in order and adopt the ISC child protection guideline and anti- doping rules. we affiliate the international X arm association, and run events( with proper insurance, medical cover etc) for a few years. All 20 clubs in the country are affiliated and there is no competing body.

We go to the ISC and ask to be recognised as the National Governing Body for X arm. They look at all the details and come back and say that that X arm is a form of arm wrestling and we should join the Irish Armwrestling Association. We apply to them but they want nothing to do with us. After much further discussion, we arm recognised as the NGB for X arm. We get a small grant for administraion and our athletes are eligible for the carding scheme. Anti-doping tests begin at our events occasionally.

Two years down the road, a few clubs split away and form the Irish National X arm Association. The IXAF is still the NGB but nothing can stop the INXAA from putting on events etc.

That's what an NGB would be about. What people seem to be looking for is legislation to control sports clubs and events.

Under the framework we have at the moment, all we can do is police ourselves (regardless of NGBs councils etc). You can't control people outside of your association, they can do what they want.

Couldn't apply that to any of the existing governing bodies? The reason the fai or gaa would never split and form competing bodies is that despite any internal disputes they are all pulling in the same direction, surely the mma community in Ireland is as well Unless there are major political problems between the various mma groups/promotions around the country that we dont know about it should be feasible to present a united front and lobby the required national bodies for inclusuion.

Mellor

Niall0 wrote: »

There's an organisation that was recently set up in the uk called safe mma to deal with some of these issues. Maybe some of the shows can get associated with them to raise the safety standards of mma in Ireland.

It's a completely voluntary decision to get involved with them, so it would solve none of the problems

El Guapo! wrote: »

For safety reasons, this should be put in place.
If that was sorted out, and mma became officially recognised, that would put a stop to the cowboys.

It's never going to be recognised by the IOC. And there's probably never going to be a international governing body, at lest not one with and sort of adequate structure, so with no umbrella to fall under, an organisation is useless.

_oveless_ wrote: »

Couldn't apply that to any of the existing governing bodies? The reason the fai or gaa would never split and form competing bodies is that despite any internal disputes they are all pulling in the same direction, surely the mma community in Ireland is as well.

THe FAI is under Uefa and Fifa, they follow the rules and structure set in place by these umbrella govern bodies, and through that compete at an international level.
But, if I wanted to set up a different soccer organization, one that plays with 9 men on the field, 15 minute quarters, bigger goals for higher scores etc, I could. If clubs wanted to join and play to my rules, they could. They'd never to play in any european comps, but the FAI can't stop us playing to our rules.

This is the issue with an MMA governing body in ireland. There's no upper echelons, there's no international competition, there's nothing to progress to. There's no real incentive (for cowboys and clowns) to get in line with a NGB, except maybe a recognized national title - which wouldn't really on the cards for them anyway.

The only way a NGB has any useful power, is if they were designated as body for the sport via an SI signed by minister for sport - which is a dangerous ball to get rolling, only this month in western australia, the minister for sport "regulated" MMA by banning the use of the cage - a safety feature.

RoboRat

My tuppence...

I don't think there should be a governing body as unfortunately with a lot of governing bodies, politics gets in the way and it attracts people looking to feather their own bed - especially when grants are involved. Then there could be situations where clubs can be discriminated against due to being in proximity to a current clubs catchment area or situations where clubs gang up against other clubs or new clubs.

I do think that there should be a council with either representatives from ALL clubs or else elected representatives. This council can set guidelines for shows and clubs and be the face of the sport. They can only set guidelines and not rules. If a club is seen to be operating outside of what is considered to the safe practice as set out by these guidelines then the council can elect to reject their affiliation. Basically, if you want to be affiliated to the council then you need to operate within the guidelines. If clubs don't agree with these guidelines then they are free to operate outside of them but they wont be recognised by the council.

Basically having a council and guidelines would give some assurance and also give some governance to the sport whilst setting a specific standard. Its not mandatory and entirely the clubs choice if they want to be a part of it... the same goes for promotions.

I really think there needs to be a face to MMA so that it can be shown as a sport and not just thugs beating lumps out of each other. Its easy for the naysayers to spout bile about it as there is no actual representative who can speak for the community - it would be nice if we could have a voice and a face for the sport.

SDTimeout

First of all let's just call it clear. Stop footing around it and name the cowboy clubs that are hurting others when competing and are wreckless.

SBG on Longmile road, good god close them already!

pablohoney87

Coud somebody clarify if a governing body would have solved the issue with Artem Lobov's win over Artur Sowinski?
If this fight was sanctioned under an Irish governing body would they have had final say rather than the promoter on the decision change?

kainer2

pablohoney87 wrote: »

Coud somebody clarify if a governing body would have solved the issue with Artem Lobov's win over Artur Sowinski?
If this fight was sanctioned under an Irish governing body would they have had final say rather than the promoter on the decision change?

If you was going to model it on a US state commission then the Commission/Governing body would of had the final say and would of appointed the officials too.