In a step that brings mixed martial arts one step closer to legitimacy in the state of California, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) voted Tuesday to amend regulation legislation with several options suggested by PRIDE Fighting Championships.
Since California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill into law that places MMA in the hands of the CSAC, this move was one of a handful that are needed to actually allow fights in the state.
Combat sports are extremely popular in the state, where MMA has run successfully for years on Native American reservations, but political challenges within CSAC ranks forestalled any regulation of the sport and indefinitely postponed the debut of MMA in large markets such as Los Angeles and San Jose (which is one hour south of San Francisco).
According to the website Sherdog, the new proposed rules allow for the use of a traditional ring, a three-round match of 10 minutes, five minutes, and five minutes, as well as the use of gis and amateur wrestling shoes. All of these guidelines are in effect in PRIDE, which is trying to expand into the United States.
Also up for debate but not passed were allowances for kicks and knees to the head. The vicious offense is normally allowed in PRIDE—notable for the “soccer kick”—but in the United States, where MMA has been consistently decried for its brutal image and reputation, tactics normally allowed in Japan may have to be cut.
Based on reporting by the stateline.org website, MMA is legal and regulated in at least 19 states, most notably Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, and New Jersey. In at least 21 other states, the sport is banned, regulation is left up to local governments, or the state has taken no action. Some other states rely on Nevada or New Jersey precedent to decide how to regulate MMA.
If the legislation is not adopted by December 9, it will be killed entirely, starting the process anew. If this were to be the case, MMA legally in California would not be allowed until mid-2006. Fighters and promoters alike are hopeful that will not be the case.
Several big fights have been considered. One of which, Cesar Gracie vs. Frank Shamrock (20-7-1) on October 1 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, has already been announced. Promoted by K-1 USA, it would be the first competition in MMA rules to take place in the state.
