All but one count of Mark Hunt’s lawsuit against the UFC, UFC President Dana White and Brock Lesnar was thrown out in U.S. District Court. The former UFC heavyweight argued he didn’t consent to Lesnar allegedly doping and therefore, was entitled to criminal battery relief. The judge in the case ruled while doping is wrong, a fighter in mixed martial arts (MMA) assumes the risk of this possibility whenever they compete. While some see this as a travesty, the judge is unfortunately quite correct.
First, the criminalization of doping is an entirely unjustifiable idea that stems from the failed war on drugs. Criminal prosecution of drug use, even for sport, causes more harm than good. Second, for the courts to get involved in doping in the way Hunt asked would open the door to all manner of oversight for sport that could set bad precedents. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the judge isn’t arguing doping is a good or that Hunt explicitly agreed to fight a doping competitor, but that one has to know this is a risk every time they enter the cage. Elimination of that risk is impossible. Moreover, when Hunt acknowledged Lesnar did not fight in any way unusual for the sport and that the injuries he sustained are in keeping with the kinds of injuries he typically suffers in an MMA bout, he ultimately lost the argument. If you’re making a claim about the increased harm PEDs cause and you can’t provide evidence for it, the argument falls apart.
Anti-doping zealots have fed the public a series of fictions to explain the need for harsh enforcement. One of them was that they are needed to keep MMA safer. Aside from the open question of how safe MMA can be before losing an audience, there’s literally zero evidence for this claim. The argument that MMA gets safer with harsher anti-doping protocol rests on talking points and not a shred of evidence about the aggregate changes in the UFC.
I think that saying that anti doping has no purpose aside from a face save for the ufc is narrow minded mma isn't a team sport creating an even playing filed as much possible is critical for the sport unlike the NFL mma is an individually ranked combat sport blurring the line in the trt Day's is what brought a host of boo fans. out of the two sportwide options ban or mandatory doping I think banning is the more rationale solution
I guess hunt could have had a clause in the event that other fighter is caught doping in the bout agreement. He doesn't really have an argument without written penalty. Fighters unionize? Or keep letting these breakable contracts determine your careers?
I'm a lawyer, but in a different jurisdiction (so there could be minor differences). But:
Consenting to a sporting contest means consenting to any reasonably foreseeable occurrences and consequences during that contest, including those in breach of the sport's rules.
For example, in football, you consent to illegal tackles, because it is reasonably foreseeable during a game of football.
In MMA, you would consent to the possibility of being eye poked, even though it's against the rules.
This judge seems to be extending this principle to PEDs.
Fantastic video. And the comparison to the useless drug war is spot on
I agree with every thing Luke said here, great stuff, seriously.
So you actually believe that crack or crocodile should be legal? I can understand the argument on legalizing pot; but let´s not get ahead of ourselves and paint all the drugs under the same brush. And the problem not going away doesn´t mean you should give up. Murder and rape have been crimes for a while and they haven´t exactly disappear…but i still think its a good idea to keep thinking of them as crimes.
Very fair assessment, Luke. There is too much jealousy involved in rule making. Nothing about safety or fair play.
Dude you cant compare steroid use in mma to the use of harmful recreational drugs in terms of criminalising them. One of them causes harm to another person and the other does not.
he's a little funny in the head
I know what you are trying to do mr Thomas, the main argument isn’t the amount of harm done by doped fighters, the main argument is the fairness of the sport. Get it right my man and stop blocking people for comments like mine