Minister Ring concerned over non-regulation of MMA

ACTING Sport Minister Michael Ring has extended sympathy to the family of Joao Carvalho, the Portuguese sportsman who died following a mixed martial arts event in Dublin last weekend.

Speaking on the Sean O’Rourke Show on RTÉ Radio One this morning, the Mayo TD expressed concern over the growth of mixed martial arts (MMA) in Ireland and said his department is powerless in regulating MMA events.

He revealed: “I personally wouldn’t be the biggest fan of this sport. At the same time, this sport is taking place. There’s a lot of people going to these events. And there has to be some regulation put in place.”

Minister Ring wrote to 17 promoters of MMA in February 2014 raising his concerns. He said that no funding had been provided from the Irish Sports Council for MMA because it hasn’t been recognised as an official sport.

“It’s a new phenomenon that is after taking off. They have never looked for recognition. There is no national government body. There’s no local government body. I will be asking the Sports Council to take a look at to see what we do to regulate it.

“We don’t have any great control of any kind of sport in this country, except if they want funding from the State. If they are looking for funding from the State, there has to be a national governing body. There has to be rules, regulations.”

“I have concerns, grave concerns and I did predict something like what happened this week, would happen, and it did happen.”

The tragic death of Carvalho is a significant setback to efforts by advocates of MMA to have it recognised as a legitimate sport in Ireland.

The Irish Amateur Pankration Association has been working to create a national governing body for MMA so it can apply for recognition from Sports Ireland. Its president, John Kavanagh, coaches MMA superstar Conor McGregor.

It is understood the association has introduced new regulations aimed at increasing fighter safety at the events and tournaments it has regulated in recent months.