Two hours ago Id never heard of cage fighting - you see what a sheltered life I lead. Now the Libs have launched a last-minute desperate scare campaign, accusing Labor of wanting to legalise cage fighting. So Ive done a bit of research. Cage fighting is actually called mixed martial arts (MMA). Its a cross between boxing, wrestling and martial arts, allowing striking, grappling, throwing etc. Its a recognised sport and is legal in Victoria as elsewhere. In 2008 the Brumby government, apparently for safety reasons, ruled that MMA could only be done in a standard boxing ring, not behind a fence or grille (the so-called cage). MMA promoters argue that this is dangerous for both competitors and spectators, since competitors can be thrown out of a ring in a way that cant happen in boxing. Shadow Sport Minister John Eren has apparently said that Labor will remove this ban. Coalition governments in NSW and Qld allow MMA in a cage: so will Vic if Labor wins. Now I dislike all violent sports, but if boxing is legal theres no reason why MMA shouldnt be legal, and if MMA is safer in a cage than in a boxing ring, then it should be allowed in a cage. People occasionally get killed playing all kinds of sport, including football, horse-racing and cricket - as weve seen today very sadly. Does Napthine want to ban them, too? This is just shameless populist stunting by a desperate party that is afraid to debate real issues like transport, schools and emergency services.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 10:53:26 +0000
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