Is There A Problem At The Virginia DPOR?

For a couple of months now, since the Mike Easton vs. Chase Beebe fight in Fairfax a few months ago, the MMA blog Bloody Elbow has been looking into the actions and decisions of the Virginia Department of Profession and Occupational Regulation; the body that regulates boxing, pro wrestling, and now mixed martial arts.  The beef with the Easton-Beebe fight was the scoring of the judges, and initiated this remark from local resident and BE editor Luke Thomas:

But something else is rotten in Denmark: the Virginia commission itself. Let me be absolutely clear about this so everyone can get a good look: this is one of the most heavy-handed, incompetent and undeserving athletic commissions I have ever had the displeasure of watching operate. To watch them work is to suffer. As I will detail over the coming week, they are a group that is in no position to be sanctioning and regulating professional MMA. Their judges are utterly clueless, their existing judging criteria is an abortion of proper standards and the officials in place are ineffectual bullies who are thoroughly unfamiliar with law and historical precedent. In their present state, they are a threat to the growth of MMA.

The point of the VDPOR is to regulate a fight and an event.  They hire the referees, the judges, and the care of the fighters are in their hands.  Just like boxing, they are suppose to watch the fighters get ready, watch their hands getting wrapped (Antonio Margarito), and making sure their corners have everything they need, and that fighters aren't greasing.  In any regulated combat sport, the health and safety of the fighters are in the hands of a commission.  Thomas has outlined here, here, and here how the Department, with David Holland running the Professional Boxing and Wrestling Program that also covers MMA, is incompetent and putting fighters in real harm.

But don't take my word for it, here is UFC welterweight contender Ben Saunders - fresh off cornering some of his fighters at an event in Harrisonburg - sounding off.  Mind you, Saunders didn't fight at the event, but was there with his guys.  Here is his post on the MMA forum The Underground, "Virginia Needs To Do Something . . . "

Most people thought my beef with the athletic commission was for the judging and unorthodox and what seemed to be illegal score changing to me. I don't blame the home town fighter that got a gimmie and no court trial cause he did his job and fought his heart out. They both had a war and don't deserve a win, loss, or draw do to incompetent or shady officials. But apparently this fight was for an opportunity to fight for WEC or something. I have never heard of or seen in my entire career what went down that night. I said don't you have some kind kind of court trial to discuss and turnover a decision. He said he can do whatever he wants and to watch him, getting very defensive and angry because someone was questioning him. Appearing to make it very personal as opposed to a professional decision. What they showed us was scratched out and rewrites on the card saying they messed up. Not once did they ever apologize or act professional in any way. They seemed like they felt they could run the show however they wanted not abiding by any protocols or rules what so ever.

To my knowledge it is the commissions job to watch hand wraps and gloving of fighters signing off on them!!!!!!!!!!!

The commission tried to call off the event the day of weigh ins because they were scared of a little snow. The promoters convinced them to do their job and allow the event to continue. The event got hit with a bunch of problems as it is normal in this industry and did everything possible to keep the show a go, making the training, traveling, and potential livelihood of some guys who need money and fight for a living worth there time and work.

But the commission you could tell were very bitter about having to work, and pretty much half-assed everything. Not really caring about the seriousness of there job. Not only that but a single pro win or loss is the difference between making it or not to the big show. This is peoples lives we're talking about.

Anyways back to my main issue and grudge was the saftey of the fighters. I don't want my fighter, or other fighters fighting in a state that doesn't do there job and puts lives in danger which could seriously destroy everything we as a whole MMA community have fought so hard to accomplish by promoting and regulating MMA into a legit sport that is safer than many other sports. One death in Virginia could cause NY and even states who approved of it to deny MMA and send us back 10 years. I will not sit back and watch some douche bag do that to me, us, or anyone. Fuck that shit!!!

Someone could have easily built a cast around there hand or added some kind of metal, ect. under the gloves, and many other illegal things that could cause an edge in a fight or possibly death!!! No commission was anywhere to regulate anything. People could have greased, done sport enhancing injections, you name it. Nothing was run in a legal manner, which i don't blame the event cause they pay the commission to regulate the event and do there fucking job!

They tried to get a cop to remove me from the event because they got angry i was questioning them and they told me to go away and shooed me away with there hands like I was a dog. This is after I was already walking away like 8-12 feet. It was ridiculous. Because I turned around to there smart ass remark and dog like shooing, this is when they got a cop. The cop didn't ask what was going on and tried to escort me out. I stayed calm and was actually laughing. I was cracking up, thinking i didn't do anything wrong or illegal, how can he really justify kicking me out? I was there as a special guest for the event and as a corner. I was in the middle of no where in Virginia at some high school that was holding the event. It was snowing outside and i obviously don't have a car. I kept thinking what is he gonna do kick me out into the snow and leave me there, Hahaha. We walked to get my things but once he found out why I was there and talking with the promoter he realized the guy was a fucking tool and let me stay.

I feel sorry for all the fighters and promoters of Virginia. You guys deserve so much better. I hope this guy loses his job or at least gets put in his place and raises his efforts and realizes the seriousness of his job.

and this might be the worst part:

Ohh.... ya... I forgot they did not even look at credentials, licenses or anything to legalize the fighters name and face with the license applications.

I asked if they needed to see mine or my fighters license while handing him my cornering license and he gave me an attitude and said do you see a copier anywhere!?

WTF is going on!!!!???? I could have fought in place of my fighter under his name for all they know!

I know what most of you are probably thinking, "come on Chris, not more of your MMA stuff."  But this is a pretty serious dereliction of duty by an arm of the state government and a sanctioning body who is clearly not doing its job.  Whatever you think of fighting, someone could be killed if a regulating commission does not do its job.  I don't know if they resent being forced to work an MMA event that many feel is too brutal for mainstream, or if they are just lazy trying collect a pay check.  They didn't even look at credentials that could have caused ringers to fight, they didn't watch hands being wrapped were plaster or metal could have been inserted.

Maybe its just a one time thing but I doubt it.  Saunders is a top-level fighter who fights for the UFC and knows first hand how top-notch commissions work in places like Nevada, New Jersey, and California.  Maybe because Virginia is smaller, but I don't want our state to be the place the first death in MMA happens, or something very serious happens in a boxing or pro wrestling match.  Maybe someone in the General Assembly might want to take a closer look at this.  Money is to be made, the UFC show in Fairfax sold out the Patriot Center and brought in a live gate of $753,962, a great number.  There has to be some accountability for this. 

Comments

[viagra online]

hello guys, I really like this post, the events in general are things that draw little attention, thanks for sharing the information, and answer many questions I would like updates to this article, thanks

[authentic jordans]

Very interesting issue that after a very successful. Nicely written article good work ! Thanks for the great piece of sharing.

[Juicy Couture On Sale]

Participants will create a figure portrait on a 10" x 10" maple panel, transferring the figure template with Richeson Transfer Paper & graphite art pencils.