According to KHON news, mixed martial arts, widely popularized by the Ultimate Fighting Championships, or UFC, has been regularted in Hawaii. A bill with 22 pages of rules was passed by the legislature to regulate and implement rules for mixed martial art events in Hawaii.
After reviewing some of those rules, there doesn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary. As with all other fighting organizations, there is a maximum of 5 rounds that are 5 minutes each. For bouts that are not main events, there are usually only 3 rounds. A rule that is new to me is that you have to be at least 18 years old to compete. I’ve seen matches between kids, but then again, it wasn’t all out, and the kids were required to wear protective equipment.
A rule that I think is very necessary is a background check of each fighter. Not only will they be screened for a criminal background, but they will also be screened for hepatitis and AIDS. The latter is very important because there is a big chance that fighters will bleed after being hit or cut. Because of this, there could be a chance for contaminated blood to come into contact with the opposing fighter, which could possibly put the opposing fighter’s life in danger.
I know in the past, the state has tried to ban mixed martial arts in Hawaii. Now that the sport has taken off, and finally has been legitimized as a sport instead of a barbaric event, I feel that these rules are helping to protect the fighters and the fans. This way, the events will be safer for all to compete and enjoy. As an avid mixed martial arts fan myself, this is a step forward to making mixed martial arts safer in Hawaii.
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