‘Morally repugnant': Opposition spars with Labor in bare-knuckle boxing push
A row over a push for a bare-knuckle boxing event in WA ended in a full-blown shouting match during Question Time on Thursday as the opposition urged the government to step in and stop what it called a 'morally reprehensible' sport.
The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, partially owned by former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Conor McGregor, has announced plans to bring a boxing event to RAC Arena on July 19, with the Combat Sports Commission confirming it had received a request.
The WA government has distanced itself from the planned event but former sports minister David Templeman opened the door to it in February, amending regulations to recognise BKFC as a sanctioning body.
According to BKFC rules fighters may only punch each other with unimpeded knuckles throughout five two-minute rounds.
The opposition ramped up attacks on Thursday with shadow sports minister Peter Rundle asking whether Premier Roger Cook would 'show some leadership to prevent this morally repugnant event.'
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Cook said it was 'not his cup of tea' but that the state was not providing any financial assistance to BKFC and that he trusted the Combat Sports Commission to provide advice on how the event could run safely.
'I can appreciate that, to the layperson, this sounds like people just getting in a ring and having a go. It is not,' he said.
'It is not my cup of tea, but the Combat Sports Commission has provided preliminary advice that anything of this nature requires at least two medical practitioners and requires the participants to be experienced and knowledgeable of the particular discipline.'
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West Australian
a day ago
- West Australian
Premier Roger Cook issues fresh defence against Government's handling of proposed bare-knuckle fight in Perth
Premier Roger Cook has issued a fresh defence of his government's handling of a proposed bare-knuckle fight in Perth next month, saying it was better to have a controlled event, rather than it going underground. Mr Cook said he 'appreciated community concern' about the championship event — a spin-off of the UFC — earmarked for RAC Arena in July. But he said there was a greater risk if bare-knuckle fighting occurred in an unregulated environment. 'I appreciate community concern around bare-knuckle boxing and understand that combat sports are not for everyone, myself included,' Mr Cook said. 'While we understand there is risk to be balanced with any sports, there is an anticipated greater risk in serious harm to people who participate if it's not conducted in a controlled, permitted and regulated environment. 'Let me be clear: This is not an event the WA Government is sponsoring financially.' WA's boxing regulations were amended by former Sport Minister David Templeman in February to recognise the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship as a sanctioning body. The Combat Sports Commission has said additional conditions would be put in place — if the fight went ahead. But the Australian Medical Association WA says the event should not proceed — and if it did, it would send the wrong message to the community in the face of domestic violence and other vicious crimes committed in the community. 'The fact that the State Government has paved the way for this activity to occur in Western Australia is baffling,' AMA WA boss Dr Michael Page said. 'We are dismayed. 'What was the rationale? Did they consider this in light of family and domestic violence?' Mr Cook says Sports Minister Rita Saffioti has taken fresh advice on the proposed event from the Combat Sports Commission, which was made up of experts in the field. 'It advised bare-knuckle boxing is another emerging discipline, alongside kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts, that has started to grow here in Australia, since its following in the US and the UK,' Mr Cook said. 'The advice from the Combat Sports Commission is that it requires stringent rules and regulations so it isn't driven underground. 'With the Commission regulating this sport and events associated with it, it means there are strict rules applied and carried through such as having multiple ringside medical practitioners and a threshold to the minimum experience for participants.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Morally repugnant': Opposition spars with Labor in bare-knuckle boxing push
A row over a push for a bare-knuckle boxing event in WA ended in a full-blown shouting match during Question Time on Thursday as the opposition urged the government to step in and stop what it called a 'morally reprehensible' sport. The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, partially owned by former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Conor McGregor, has announced plans to bring a boxing event to RAC Arena on July 19, with the Combat Sports Commission confirming it had received a request. The WA government has distanced itself from the planned event but former sports minister David Templeman opened the door to it in February, amending regulations to recognise BKFC as a sanctioning body. According to BKFC rules fighters may only punch each other with unimpeded knuckles throughout five two-minute rounds. The opposition ramped up attacks on Thursday with shadow sports minister Peter Rundle asking whether Premier Roger Cook would 'show some leadership to prevent this morally repugnant event.' Loading Cook said it was 'not his cup of tea' but that the state was not providing any financial assistance to BKFC and that he trusted the Combat Sports Commission to provide advice on how the event could run safely. 'I can appreciate that, to the layperson, this sounds like people just getting in a ring and having a go. It is not,' he said. 'It is not my cup of tea, but the Combat Sports Commission has provided preliminary advice that anything of this nature requires at least two medical practitioners and requires the participants to be experienced and knowledgeable of the particular discipline.'
The Age
3 days ago
- The Age
‘Morally repugnant': Opposition spars with Labor in bare-knuckle boxing push
A row over a push for a bare-knuckle boxing event in WA ended in a full-blown shouting match during Question Time on Thursday as the opposition urged the government to step in and stop what it called a 'morally reprehensible' sport. The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, partially owned by former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Conor McGregor, has announced plans to bring a boxing event to RAC Arena on July 19, with the Combat Sports Commission confirming it had received a request. The WA government has distanced itself from the planned event but former sports minister David Templeman opened the door to it in February, amending regulations to recognise BKFC as a sanctioning body. According to BKFC rules fighters may only punch each other with unimpeded knuckles throughout five two-minute rounds. The opposition ramped up attacks on Thursday with shadow sports minister Peter Rundle asking whether Premier Roger Cook would 'show some leadership to prevent this morally repugnant event.' Loading Cook said it was 'not his cup of tea' but that the state was not providing any financial assistance to BKFC and that he trusted the Combat Sports Commission to provide advice on how the event could run safely. 'I can appreciate that, to the layperson, this sounds like people just getting in a ring and having a go. It is not,' he said. 'It is not my cup of tea, but the Combat Sports Commission has provided preliminary advice that anything of this nature requires at least two medical practitioners and requires the participants to be experienced and knowledgeable of the particular discipline.'
