Australian bare-knuckle fighting event denied for Perth
Western Australia's Combat Sports Commission has declined an application for a bare-knuckle boxing event in Perth.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the commission said the board was not satisfied the event met the required criteria.
The WA government has faced intense scrutiny over the proposed event by medical experts and the opposition in recent weeks.
Australian Medical Association WA President Michael Page expressed concern about the lack of protective gear.
"We know that any sport that involves repetitive knocks to the head — and this is quite clearly that — puts people at risk of not only acute concussion and acute brain injury, but also chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is where people, years after they've been involved in these sports, progressively develop personality changes, memory difficulties and dementia," he said.
Last week, the head of the commission Bob Kucera said while many people regard the sport with distaste, banning it would simply drive it underground.
The decision comes as the two main fights on the July 19 card were announced by the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship across social media on Wednesday with Perth Arena also advertising ticket sales for the event.
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