**Update** D'oh Canada: Canadian doctors look to ban MMA, poutine and French-Canadians still legal

If you'll remember a few weeks back, the city of North Vancouver (erroneously reported as north Vancouver) put out a de facto ban on MMA by getting rid of its athletic commission. Apparently that wasn't enough as a group of doctors (let's call them idiots) are seeking to get MMA banned across the country.

Yes, that's right. Across the country. Canadian news source TheProvince.com writes:

In July, the BCMA held a caucus meeting and passed a resolution stating it wants the full-contact sport banned in Canada.

If the CMA agrees to adopt the resolution, it will lobby the federal government to bring an end to MMA contests in the country.

Dr. Ian Gillespie, president of the BCMA, said the resolution was passed because doctors are concerned about the potential for serious injury, including brain damage.

Now, the body that acts as the voice of doctors in B.C. is planning to bring that resolution to the Canadian Medical Association’s annual general meeting at Niagara Falls, Ont., from Aug. 23 to 25.

Doctors are concerned about POTENTIAL brain damage. As in brain damage that COULD happen. This, coming from the country in which you can buy semi-automatic rifles with an issued license. Isn't that "potentially" harmful? What's that you say? The people are checked by the government before they get a license? You don't say. Well isn't that what athletic commissions are for? By George I think you're right.

They go on to cite the South Carolina death of Michael Kirkham and the injury list from UFC 115 as examples of the dangers of the sport.  Putting aside the medical specifics of the Kirkham case, let's assume 100% that it was his fight alone that caused his death and that MMA is responsible. That puts the grand total of MMA deaths in licensed states at one. (Note: Sammy Vasquez died in Texas in 2007 which has a limited, in terms of testing, regulatory commission.) That is not to trivialize and reduce Mr. Kirkham's tragic death to a statistic. It is to put it in perspective compared with other major sports.

Several NFL players have died since UFC 1, most notably Korey Stringer, fans have died or been severely injured at NHL games due to being hit by errant pucks. Professional wrestling which a) is a frequent visitor to the Great White North and b) is unregulated by commissions in Canada, has wrestlers dropping at abnormal rates including recent death Lance Cade. Canadian national hero Chris Benoit, who murdered his wife and son before taking the coward's way out with suicide, also suffered from brain injuries revealed in an autopsy built up over a career. Another Canadian Bret Hart suffered an in-ring stroke and, while he did retire, recently came back into wrestling including dates in Canada.

There have been studies done, including this one by Johns Hopkins University, that state that MMA is just as safe as, if not safer than, other combat sports.

The injury rate in MMA competitions is compatible with other combat sports involving striking. The lower knockout rates in MMA compared to boxing may help prevent brain injury in MMA events.

Mixed Martial Arts competitions have changed dramatically since the first Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993. The overall injury rate in MMA competitions is now similar to other combat sports, including boxing. Knockout rates are lower in MMA competitions than in boxing. This suggests a reduced risk of TBI* in MMA competitions when compared to other events involving striking.

*Traumatic Brain Injury

So we have a group of doctors idiots that, in spite of evidence to the contrary, insist that MMA is more dangerous than boxing, which is regularted and legal, and professional wrestling, which is unregulated and still legal. Instead of looking to work with MMA organizations to make the sport better, they would rather wring their hands of it all together and turn a blind eye to making an already safe sport safer. This makes no sense. Canadians help me to understand the logic.

***UPDATE***

The cool part of Canada, the province of Ontario, has finally legalized MMA according to the Toronto Sun.That means Toronto, one of the world's biggest markets, is open and available to the UFC. Look for them to do a PPV in the Rogers Centre as quickly as possible. Always did love Toronto.