Actual Threats to MMA: Media Blows Off Misaki's non UFC Ankle Injection

Last weekend, hardcore MMA fans and insomniacs alike were treated to a true five round battle between Jorge
Santiago and Kazuo Misaki at the latest Sengoku Raider Championship (I love typing that out) event in Japan.  As a fight fan first and a critic second (shocked, aren't you?), one cannot help but appreciate the heart, skill and guts displayed by both competitors.  The fight was entertaining to watch, involved talented fighters and was definitively decided late in the fifth - as pure viewing spectacle, it was excellent.  In a week dominated by analysis of BJ Penn's history and potential future match ups for Nate Diaz (also, how fucking skinny does Mark Hunt look these days?), most MMA sites decided to throw up links to videos of the fight.  A casual MMA fan could easily never know about how Misaki was able to actually compete that evening.

Dave Walsh reported on Monday evening - that's about ninety hours as of the time of this writing - that Misaki had received painkilling injections in his ankle (evidenced by the wrap he wore during the fight) in the lead up to his brawl with Santiago.  Because of the lack of athletic commission/independent regulation of MMA in Japan, we don't know if Misaki was risking permanent damage to his ankle by fighting.  We don't know if he was receiving injections in the locker room before the fight.  In fact, we don't know if the painkillers weren't localized - indeed, Misaki, his opponent, or any other competitor in any other unsanctioned MMA event could be hopped up on Vicodin, PCP and purple Kool Aid.

I'm as guilty as anyone here.  I blew off writing this piece in the interest of engaging in debates about BJ Penn's legacy and Karo's return to the UFC.  Others have been focusing on insulting pro wrestling fans that now help to fund our sport, how to sell Edgar/Maynard will sell and - again - how fucking skinny Mark Hunt looks (really, it's pretty absurd).  We in the MMA blogosphere spend a great deal of time casting our belly lint into candle wax and attempting to decipher the lessons the ripples have to teach us.  Meanwhile, choosing to focus on reality,  Walsh points out that he believes that Sakuraba (currently slated to battle Mayhem Miller at DREAM.16 in what will hopefully be that corrupt organization's last event) would not be sanctioned to fight in the US, for the very fact that he would probably not be cleared medically.  Anyone that knows me knows I'm not a "sky is falling" kind of guy - however, having a well-watched MMA bout end in tragic injury because of insufficient or nonexistent medical oversight is the shortest path between our current zenith and a return to the Dark Ages.    It can happen again, there are forces out there that actively want it to happen again, and we must be diligent in our crusade to make sure that no one - here, Japan or anyone - gives anti-MMA forces everywhere the ammunition they crave.

And if that means we miss out on some freak show fights, Misaki/Santiago or Japanese MMA as a whole, then so be it.