Special Reports

Lawmakers Push To Regulate Cage Fighting

BOSTON (WBZ) ― John McCain once referred to it as "human cock fighting -- a brutal and repugnant blood sport."

Today, cage fighting, has more rules and some guidance from a national organization, but the industry, which is exploding in popularity in Massachusetts, is not regulated. Now lawmakers on Beacon Hill are thinking about jumping into the caged ring. The reason: caged rings are popping up all over the state.

The indoor arena at Memorial Hall in Plymouth is regularly jammed with young and old, men and women, roaring their approval as fighters kick and punch their way around. It's called "mixed martial arts" -- a combination of karate, boxing, wrestling all in one and pretty much anything goes. And it does.

Mixed martial arts -- also known as cage fighting and ultimate fighting -- has exploded in popularity in places like Belmont. You will also find dozens of store fronts around Boston offering classes, and people are signing up.

Little kids are learning how to fight. So are teenage girls.

Bobby Girodano has seen his business grow over the years. "I think it is just less traditional... more no nonsense. People like it. It's a little more aggressive. It's a little more practical for real self-defense. It breaks the molds of a lot of the traditional stuff."

And it's not only young men who are showing up at fight nights and local training centers. Just ask 16-year-old Elena Hill. "It's very practical. It's very logical. That's what I like about it."

But a quick surf through YouTube.com shows people are getting hurt. There are dozens of bloody noses, and broken bones mostly from die-hards who have taken the competition too far.

And that concerns Senator Jim Timilty. "I think we should have some regulation for the health and safety of those who participate."

The sport, if you can call it that, is being debated in the hallways on Beacon Hill. There is a serious push to see it regulated and taxed, just like boxing.

"My concern is by not doing something, there could an accident and someone could get hurt and get hurt pretty bad," said Timilty.

However, ex-cage fighter Rob Gonsalves says it's no different than any other main stream sport. "There is violence; there is violence in a lot of different sports. I mean football, hockey you got hitting contact. It is no more violent than any of those I feel."

Thirty-two other states now regulate mixed martial arts.

Ironically, state oversight will actually allow the industry to grow because larger, bigger name fight organizations will now be allowed to set up a cage on a Saturday night.

This type of competition really took off in 2001 when a Las Vegas casino owner purchased a struggling fighting organization called "Ultimate Fighting" and turned it into a global billion dollar business.

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