My name is Ethan Chandler and I own Phoenix Fitness and Martial Arts, a fitness and martial arts business in Richmond Virginia.  As a small business owner I am very cautious about new government regulations, especially those that can have unintended consequences on business success and personal freedoms.  However I am also responsible for many youth athletes and competitors and I’m a parent of two teenagers who compete actively in several sports.  I know the importance of protecting them from irreparable harm.  For that reason I support this bill.

Unlike most sports where blunt force trauma to the head is incidental and minimized as much as possible, fighting sports like boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts have the specific goal of inflicting that trauma, with knocking someone unconscious being the most rewarded outcome.  These sports also have the highest risk of open wounds where there is continued skin-to-skin contact.  The risk of permanent brain damage and incurable infectious disease are particularly prevalent here, and preventing this should be a top priority.

I am concerned that people could compete with Hep C or HIV because blood tests weren’t performed.  I worry about people competing after being TKO’d or KO’d being able to fight again soon because suspension lists aren’t properly updated.  I’ve heard of fighters being injured in events and not able to get treatment afterwards because the promoter did not carry insurance.  I firmly believe proper regulations are not only needed but are imperative to prevent these instances from happening.

I understand the concern that there may be fewer events when this is more regulated, but I would rather not risk the chance that these permanent health risks occur because we haven’t held promoters to a professional standard.  Their concern is mainly the short term around whether or not they can hold these events.  The long-term risk is born entirely by the young athletes who may suffer lifelong consequences.