Western Australia’s Combat Sports Commission (CSC) has declined an application for a bare-knuckle boxing event, that was due to be hosted in Perth.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the commission said the board was not satisfied the event met the required criteria.
The Australian-first tournament drew controversy from medical experts and politicians in recent weeks, with the Australian Medical Association (AMA) labelling it a “blood sport”.
“This so-called sport even more closely resembles street fighting than its cousins of boxing and mixed martial arts. Our society has no need for the toxicity and negative influence of blood sports,” AMA WA President Dr Michael Page wrote in a letter to the Premier and other Ministers.
Western Australia’s Opposition leader, Basil Zempilas, also had a crack at the event, saying “it has no place in Western Australia”.
The AMA has welcomed the CSC’s decision with Dr Page telling the ABC we need “to be looking at all combat sports” and reassessing whether “people punching each other in the head” was appropriate.
“We need to be looking at all combat sports and really wondering whether people punching each other in the head and causing short and long-term brain damage is something that as a society we should be condoning,” he said.
Mr Zempilas said “common sense (had) prevailed” as the announcement hit the press on Thursday evening.
“It should not have got to this and should not have taken this long… But finally common sense has prevailed and the bare-knuckle fighting will not be coming to Perth,” Zempilas wrote on social media.
