Unlike most states, who are waking up to the 21st century and regulating MMA, the state of Delaware is looking to ban it claiming its no different from ‘Toughman Competitions”:

On Tuesday, state Rep. Robert J. Valihura Jr., R-Beau Tree, introduced legislation that would ban “combative fighting” in Delaware.

House Bill 501, which is being called the “Toughman Legislation,” lumps MMA with Toughman competitions.

The bill defines Toughman events as elimination tournaments between amateur participants without any boxing experience or training.

The bill would ban both forms of fighting in Delaware. Promoters and fighters who violate the law would face class A misdemeanor charges.

Delaware does not have a state boxing commission. Instead, boxing is sanctioned by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission, which does not currently regulate MMA.

While we have nothing but love and respect for boxers and have on a number of occasions suggested that boxing training would benefit most MMA competitors this is patently absurd. To suggest that Royce Gracie, Hidehiko Yoshida or Brock Lesnar aren’t legitimate athletes merely because they haven’t trained in ‘the sweet science’ is downright insulting to the dedication and sacrifice they’ve put in to master their respective fighting disciplines. Furthermore to lump MMA with ‘Toughman Competitions’ suggests that world class athletes like Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva and Urijah Faber are no better than drunken, overweight nightclub bouncers and longshoremen that pummel each other into incoherence. There’s as much similarity between MMA and ‘Toughman Competitions’ as there is between competitive fencing and a back alley knife fight. Unfortunately, there’s plenty of grandstanding politicians that aren’t smart enough or honest enough to learn the difference. The fact that these bottom feeders are allowed to ban and regulate that on which they’re profoundly ignorant is an anathema to a free society and a slap in the face to the founders of this country and the framers of the Constitution.

On second thought, maybe the genius brain of Representative Valihura, who introduced the legislation to ban MMA along with farcical ‘Toughman Contests’, is on to something. Case in point: below are four pictures. One is of UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, the other WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber. The other two were taken from a Google search of ‘toughman competitions’. Its amazing, but they’re indistinguishable from one another. Delaware should be proud that a brilliant man like Representative Valihura is looking out for the rest of the clearly less intelligent citizens of the state.

(ANSWER: the first and fourth pictures are Faber and GSP respectively. The second and third are random ‘Toughman’ competitors. Good call, Representative Valihura! No difference whatsoever here.)

MMA could soon face ban in Delaware @ Delaware Online