DETROIT, MI -- After pushing a bill that would regulate Mixed Martial Arts bouts through the House, State Rep. Harvey Santana (D-Detroit) expects the death of a Canadian fighter in Port Huron last week to spur the Senate to follow suit and send the legislation to the governor.

"We have a dead body on our hands," Santana said on WJBK's weekend Let it Rip program.

Michigan is one of 13 states to allow amateur MMA fights but not regulate them.

"It's the fastest growing sport in the United States," Sanatana said. "There's no rules, no regulations whatsoever (in Michigan). So they're going to fight regardless because there's a promoter out there that's going to encourage it."

Felix Elochukwu Nchikwo, 35, collapsed and died died April 6 after losing the Port Huron fight by technical knockout in the third round.

The cause of death has not been revealed, but Santana said there was no doctor on site during the bout.

"There was never any pre-fight determination by a doctor to say whether or not the man was capable of fighting," Santana said. "You don't know if two weeks ago he got knocked out in some other state, came over here to fight. You don't know if something else was going on with that individual prior to them entering the cage... what this bill does... it takes a step, a lot of steps forward to stopping these types of things from happening."

The bill, which passed the House by a 106-3 vote, would create an advisory commission to oversee amateur MMA, requiring promoters to be licensed, carry health insurance for fighters, have a physician and ambulance on site at fights, and hold pre-fight medical screenings.

Fight promoter Joe Donofrio, who helped Santana write the bill, acknowledged that the regulations would raise the cost of holding an MMA event and hurt small-time promoters.

"Maybe they shouldn't be in the business," he said. Maybe they should try another sport.

"... A doctor on sight is necessary, along with an ambulance... We have to have trained referees. They have to know when to stop the fight. Right now, there is no training for referees. Anybody can use any kind of trainer or any referee to do anything."

He said the regulations were modeled after professional MMA organizations.

Follow Khalil AlHajal on Twitter @DetroitKhalil or on Facebook at Detroit Khalil. He can be reached at kalhajal@mlive.com or 313-643-0527.

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