A NEW RTÉ report today suggests that vested interests are still firmly against Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) being recognised as a legitimate sport in Ireland.

In May, Sports Minister Michael Creed suggested that work was “progressing” towards the full regulation of the sport here and the establishment of a governing body for it.

That news came in the wake of the tragic death of Portuguese fighter Joao Carvalho following a MMA event in Dublin in April.

However, documents released to RTÉ under freedom of information suggest that the Irish Martial Arts Commission (IMAC) remains hostile to the legitimatisation of MMA in its current form, and that the commission agrees with reports describing MMA as “pornographic, sadistic and voyeuristic to its core”.

But, given the popularity of the sport here, is it time it was recognised as a sport?

We’re asking: Should MMA be recognised and regulated as a legitimate sport in Ireland?

