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Massive CSAC Budget Deficit Threatens to Halt MMA Events in California

(CSAC boss George Dodd, everybody. Is it really surprising that a guy who dresses like a blackjack dealer would be responsible for blowing so much money?)

California’s state athletic commission is in big financial trouble and with it, the possibility of future MMA and boxing matches held in the state. At a meeting on Tuesday it was revealed that the CSAC, led by Executive Director George Dodd, is insolvent, and has been spending far more than it is bringing in through event revenue.

The budget officer for California’s Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), Taylor Schick, released a memo with numbers detailing that if the commission continues on its current path it would face a deficit of nearly $700,000 by the end of 2013’s fiscal year. Such a deficit would force the state to stop putting on athletic events, including MMA and boxing contests, according to DCA director Denise Brown in a letter to Dodd.

“Without the ability to pay for even basic services, the Commission will have no choice but to cease operation immediately and cancel or postpone indefinitely all Commission regulated events,” she wrote.

(CSAC boss George Dodd, everybody. Is it really surprising that a guy who dresses like a blackjack dealer would be responsible for blowing so much money?)

California’s commission has at least two upcoming UFC events on the docket to regulate — July 11th’s UFC on Fuel 4, which will take place in San Jose, and August 4th’s UFC on Fox 4 event in Los Angeles. At present, no scheduled fights are likely to be affected but subsequent ones may be in peril.

Dodd’s leadership was brought into question at Tuesday’s meeting. The Executive Director has kept his job for now but was censured by his commission for “not adequately informing the commission about the insolvency of the athletic commission fund.” On Thursday, commissioner Linda Forster resigned, saying she was shocked to learn of the commission’s financial problems.

In an unrelated story, Nick Diaz‘s home city of Stockton filed for bankruptcy yesterday. Damn, California…would it kill you to get your shit together?

– Elias Cepeda

After 2 Knockouts in 3 Weeks, CSAC Regrets Licensing Jose Figueroa

Filed under: M-1 Global

Jose Figueroa fought in Moscow on November 20 and was knocked out in the first round. Then he fought in California on December 9 and was knocked out in the first round again. Now the California State Athletic Commission says it regrets allowing Figueroa into the ring for that second knockout loss — but the Commission says it was Figueroa who failed to disclose his prior knockout loss when he filled out the Commission’s paperwork at the weigh-in on December 8.

“Prior to the bout, Mr. Figueroa was required to fill out a pre-fight questionnaire indicating his last bout and the outcome of that bout. Mr. Figueroa did not list that fight nor did he list that he lost by KO,” CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd told MMAFighting.com. “If CSAC would have known that Mr. Figueroa had fought in Russia three weeks prior to this event and lost by KO, we would not have allowed this fight to occur. We take health and safety of combative athletes very seriously, but the athlete also has a responsibility as well.”

Dodd says he is looking into the possibility that Figueroa may face disciplinary action from the California Commission, something that Dodd says he hasn’t had to do before.

“I haven’t taken any type of disciplinary action since I’ve been here against a fighter not stating his previous fight,” Dodd said.

But even if Figueroa failed to list his last fight on his paperwork, why didn’t the CSAC do its own research? It’s not like Figueroa’s Moscow fight was a secret: It aired live on pay-per-view in the United States as the co-main event on the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Jeff Monson card, and Figueroa’s loss was listed as part of his record on several online databases, and also mentioned in several news articles about the Fedor-Monson fight. (A Google News search of Jose Figueroa’s name reveals more than 10 articles that referenced Figueroa’s November 20 loss prior to his December 9 fight.)

Dodd says the California Commission was relying on a database that had not been updated with Figueroa’s November 20 fight.

“The California State Athletic Commission reviews the Association of Boxing Commission (ABC) mixed martial arts website to review past fights and suspensions of fighters,” Dodd told MMAFighting.com. “They did not list Jose Figueroa’s previous fight in Russia nor did it list that he was on any type of suspension.”

Dodd acknowledges that allowing a fighter to get knocked out twice in less than three weeks can have potentially serious health consequences.

“I think with any type of fighter that’s been knocked out, a rush into the ring is the same thing as a football player who’s been knocked out — the secondary concussions are just as traumatic or more traumatic than the first one,” Dodd said. “The brain and the body haven’t healed themselves. So I take that seriously. In light of that, the fighter is at a greater risk when his body isn’t able to recover after a KO loss. I’m not a medical doctor but in my experience and from what I’ve read about post-secondary concussions, yeah, it’s definitely dangerous.”

Ultimately, the responsibility to prevent a fighter from getting knocked out twice in rapid succession is on everyone involved, Dodd says.

“A fighter has the responsibility as well to ensure that he takes care of himself and doesn’t put information down that could lead to disciplinary action against him,” Dodd said. “They have a responsibility — I think there’s a lot of people that have the responsibility.”

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Judges to Use Personal Video Monitors at UFC 131 in Vancouver

(MMA Judging: So easy you can do it with your back turned.)

In a move designed to improve judging by giving officials a better view of the in-Octagon action, the Vancouver Athletic Commission has approved the use of cageside video monitors by its appointed judges at UFC 131.

According to VAC chairman Jonathan Tweedale, the decision to allow judges to utilize close circuit television screens to better observe what’s going on in the cage while their views are obstructed was made to help eliminate questionable judging disparities.

“Hopefully this small step, along with mandatory education for all officials, will enhance the fairness and consistency of judges’ decisions if other jurisdictions follow suit,” Tweedale told MMAJunkie today. “The fighters deserve as much.”

(MMA Judging: So easy you can do it with your back turned.)

The Vancouver, BC show will mark the fourth time monitors have been used as an aid in judging UFC events. They were utilized at UFC on Versus 1, UFC 117 and UFC 121.

UFC vice president of regulatory affairs, Marc Ratner, who indicated that the promotion will put in a request with the Nevada State Athletic Commission that monitors be used at UFC 130 in Las Vegas downplayed the screens as being, “just another tool for the judges.”

According to California State Athletic Commission executive director, George Dodd, he specifically requested the use of monitors shortly after he took the helm of the governing body February 2010.

“There are no regulations that say we can’t have monitors in that area,” Dodd said. “Sometimes we don’t get the best look because those big bars are in the way. It just gives the judges another angle to score fights.”

NSAC executive director Keith Kizer told MMAJunkie earlier in the week that the use of monitors in Nevada would have to be approved by way of a vote at the next regulatory hearing and that, although he wasn’t necessarily opposed to the use of monitors, he didn’t feel they are necessary as judges may become dependent on them.

Come on, Keith. We’re talking about TV monitors here, not crack. He should be all for using whatever it takes to ensure judges get it right for once. Maybe he should start by getting Cecil Peoples on a plan for free prescription eyeglasses.

Sonnen FAIL!

Over the weekend, CSAC Executive Officer GEORGE DODD says UFC Middleweight, CHAEL SONNEN was informed he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs after results came in from his UFC 117 post fight drug test. Sonnen put in a stellar performance dominating Middleweight Champion, ANDERSON SILVA for almost five rounds before losing to Silva via triangle choke. Though Sonnen took the official loss, he impressed thousands of spectators within Oakland’s Oracle Arena as well as close to a million PPV buyers. Anderson Silva was so taken by the beating handed to him by Sonnen, that he himself got down on his knees and rested his Middleweight Championship belt before him.

All of the glory may have been robbed from Chael Sonnen’s hard-working fight to leave us with a bad taste in our mouth. I hear that’s a side effect from steroids. Chael Sonnen may now just be an embarrassment to himself and to the MMA sport as news of his PED tests will add to the fodder that this sport may not be legit.

Chael Sonnen boasted prior to UFC 117 that it would be Anderson Silva’s final performance in the UFC promotion…well, Sonnen, looks like it may be yours.