MMA is ‘barbaric’ and for others it is a multi-skilled, supremely athletic sport that is no more violent, and just as well self-regulated, as boxing.

The death of Portuguese MMA fighter Joao Carvalho after a bout in the National Boxing Stadium on April 9, 2016 shocked Irish sport. 

The Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association (IMMAA) has been accused of “deliberately dragging their feet” on introducing appropriate governance and safety standards in the sport.

The Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association (IMMAA) — the body seeking to have itself appointed as the governing body for mixed martial arts (MMA) here — has defended the measures it is implementing to make fights safer.