Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has weighed in on a debate surrounding plans to host a bare-knuckle fight night at the RAC Arena in Perth.
The Bare Knuckle Fight Championship, which is co-owned by Conor McGregor, is due to land in Western Australia on July 19.
Organisers announced the first two fights for its main card on Wednesday night which will see Ben Rothwell, a 120kg former UFC fighter who has a 4-0-0 record, come up against man mountain and strongman Alex Simon – who broke multiple Australian records for powerlifting. At the peak of his weightlifting career, Simon’s weight had reached a maximum of 181kg.
Tassie fighter Bec Rawlings, the competition’s first-ever female champion, is due to go head-to-head with Canadian Jade Masson-Wong.
Mr Albanese, though, is one who has expressed concerns over the event, after the Australian Medical Association appeared to criticise the event while WA opposition also blasted the event.
Prime Minister Albanese also appeared to express his concerns on Wednesday morning.
Anthony Albanese has expressed concerns over a new bare-knuckle fight championship which is coming to Perth in July
Australian powerlifter Alex Simon who broke multiple records, has been confirmed on the main card
Simon will go up against former UFC fighter Ben Rothwell, who had 17 fights in the American MMA champinoship
‘A bit of common sense you’ve got to look after people’s health a bit and maybe save people from themselves,’ the Prime Minister said to Triple M’s breakfast show.
Albanese also referenced the issue of concussion when pressed on his thoughts on the sport, noting that he had a meeting with legendary footballer Mark Carroll last week over how the issue has been impacting himself and his friends.
‘It’s a bit crazy,’ Albanese said in reference to the event. ‘And concussion is such a big issue – AFL and rugby league.
He added: ‘I just think we’ve got to be much more conscious about health issues.’
Meanwhile, The Australian Medical Association has also been critical of the event.
‘We have a domestic violence crisis; we have people sorting out their problems with their fists in Northbridge on Saturday night; this is not the type of example our community needs,’ Michael Page, the Australian Medical Association’s WA president, said to Channel Nine News Perth.
‘We have so many fantastic other sports, so many opportunities for tourism and entertainment in our community, we don’t need this type of race to the bottom with bloody violence.’
The rules of the competition state that fighters are required to have their knuckles bare of any gloves or protective equipment during the fight, which will last five two-minute rounds.
Albanese expressed concerns that the new sport could increase the risk of concussion among competitors
Simon has previously opened up on his time in prison stating that he ‘robbed a drug dealer’
Meanwhile, the WA opposition has called on Premier Roger Cook to ‘show some leadership and prevent this morally repugnant event’.
Cook responded: ‘I can appreciate that, to the layperson, this sounds like people just getting in a ring and having a go. It is not.
‘It is not my cup of tea, but the Combat Sports Commission has provided preliminary advice that anything of this nature requires at least two medical practitioners and requires the participants to be experienced and knowledgeable of the particular discipline.’
The Combat Sports Commission are currently assessing permits for the event, with a final deadline on a decision to be due by the end of this week.
Sports Minister Rita Saffioti explained she would not intervene to cancel the event.
‘The advice to me is that with very strict protocols and criteria that the event, if the organiser were to meet that, that it could be conducted in WA,’ she said.
However, organisers are beginning to announce the main cards for the July 19 fight night, which suggests there may be some confidence that the event will go ahead.
Australian, Simon, a champion powerlifter and mixed martial arts fighter, is now due to meet current heavyweight champion Rothwell in the event in what will be an inaugural super heavyweight title match for competitors over 120kg.
Matt Floyd (pictured) is hoping to headline on the upcoming Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship card as the event comes to Perth in July
The weightlifter has previously opened up on how he had also previously spent some time in prison.
‘Pretty much we robbed a drug dealer, but it was like a home invasion and it was armed,’ the weightlifter told The Secrets of The Underworld Podcast last month.
A former Bikie gang member, Matthew Floyd, is understood to have sought a permit from the WA Combat Sports Commission, according to The West Australian.
Rothwell is an American mixed martial arts fighter who fought 17 times in the UFC.
