Stricter regulation on the cards for controversial combat sports

The inquiry is examining whether emerging activities should officially be classified as combat sports. That decision could bring them further under the control of NSW’s Combat Sport Authority. The review focuses on activities involving forceful collisions or fighting, and asks how their risks should be managed.

Collision running has drawn particular attention. Two athletes run directly towards each other and collide. Neurologist Rowena Mobbs told the committee that activities such as this could cause concussion and other brain injuries. Combat Sport Authority chair Darren Kane agreed the sports were dangerous but compared their risks with those in rugby league, cricket and racing.

The inquiry has heard competing views. Organisers from bare-knuckle boxing said regulation could help their sport grow safely, while medical experts called for bans. The Australian Medical Association supported regulation and public education. The committee is due to deliver its final report by the end of 2026.

Collision running is a contest in which two athletes run directly towards each other and collide. The article presents it as the most heavily scrutinised activity because the impact can expose participants to concussion and traumatic brain injury. It is not described as a conventional bout with punches or rounds.

Competitive slapping is identified as an emerging combat activity. The article also refers to it as power slap, but does not explain its full rules. Bare-knuckle boxing is a form of boxing fought without traditional boxing gloves. Bouts organised by Bare Knuckle Australia use vetted fighters, weight matching and gloved test fights before competitors fight without gloves.

These activities differ in format, but all raise questions about head impacts and regulation. Organisers say medical staff and rules can reduce harm. Dr Rowena Mobbs disagrees that doctors at events can prevent traumatic brain injury, and calls for the activities to be banned.

The article specifically names three emerging activities under scrutiny: collision running, competitive slapping and bare-knuckle boxing. The NSW parliamentary inquiry is examining whether these activities should officially be treated as combat sports. That classification could determine whether they come under stronger oversight by the state’s Combat Sport Authority.

Collision running receives the most attention in the hearing. It involves two athletes running at each other and colliding. Competitive slapping is also mentioned as power slap. Bare-knuckle boxing involves fighters competing without traditional boxing gloves. Bare Knuckle Australia told the inquiry that its fighters are vetted, matched by weight and tested in gloves first.

The three activities do not have identical formats, but the inquiry groups them because of concerns about violence, head impacts and brain injury. Organisers have argued that regulation and medical support could reduce harm. Neurologist Rowena Mobbs instead urged the committee to ban the activities being investigated.

If the activities were classified as combat sports, they could be brought further under the control of NSW’s Combat Sport Authority. The inquiry was referred by NSW Sport Minister Steve Kamper to examine that possibility. The aim would be to decide how emerging activities should be overseen, given their risks of concussion and traumatic brain injury.

The article points to possible controls already discussed by organisers and officials. Bare Knuckle Australia described vetted fighters, weight-class matching and gloved test fights before ungloved bouts. Organisers also cited medical staff at events as a harm-prevention measure. CSA chair Darren Kane said the sports should be subject to stronger controls.

The exact changes remain undecided. Dr Rowena Mobbs said regulation would not prevent traumatic brain injury and urged a ban. The AMA supported regulation and evidence-based education instead. The committee’s final report, due by the end of 2026, is expected to set out its findings.

The inquiry is considering harm-reduction measures alongside calls for a total ban. Organisers say stronger rules could help emerging sports survive and grow. The Australian Medical Association’s NSW branch does not endorse the activities, but says regulation is needed because they pose a significant public health concern.

Bare Knuckle Australia said fighters are vetted, matched by weight and assessed through gloved test fights before competing without traditional gloves. Organisers also point to medical staff at events. The Combat Sport Authority has been working collaboratively with the Run Nation Championship on a planned Sydney event, according to its chair, Darren Kane.

Public education is another proposed alternative. The AMA wants evidence-based campaigns about the short- and long-term consequences of concussion, repeated head impacts and traumatic brain injury. Dr Mobbs supports education but rejects ringside doctors as prevention. She says medical presence cannot modify the underlying risk of brain injury.

Medical experts say ringside doctors cannot prevent traumatic brain injury because doctors arrive after, or during, the harmful event. They can identify symptoms and provide care, but their presence does not stop athletes from colliding, being struck or receiving repeated head impacts. The injury risk is built into the activity itself.

Dr Rowena Mobbs told the inquiry that no doctor on the sideline could modify the risk of traumatic brain injury in collision sports or power slap. She described medical coverage as “window dressing” for prevention. Her criticism was aimed at the claim that having medical staff at events makes these activities safe.

Organisers still present medical staff as part of harm prevention. The disagreement is therefore about what medical support can achieve. The article reports that Mobbs and other medical bodies favour education, while Mobbs also urged a ban. The AMA supports regulation but warns of significant public health concerns.

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a blow, jolt or forceful movement that disrupts normal brain function. Traumatic brain injury is the broader term for damage caused when the brain is shaken, struck or otherwise affected by external force. Symptoms and severity can vary, so an injury may not always be immediately obvious.

Repeated impacts matter because each impact can injure brain tissue. Further impacts before recovery may worsen the damage. Over time, repeated head impacts can be associated with continuing problems involving thinking, memory, mood or behaviour. These general medical explanations add context beyond the article’s brief references to concussion, repetitive impacts and traumatic brain injury.

The inquiry heard that collision running, competitive slapping and bare-knuckle boxing may expose participants to such risks. Dr Mobbs called for a ban. The AMA urged education about short- and long-term consequences, while organisers argued that regulation and safety measures could reduce harm.