France MMA Ban: News, Reactions, & Analysis
MMA is illegal in France, but the battle to change that is ongoing.
In October 2016, France upheld a ban on various combat sports maneuvers that essentially cracks down on mixed martial arts. Those moves included ground strikes, elbow strikes, and competing in a cage.
A number of individuals and groups have pointed to the ban being the work of the French Judo Association; which has long targeted MMA and labeled it as a brutal bloodsport for criminals and terrorists.
Critics of the French Judo Association say that sport is afraid of the competition and is using its powerful friends (many French politicians are also judo players) to block MMA as both a recreational and professional pursuit on French soil.
France’s decision is in spite of a number of French fighters competing at the highest level; including Francis Ngannou, Nordine Taleb, and Tom Duequesnoy. Other French fighters of note include Karl Ammousou, Christian M’Pumbu, Chieck Kongo, Cyrille Diabate, Xavier Foupa-Pokam, and Francis Carmont,
See the stream below for reporting on the France MMA ban and efforts to remove it.