One Small Missing Detail Could Strip UFC Freedom 250’s Credibility
UFC Freedom 250 is the first event of its kind. The card is currently scheduled to take place on the South Lawn at the White House on Sunday, June 14. However, it has faced backlash since its reveal at UFC 326. Many fight fans have criticized the card for not living up to the hype the event has generated over the past year. Other controversies, both within and outside the United States, have left fighters and fans second-guessing the event's importance and meaning. The event is a first of its kind. One small missing detail could strip the event of any legitimacy, meaning, and value it's desperately clinging onto.
Fights are sanctioned, or approved, by some sort of athletic commission. They ensure proper licensing for fighters, trainers, promoters, referees, judges, managers, matchmakers, and other personnel involved in combat sports events. They ensure the safety of all people participating in each combat event and crack down on illegal or unlicensed events. Each commission abides by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, but each also has its own set of rules that organizers must follow to sanction their events. This is why fight fans hear Bruce Buffer and Joe Martinez say the phrase "Sanctioned by" at some point during a UFC event. Sanctioning a fight makes it official and counts towards the fighters' professional records.
Washington, D.C. has the District of Columbia Combat Sports Commission. One rule it requires organizers to follow is securing a $100 permit. This usually leads to a process in which fighters submit medical records and undergo a physical exam by a doctor assigned by the commission to verify their health and ensure it's safe for them to fight. Fighters then take the scale the day before the fight. Without the permit, the fights would be deemed unsanctioned and wouldn't count towards the fighters' records at UFC Freedom 250.
The UFC has yet to apply for and obtain that permit. They believe the permit is unnecessary because the fight is taking place on federal land, which isn't subject to local laws. Andrew Huff, the head of DC CSC, has publicly stated that the UFC needs to obtain the permit to have the event sanctioned. Huff stated that all events, no matter how low- or high-profile, must abide by the same rules and go through the same processes to be sanctioned. He said that the commission has no clue what's going on with the event. He's also worried about the UFC's medical staff and their impartiality during medical examinations, given that the promotion employs them.
Hopefully, the UFC obtains the necessary permit to sanction Freedom 250. Getting a court order or special treatment to bypass the permit requirement would stir up controversy and leave a bad impression on many fight fans. Hosting the biggest event of the year at the White House and having it include unsanctioned bouts would not be a good look for the UFC. Fight fans watch because they know their fighters are in meaningful bouts they genuinely care about. Imagine the co-main event and main event title bouts not counting towards the fighters' professional records. The UFC would be doing the fans and, most importantly, the fighters on the card a disservice.
