Mundine challenges McGregor to fight as doctors hit back at bare-knuckle claims
On Wednesday, former boxing world champion Anthony Mundine announced Australia's first large scale bare-knuckle event to be held in Brisbane in September, calling the sport 'the purest form of fighting' and 'safer than boxing'.
He also appears to challenge UFC superstar and bare-knuckle league co-owner Conor McGregor to a boxing fight in a video on Thursday. The Irish fighter made an unsuccessful bid to stage a similar event in Perth earlier this year.
Australian Medical Association board member Professor Paul Griffin said this downplayed serious risks, and described the practice as 'brutal, outdated and dangerous'.
'The objective of this so-called sport is to knock your opponent into unconsciousness,' he said.
'In a best-case scenario, participants will suffer cuts, bruises, and potential damage to the soft tissue, tendons and ligaments in their hands. Sprains and fractures can occur, including facial fractures.
'In a worst-case scenario, someone could suffer a traumatic brain injury – particularly with repeated exposure to knockout blows.'
Griffin added it 'beggars belief' that 'people would choose to expose themselves to danger for the sake of money or personal glory', particularly at a time when contact sports are taking concussion and brain injuries more seriously.
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