“Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was knocked unconscious and carted off the field on September 26, 2026.
If this very same scenario were to happen in Boxing or MMA (loss by KO) – this athlete would be suspended for at least 60 days. Let us see how long Mr. Moore is held out of action !!”
Greg Sirb – Consultant
PA State Athletic Commission
Combatsportslaw.com is a legal resource blog which follows legal developments addressing issues concerning Mixed Martial Arts and other Combat Sports across Canada and the US. The site is authored by Erik Magraken.
Erik is the managing partner of MacIsaac & Company practicing litigation law and dealing with combative sports regulatory issues. Erik is a licenced judge in British Columbia for the sports of Muay Thai, Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts with many years of involvement with combative sports.
Erik shared with Fightnews.com a piece authored by former Executive Director of the PA State Athletic Commission, Greg Sirb back in 2022. As both the NFL and NCAA football seasons are in full swing, this piece still remains relevant today.
The past few weeks in the NFL has once again exposed the major hypocrisies it has when it comes to player safety and concussions. On September 25, with millions of viewers watching, Miami Dolphin QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered what clearly appeared to be some form of head trauma late in the second quarter – he literally could not stand on his own and at the time of the hit he fell down and was helped to his feet by his teammates. Everyone correctly assumed that Tua was done for the game under the so-called Concussion Protocols established by the NFL. But then miraculously only after some 20-25 minutes of being evaluated Tua returns to the game. Keep in mind this so-called medical evaluation that was done at half-time on Tua was some very subjective (not quantitative) measures done by a so-called independent neuro expert.
So as a boxing regulator I envisioned the same scenario described above only this time Tua was a pro boxer competing in a pro boxing match in Pennsylvania. At the time of the hit seeing that Tua could not stand and had wobbly legs the Referee in this match would have stopped this bout and award a TKO win for Tau’s opponent. Tua would have been given a minimum (30) day medical suspension ( in this case with seeing that Tua could not stand on his own this suspension would more likely have been 45-60 days) and Tua would have been evaluated at ring side by the ring-side physician. This medical suspension is enforced throughout the US as per Federal law ( Pro Boxing Safety Act-1996).
Yet, in the NFL with all its millions of $$ and world-wide popularity they still cannot get it right when it pertains to head-trauma. The NFL can say all it wants about its so-called concussion protocol but in my opinion football is behind boxing when it comes to caring about participant safety. Look, football is a great game. I love the sport. My son played high school and college football- I am a fan. But the NFL continues to make terribly-public medical errors in how it treats its players. In the boxing business there is a saying – “sometimes you (the regulator) or in this case the NFL must protect the athlete from himself.
Do you know how many NFL players don’t even wear a mouthguard?- a mouthguard is NOT mandated in the NFL. In pro boxing a mouthguard is required – it is a mandated piece of equipment no boxer can start a round without a mouthguard. Although there is mixed research on the safety value (concerning concussions) and the wearing of a mouthguard wouldn’t the NFL want its players to have all the safety equipment available to them-?
In the after math of the Tua situation-the NFL fired the so-call independent medical evaluator which I guess is a good start. But how about having teams forfeit games when proper concussion/safety protocols are not enforce – now that’s a hammer the NFL can really use and would definitely get the attention of all the NFL teams – but the likely hood of that happening is slim to none.
Many in the medical community always look and speak about Boxing as being the most dangerous sport in America – from the above scenario – You tell me which sport is more dangerous.
Gregory P Sirb
Executive Director
PA State Athletic Commission
