Many physicians, as well as the American Medical Association and the World Medical Association, have called for the elimination of sanctioned combat sports. “We need to spread the word that brain-bashing is not a socially acceptable spectator sport,” Dr. Stephen Hauser, a neurologist at the University of California, San Francisco, wrote in 2012 in the medical journal Annals of Neurology.
For those who opt to be involved, the A.R.P. has created a standardized set of instructions and recommendations to remove some of the ambiguity of ringside medicine. The group has certified more than 100 doctors across 34 states and 11 countries since its founding.
But once the bell sounds, every ringside physician is alone, charting a calculus of risk, harm and entertainment. “You cannot become a fan,” Dr. Sethi said. “You stop it too late, and the damage is already done.”
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