How we run a fight night medically: from the first form to the final report
Good medical cover is mostly preparation. This is the workflow behind every FightMedics event, from the first booking to the report the promoter receives afterwards.
In short
- Most of the work happens before the doors open: planning, staffing and reviewing every fighter’s medical form.
- Every examination, clearance and suspension is recorded at the time, even when the venue has no signal.
- After the event, fighters keep a record they can check, and promoters get a clear report.
People see the medical team at the cage. What they do not see is the work that gets us there. Our workflow film walks through it; here it is step by step.
1. Planning the event
It starts when a promoter books us. We look at the venue, the size of the card, the type of bouts (amateur or professional, MMA or boxing), the distance to the nearest emergency department and what the governing body requires. That sets how many clinicians we bring, whether an ambulance is needed on site and what kit comes with us.
2. The pre-fight medical form
Each fighter receives a link to a medical form they complete on their phone. It covers past injuries, knockouts, conditions, medication and recent symptoms, plus an emergency contact. Fighters under 18 need a parent or guardian to take part. If a fighter has been with us before, their history is already there, so they are not filling in the same thing every time.
3. Triage before fight night
A doctor reviews every form before the event. Anything that needs a closer look, such as a recent knockout, a missing test result or a heart condition, is followed up in advance, so decisions are not being made in a rush at the weigh-in.
4. Fit to compete
On the night, each fighter has an examination with a doctor before their bout. The doctor records the findings and signs a decision: cleared, cleared with restrictions, or not cleared. A fighter with an active suspension cannot be cleared. Our ringside system keeps working when the venue’s signal drops, and syncs as soon as it comes back.
5. Cageside
During the card our team is positioned at the cage, with clear roles: who watches, who responds, who manages any transfer to hospital. We can advise the referee to stop a bout on medical grounds.
6. After every bout
Every fighter, win or lose, is examined again. Suspensions are set to the EMMAA minimums (seven days for every competitor, 30 for a TKO or submission loss, 45 for a knockout loss, longer for repeat knockouts) and the fighter acknowledges them before they leave. Head injury advice goes with anyone who needs it.
7. Reporting and follow-up
After the event the promoter receives a report, and any incidents are documented. Fighters can see their own record online: suspensions, their return to training stage and the tests we hold for them. A suspension only ends when a doctor signs it off.
Questions we get asked
Do fighters have to fill in a new form for every event?
They confirm and update it for every event, but if they have fought with us before their history is already there, so it takes a few minutes.
What happens if the venue has no phone signal?
Our ringside system keeps working offline. Examinations, clearances and suspensions are saved on the device and sync as soon as a signal returns, so nothing is lost and nothing waits.
What does the promoter receive after the event?
A report of the medical cover, including any incidents. Promoters see clearance status, not fighters’ medical details.
Can fighters under 18 compete?
Where the rules of the event allow it, yes, with a parent or guardian’s consent on the medical form and any extra conditions the governing body sets.
Further reading
- EMMAA Affiliate Framework EMMAA
The framework EMMAA-affiliated events work under. - England Mixed Martial Arts Association EMMAA
The national pathway for amateur MMA in England, including its medical and safety protocols. - Governance and regulation of MMA (mixed martial arts) Good Governance Institute
Why the UK still has no legal minimum for medical safety at combat sports events.
General information, not medical advice for an individual. If you are worried about a head injury, call NHS 111; for a severe or worsening headache, repeated vomiting, a seizure or increasing confusion, call 999. Suspension minimums are those of the EMMAA minimum suspension protocol our doctors apply.