On Saturday, June 19, in the co-headliner of The Ultimate Fighter 11 finale in Las Vegas, Hamill (9-2) overcame a broken hand, blurred vision from an eye poke, and a likely foot injury to earn a majority-decision win over Jardine (15-8-1).
Unfortunately, as suspected at Friday’s weigh-ins and confirmed by Hamill after his fight, he also fought with an active Staph infection.
Staph (more formally, “Staphylococcal infection”) can be highly contagious, and since the bacteria thrive and spread in warm and humid environments where skin-to-skin contact is normal, MMA gyms have been hit especially hard. In fact, in recent years, entire fight teams have been sidelined, and a handful of fighters — such as Diego Sanchez, Forrest Griffin and Kevin Randleman — have faced life-threatening infections that required lengthy hospitalizations.
So why would the Nevada State Athletic Commission — arguably MMA’s most influential and pioneering regulatory body — allow Hamill to compete?
According to NSAC head Keith Kizer, a licensed doctor viewed Hamill’s infection (on his lower back) and after weighing the risks cleared him to fight.
But Dr. Johnny Benjamin, a combat-sports specialist and member of the Association of Boxing Commissions’ medical subcommittee who writes about medical issues, was floored by the decision.
“In my opinion, the NSAC was victim of a poor medical decision,” he wrote in a column for MMAjunkie.com. “Furthermore, every athlete and referee that entered the octagon — with or after Hamill — was unnecessarily exposed to a potentially very serious and deadly infection by the ‘licensed doctor’ who cleared him to compete.”
Staph, though, isn’t just an MMA problem. High school, college and pro sports teams — even dance studios and elementary-school gym classes — have been hit hard. And it’s only getting worse; the overuse of antibiotics has already led to the dangerous MRSA “super bug,” and using stronger antibiotics could one day “mutate into a Godzilla that we may have no answer for,” according to Dr. Benjamin.
Even if you don’t follow MMA, heed the doctor’s advice: shower with antibacterial soap immediately after any contact sport, disinfect equipment, use hand sanitizer and “develop a fetish about checking your skin for any type of scrape, scratch, bump or insect bite.”
Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, voted best media outlet in the 2008 and 2009 World MMA Awards. For the latest mixed-martial-arts news, go to MMAjunkie.com.
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