ARIZONA, USA — A community full of Mixed Martial Arts athletes are calling on Gov. Doug Ducey to do what they believe is the right thing, so they can get back in the ring.
The "fight to fight" for MMA athletes and enthusiasts has been on-going since May. Now, those involved with the planning like Jason Martinez, a Match Maker for the sport said, he feels they're taking a gut-punch amidst the pandemic.
"We were literally the first state body to get the ball rolling, get it approved through the Boxing and MMA Commission and Department of Gaming and forward it up to the Governor," Martinez said.
Martinez works for Ringside Promotions but is a fan first and said the stand still is starting to cause frustration among avid fans, athletes and organizers.
"Really the only green light we need is for the Attorney General and Governor to do their job, basically," he said.
Martinez and event promoter Joel Lopez said they've penned and put protocols in place to appeal to state leaders and lend a glimpse into how they're planning to protect participants even with the coronavirus as a lingering concern.
"A safety COVID protocol that we created for this particular situation, with no live audience, only fighters staggered in certain areas with a bunch of cleaning and management and what not and he has failed to even ask about it or review it," Lopez said.
Many in the business are stuck scratching their heads about the hold up, especially because MMA is one of few sports that is licensed.
"Our license is under Governor Doug Ducey's office, he's failing to look his own administration to say, hey let's give a first crack at the guys who pay us, who are licensed under us to go and do what they do," Lopez said.
Stakeholders said it's not just effecting events and adding to the sport's financial fight to stay afloat, it's effecting fighters like Daniel Madrid, too.
"It is frustrating when there's nothing that's available for you in the state of Arizona," Madrid said.
He's had to contract competitions outside Arizona in order to make money but his valley business, Legion MMA is struggling along with him.
"This entire year has been a wash until what I was hoping would be mid-summer we would've recouped what we should've gotten back by now and unfortunately we haven't," Madrid said.
They're hope is that Gov. Ducey moves swiftly on their safety protocol paperwork. Gov. Ducey has not released a response.