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Hi all,
I will preface this post by saying it will be controversial, but I hope the sherdog mods will leave this discussion up. This is a serious issue that should be discussed at all levels of MMA, since MMA is becoming a more main stream sport.
My post comes from an interesting article I read on ESPN.com:
http://espn.go.com/olympics/story/_...ympian-redefine-athletic-career-espn-magazine
Essentially, there is a genetic condition known as Klinefelter syndrome in which individuals have two X chromosomes (which females do), and an extra Y chromsome (which only men are supposed to have). Externally these individuals develop female genetalia, but they often have internal testicles which produce large amounts of testosterone. As a result their bodies are shaped as a man's body would be, and they do not menstrate. This gives them an incredible athletic advantage.
The IOC (international olympic committee) used to do gender testing, but this was deemed humiliating for women. Instead, they now define gender by androgen levels. In other words, if a female has hyperandrogenism (consistent with male identity) and this confers a competitive advantage, that athlete shall not be allowed to compete as female. Since XXY genetics will confer hyperandrogenism and concordantly a competitive advantage over natural XX females, they cannot be allowed to compete as females.
https://stillmed.olympic.org/Docume...egulations-on-Female-Hyperandrogenism-eng.pdf
So my question is: Should the UFC define female athletes by their androgen profile? I would argue that the Oympic committee has it right. Unfortunately, women with hyperandrogenism often have a competitive advantage over natural women. This would be especially true in MMA, since these women often have very flat chests and tend to have the muscle tone of a man, allowing them to pack more muscle mass into their weight limit (XX women naturally have more fat, which takes up weight in the weight limit).
TL;DR: XXY genotype women (and some other cases) are often defined by hyperandrogenism, having a sex hormone profile more similar to a man than a woman. As a result, these athletes are often lean and muscled with flat chests, conferring a competitive advantage. The IOC has ruled that women with hyperandrogenism conferring an advantage cannot legally be defined as women when competing. Should the UFC and MMA in general follow this rule?
I'm not going to get into discussing specific MMA fighters, nor do I want to. I'd rather just see a discussion on whether or not the UFC should follow the olympic commitee in how they legally define a female athlete.
I will preface this post by saying it will be controversial, but I hope the sherdog mods will leave this discussion up. This is a serious issue that should be discussed at all levels of MMA, since MMA is becoming a more main stream sport.
My post comes from an interesting article I read on ESPN.com:
http://espn.go.com/olympics/story/_...ympian-redefine-athletic-career-espn-magazine
Essentially, there is a genetic condition known as Klinefelter syndrome in which individuals have two X chromosomes (which females do), and an extra Y chromsome (which only men are supposed to have). Externally these individuals develop female genetalia, but they often have internal testicles which produce large amounts of testosterone. As a result their bodies are shaped as a man's body would be, and they do not menstrate. This gives them an incredible athletic advantage.
The IOC (international olympic committee) used to do gender testing, but this was deemed humiliating for women. Instead, they now define gender by androgen levels. In other words, if a female has hyperandrogenism (consistent with male identity) and this confers a competitive advantage, that athlete shall not be allowed to compete as female. Since XXY genetics will confer hyperandrogenism and concordantly a competitive advantage over natural XX females, they cannot be allowed to compete as females.
https://stillmed.olympic.org/Docume...egulations-on-Female-Hyperandrogenism-eng.pdf
So my question is: Should the UFC define female athletes by their androgen profile? I would argue that the Oympic committee has it right. Unfortunately, women with hyperandrogenism often have a competitive advantage over natural women. This would be especially true in MMA, since these women often have very flat chests and tend to have the muscle tone of a man, allowing them to pack more muscle mass into their weight limit (XX women naturally have more fat, which takes up weight in the weight limit).
TL;DR: XXY genotype women (and some other cases) are often defined by hyperandrogenism, having a sex hormone profile more similar to a man than a woman. As a result, these athletes are often lean and muscled with flat chests, conferring a competitive advantage. The IOC has ruled that women with hyperandrogenism conferring an advantage cannot legally be defined as women when competing. Should the UFC and MMA in general follow this rule?
I'm not going to get into discussing specific MMA fighters, nor do I want to. I'd rather just see a discussion on whether or not the UFC should follow the olympic commitee in how they legally define a female athlete.
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