WEBVTT - Glimpse of hope remains for Bare Knuckled Boxing in Perth despite permit setback

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<v Speaker 1>So bare knuckle fighting was banned effective land Western Australia

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<v Speaker 1>yesterday even though they started selling tickets, et cetera. And

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<v Speaker 1>how did it go down with the promoters?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, the commentators out of a job.

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<v Speaker 1>Brett Benetti is a combat sports commentator and has been

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<v Speaker 1>speaking on behalf of the promoters, both here in Australia

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<v Speaker 1>and also overseas. Brett, good morning, good morning meals. Wouldn't

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<v Speaker 1>you interesting?

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<v Speaker 3>Do you say that that the sport actually hasn't been

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<v Speaker 3>banned A permit hasn't been granted by the WA Combat.

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<v Speaker 1>Sport Well, effectually that bans it from being conducted here,

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't it? Not?

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<v Speaker 3>Really? Because again you going underground now, I'm not going

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<v Speaker 3>to go underground. There's no official statement yet. I've been

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<v Speaker 3>speaking to the promoters of the BKFC and Knuckle Up Australia,

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<v Speaker 3>which are the local promoters. Look, they'rekeen to work with

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<v Speaker 3>the commission and a confident that the event can still

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<v Speaker 3>go ahead on Saturday, July nineteen. When I say about

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<v Speaker 3>permit today, I've been led to believe is the last

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<v Speaker 3>day that any promotion for any combat sport can submit

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<v Speaker 3>an application to the WA Combat Sports Commission. For the

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<v Speaker 3>date of Saturday, July nineteen.

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<v Speaker 1>Is there any possibility that it could be pushed back?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, that's right. That's why I said that the sport

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<v Speaker 3>hasn't been banned, a permit hasn't been granted, so they.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't want it. Mate, they said that it doesn't meet

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<v Speaker 1>the criteria. You've got to face it exactly the finding

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<v Speaker 1>here of that nature.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, when you say that again, the promotion can put

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<v Speaker 3>forward to application. What requirements for the event do we

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<v Speaker 3>need to provide to get the permit?

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<v Speaker 2>I thought that from what I had seen undertaken here

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<v Speaker 2>that the permit had I just got the impression that

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<v Speaker 2>had already been granted. Given what had happened. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>it just seems like a giant backflip. And the government

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<v Speaker 2>here has put it over to this organization and said, well,

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<v Speaker 2>you deal with this. It's too hard for us.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, they can't be seen to be knocking it back

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<v Speaker 3>because they not only they supporting the UFC for example,

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<v Speaker 3>they're funding it. And now and only a few weeks

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<v Speaker 3>ago rita safiod Years at Jagan Square with Jack Della Madelina,

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<v Speaker 3>Purse's first UFC champion. A congratulations Jack, But this this

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<v Speaker 3>whole rhetoric is like a cut and paste. You change

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<v Speaker 3>the word from cage fighting to bare knuckle. It's like

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<v Speaker 3>it's an easy job for the media and the politicians

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<v Speaker 3>because they're just swapping words out and it's the same

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<v Speaker 3>message that I and we had discussions about this years ago.

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<v Speaker 3>It's exactly the same message, but it's a different form

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<v Speaker 3>of combat sport.

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<v Speaker 1>So were the promoters blindsided by the result yesterday? Were

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<v Speaker 1>they expecting to get the tick of approval?

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<v Speaker 3>Absolutely, because they put tickets on sale. But you know

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<v Speaker 3>how I found out. I found out through Tracy, your producer.

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<v Speaker 3>She contacted me at five pm on the Dot yesterday

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<v Speaker 3>and that was the first I heard about. I contacted

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<v Speaker 3>the promoters and they wanted to know how I found

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<v Speaker 3>out so quickly. And the interesting thing, boys, is that

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<v Speaker 3>nothing official in writing. It was a phone call to

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<v Speaker 3>say that that it's been the permit's been knocked back

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<v Speaker 3>for now and there's and there's been nothing official put

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<v Speaker 3>in writing. Yet they wanted to know how I found

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<v Speaker 3>out so quickly. So the medium might have found out

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<v Speaker 3>before the promoters did. They found out a few minutes

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<v Speaker 3>before I did.

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<v Speaker 1>Connor McGregor, who doesn't have any introduction in this field.

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<v Speaker 1>He's one of the part owners.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't want to tell you what he thinks. The

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<v Speaker 3>listeners who know Connor McGregor can imagine what he thought.

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<v Speaker 3>But again, David Felban, the president of the BKFC, he's

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<v Speaker 3>obviously very disappointed. I don't think he's come up with

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<v Speaker 3>this sort of challenge anywhere across the world because they've

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<v Speaker 3>been gone to different regions.

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<v Speaker 2>So given that you have been dealing with them firsthand,

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<v Speaker 2>what do you expect them to do about it?

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<v Speaker 3>I expect them to resubmit a permit application today because

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<v Speaker 3>again I've been led to believe from a fellow promoter

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<v Speaker 3>that today is the last day if they want any promotion,

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<v Speaker 3>wants that July nineteen date, and then work with the commission.

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<v Speaker 3>What do we need to do as a promotion to

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<v Speaker 3>bring the event to your satisfaction in your.

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<v Speaker 1>Change, put gloves on that's not bare knuckle anymore.

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<v Speaker 3>That's the funny thing about the argument, because again people

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<v Speaker 3>are up in arms because not wearing gloves, but the

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<v Speaker 3>boxing gloves, even though there's elements that protect the head.

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<v Speaker 3>And again I go back to the same message that

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<v Speaker 3>was around with the MMA when they called it cage

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<v Speaker 3>fighting for example, but gloves are more to protect the hands,

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<v Speaker 3>so and and there's more weapons and now the sports

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<v Speaker 3>around for years.

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<v Speaker 1>You're being optimistic, which is what you're paid to do.

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<v Speaker 1>But they've got na hope of having it here. Is

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<v Speaker 1>there a possibility that you could take the bare knuckle

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<v Speaker 1>fights somewhere else in this country?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, Beck Rawlans, who's a former UFC fighter who was

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<v Speaker 3>slated to be in the co made event of this

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<v Speaker 3>Perth event, has come out with disappointed calling uneducated. But

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<v Speaker 3>I have to disagree because the educated people are the

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<v Speaker 3>WA Sports Commission and the government are saying I'm not

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<v Speaker 3>making the decision the Combat Sports Commission. But she believes

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<v Speaker 3>that the event will go to Queensland. And again other

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<v Speaker 3>states were chasing this Perth sort of one out over

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<v Speaker 3>other states to get this event.

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<v Speaker 2>So how do we win out? Did the government stump

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<v Speaker 2>up any money? Do you know?

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<v Speaker 1>Know?

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<v Speaker 3>Again that they support provide funding for the UFC and

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<v Speaker 3>the boxing with the George Cambo says Lamachenko fight last year,

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<v Speaker 3>No funding has been provided, So it's all about sponsorship

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<v Speaker 3>and being granted to put the event on an RC arena.

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<v Speaker 1>So the Commission did put out a statement at four

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<v Speaker 1>point fifty three yesterday afternoon. He's the reason for five

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<v Speaker 1>minutes later. I'm a betting man, as you know. You

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<v Speaker 1>got nah, I've ben knuckle fighting being here and this

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<v Speaker 1>year maybe in the future. It took a while to

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<v Speaker 1>get UFC up and running. You must remember that I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't well there was always didn't Colin Barnett, and that

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<v Speaker 1>say I don't want anything to do with that, and

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<v Speaker 1>he took a change and that was.

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<v Speaker 3>That was such a stupid decision.

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<v Speaker 1>So therefore it took a while for it to be approved.

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<v Speaker 3>No, it didn't all that. All Barnett did was ban

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<v Speaker 3>the cage. The sport was always a year. Jack Della Maddelina,

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<v Speaker 3>who is now the UFC welterweight Champion, his professional debut

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<v Speaker 3>was in a boxing ring in Wa. The sport was

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<v Speaker 3>always here. He did nothing except make the sport more unsafe.

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<v Speaker 1>Right, Well, I'm going to argue because they very violent people,

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<v Speaker 1>so people that had paid money, people that have paid money,

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<v Speaker 1>and assuming you do, you're not going to permit will

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<v Speaker 1>that all money be refunded?

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<v Speaker 3>It has to be because it's the ploy of the man.

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<v Speaker 3>But again they haven't given up hope, but they have

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<v Speaker 3>to give reason.

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<v Speaker 1>To We asked to talk to someone from the Commission.

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<v Speaker 1>No one's available. We asked to talk to the Minister,

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<v Speaker 1>not available. We asked to talk to the Premier. Not available.

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<v Speaker 1>Not only us but our morning program.

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<v Speaker 3>Now.

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<v Speaker 1>I know they had a big night last night at

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<v Speaker 1>the soccer and they would have had a few sherbets.

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<v Speaker 1>I understand that, but at the end of the day,

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<v Speaker 1>surely someone's got to talk about it. They just can't

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<v Speaker 1>put out a statement and just going hi. Someone needs

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<v Speaker 1>to talk and put the other point of view across.

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<v Speaker 3>I spoke to an official who didn't know too much

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<v Speaker 3>because he wanted to work at the event. I've reached

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<v Speaker 3>out to again the Combat Sports Commission. They've got some

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<v Speaker 3>great people there over a number of years, but they

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<v Speaker 3>haven't I haven't been able to reach anyone myself, and

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<v Speaker 3>it's been very quiet. So what are the event requirements?

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<v Speaker 3>Is still answers or questions that we need to get answered.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, So it's not over yet. According to you

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<v Speaker 1>will follow that with interest across the day. Brett, thanks

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<v Speaker 1>for coming in, great to see and good luck with

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<v Speaker 1>your career as a boxing and combat commentator of some

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<v Speaker 1>renowned