Cage Rage: ‘contestant safety guaranteed’
Review spoke to grandmaster Henri Eksteen about the happenings after his last MMA Cage Rage event to hear his side of the story.
POLOKWANE – The 18th Cage Rage Mix Martial Arts (MMA) held under the guidance of grandmaster Henri Eksteen, received some criticism among the MMA fraternity recently.
Most of the criticism stems from controversy between Eksteen and his World International Martial Arts Association and Organisation (WIMAAO) from other MMA establishments.
Especially from Mix Martial Arts South Africa (MMASA), the governing body of MMA in South Africa that threatened to open a police case against Eksteen with the view that his Cage Rage events are illegal and dangerous to the competitors.
Eksteen is the owner and founder of Eksteen’s Bushido Freestyle Karate Do and Mixed Martial Arts Institute and the President of the WIMAAO in South Africa.
Review spoke to Eksteen about the happenings after his last MMA Cage Rage event to hear his side of the story. Eksteen also explained where his MMA organisation, WIMAAO, stands among the MMA establishments in South Africa.
“WIMAAO is officially recognised by our headquarters situated in Dublin, Ireland, and is an independent globally licenced body. Therefore, we are not governed by any other organisation or sport body in South Africa,” Eksteen explained.
Eksteen said his organisation is not part of any South African governing body or even the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc). “As an independent entity, we have our international rules and policies to adhere to. It saddens me that Martial Arts South Africa (MASA) and MMASA cannot seem to recognise that we are an independent organisation,” he added.
He stated that his Cage Rage events are in accordance with WIMAAO rules and regulations and that WIMAAO international headquarters approved the conduct of how Eksteen’s Cage Rage MMA fights are organised and held.
“We don’t want to compete in the Olympics, if MMA ever gets recognised as an official Olympic sport, which I think is unlikely. Our Cage Rage events are not on the same level as the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC). In fact, our Cage Rage events is quite small in comparison to EFC. My only aim is to promote MMA within Polokwane and Limpopo,” Eksteen explained.
Eksteen said all contestants competing in his organisation’s Cage Rage events do so under the rules of WIMAAO. He added the schoolgoing contestants compete under the authorisation of their parents who must complete an indemnity form before their children can compete in these fights.
MMASA and MASA strongly condemned the photo published after the recent Cage Rage event where two young fighters competed without protective headgear.
“The issue of our younger fighters not wearing headgear was resolved with WIMAAO headquarters. This protective gear hampers a fighter’s progress during a fight because it slips over the face of an opponent when grappled from behind. The fear of suffocating from headgear slipping over the face while in a neck grip by an opponent led to the decision to let our contestants compete without it,” Eksteen explained.
He said he can proudly say that not one contestant during any of his Cage Rage events has ever received life threatening injuries, adding that he will do anything in his power to prevent such occurrences.
Regarding medical assistance, Eksteen said the claims of him being the referee and a medic at his Cage Rage events are a bit far fetched.
“At my last event, medical personnel from ER24 were present, as was the case with all my other Cage Rage events where medics are on standby. I am obliged by WIMAAO headquarters to have professional medics on standby in case of a serious injury. I will never host a Cage Rage event where there is no medical assistance because I don’t want my fighters to get seriously injured without proper care.”
Eksteen added his aim with promoting MMA and his Cage Rage MMA events is to share his passion for the sport. More importantly, to especially teach children how to defend themselves against bullies.
“If the parents whose children compete in my Cage Rage events did not approve of it and the way it is held, they would never have allowed their children to compete. All the children who compete always have the full consent of their parents,” Eksteen said.
He explained that WIMAAO as an entity in South Africa is a small fish in comparison with the bigger such as the EFC and MMASA. Eksteen is confident that the issue around the establishment of his mixed martial arts organisation and that of other entities in South Africa will be accepted. Along with that it will be accepted that WIMAAO is an independent body with its own international rules and regulations.
Read more:
Support for Cage Rage organiser
Blow by blow in cage rage wars
