No Holds Barred: Fallon Fox

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with MMA fighter Fallon Fox (http://twitter.com/FallonFox).

After winning her second pro fight by first-round knockout on March 2 on a Championship Fighting Alliance card in Coral Gables, Florida, Fallon Fox then gave interviews where she came out as a transsexual female. Born a male, she had gender reassignment surgery back in 2006, and the associated hormone therapy. Now 37, she is physically, mentally, socially, and legally a woman, and happy to be one.

A decade ago the International Olympic Committee devised guidelines for transgender athletes, and were followed by the NCAA for college sports in the U.S. The medical committee of the Association of Boxing Commissions in North America also developed a policy last year based on that of the IOC, although it is up to each individual commission to implement it.

Despite this seemingly being a settled issue in international sports, including the combat sports, her revelation of her status has been met with heated reactions, both from her many supporters as well as those opponents who have provided public displays of bigotry and ignorance.

We spoke with Fallon Fox by phone Friday about the ensuing controversy about her and her career.

"I really don't see why there should be a lot of hoopla about past gender status, but this is what it turned into," she said in this interview.

"It's frustrating, but I realize that in the end, I'm going to win."

She also patiently tried to explain her position to those who just are not educated on this issue.

Discussing her transition to becoming a woman, she said, "I did this to save my sanity."

As for the bigots and haters, "The people who have bigotry or hatred for me just don't know me. And if they knew me - if they really, really, really, really knew me - then they wouldn't fear and they wouldn't hate."

We also discussed her licensing situation with the Florida and California commissions. She explained that contrary to some reports, she does have a license to fight, and as a woman, in Florida. She also posted on her Facebook fan page (https://www.facebook.com/FallonFoxofficial) a copy of what looks like a license which was sent to her by the California commission. You can judge for yourself if she is in the right in believing that this was actually a license and not simply a receipt, as a California official has claimed. That commission is currently reviewing, once again, her application, and is expected to grant her a fighter's license shortly.

She thus is entirely justified when she said, "I've done nothing wrong."

We also discussed her training and background since her transition, including her earning a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and competing in IBJJF and NAGA grappling events, and the ADCC Trials. She has been training since 2008 in MMA, mainly at the Midwest Training Center, in all the disciplines needed for MMA.

Also to answer her critics and to educate those who remain uneducated, she explained how she has much lower testosterone than those who were born with a full female anatomy, as well as less bone density and muscle mass than she had previously.

And we discussed when her next fight might take place, what she needs to work on in her young MMA career, for which organizations she would like to fight, a new documentary film called "Game Face" about her and other LGBT athletes being made by filmmaker Michiel Thomas, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred at http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2013-03-22T13_27_17-07_00 and http://archive.org/details/NoHoldsBarredFallonFox. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher (http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=noholdsbarred).

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer by Ian Snow(http://magicpumpkinstudios.com).

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

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Thanks, Eddie Goldman http://eddiegoldman.com

I'm think maybe Dana is starting to see some $$$ signs around this type of issue. To be completely fair and have the most drawing power... I'm thinking we'll see a UFC hermaphrodite division by 1014.

Dagwood wrote:I'm think maybe Dana is starting to see some $$$ signs around this type of issue. To be completely fair and have the most drawing power... I'm thinking we'll see a UFC hermaphrodite division by 1014.

Rhonda Rousey would still armbar Fox.

Not that it would be a fair fight for Rousey.

Promoter Jorge de la Noval has a date for Championship Fighting Alliance 11 and plans to resume a women's featherweight tournament featuring Fallon Fox.

CFA 11 is set for May 24 at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla. Noval said a network TV deal is in the works.

Although Fox's Florida fight license currently is under investigation by the regulatory agency that oversees the state's athletic commission, the fighter's management has indicated she may still compete on the fight card.

"Her manager spoke to the commission and her license is active," Noval wrote to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) via text message. "According to him, they said she was cleared to fight."

Sandi Copes Poreda, Director of Communications for Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation, confirmed that the fighter's license has not been suspended or frozen in lieu of the investigation, which began in the wake of "allegations pertaining to the information provided on [Fox's] application."

"Licensed professionals are afforded due process rights," wrote FDBPR rep Beth Frady in a subsequent email. "Disciplinary action cannot be taken until all administrative hearings and appellate reviews have been completed."

Frady, who stated the FDBPR has yet to receive a request from Noval for the May 24 event, added "there is no additional documentation that Ms. Fox will have to submit in order to fight in Florida."

Earlier this month, Fox made national headlines by coming out as the first known male-to-female transgendered fighter. The revelation came shortly after her first tournament bout at CFA 10, which ended in a 39-second knockout victory.

Fox's license paperwork for the March 2 bout revealed that she applied for the license as a female and claimed to be licensed by the California State Athletic Commission. As it turned out, Fox's CSAC paperwork, which included medical documentation of her transgender surgeries, was under review, and she wasn't licensed in the state.

Fox told SI.com that she believed she had a California license – in fact, it was merely a receipt for the fee she paid – and didn't disclose her status because she was never asked. The CSAC subsequently said it would modify its forms to make the distinction between a receipt and license clearer, and the FDBPR said it would review its disclosure policies.

Fox's manager, Brett Atchley, wrote via text that Fox (2-0) will fight tournament semifinal opponent Allana Jones (2-1) as planned. However, Jones' manager said that decision has yet to be made.

"The last conversation we had with [CFA] was that they were waiting until April 5 to see what the commission's decision was going to be with Fallon's license," said Jones manager Glen Bailey. "Obviously, I have concerns about this fight. Not so much that I'm worried about Allana losing; losses happen within the sport. But the circumstances surrounding it.

"I've spoken with several different doctors about any kind of physical advantage, and I'm waiting for an opinion to be written for me from a doctor out of Arizona that is very familiar with the fighting world – actually, is very familiar with Fallon's case. At this point and time, I can't say, yes, we'll take it. But I'm not going to say, no, we won't take the fight either. I think there are some questions that are going to have to be answered."

http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/03/promoter-sets-cfa-11-for-may-24-with-fallon-fox-fight-planned

Fox is basically a man and should be fighting men. I´m a beast of an athlete myself and if I changed gender I´m pretty sure I would completely destroy most females.

PRIDE FC wrote:Fox is basically a man and should be fighting men. I´m a beast of an athlete myself and if I changed gender I´m pretty sure I would completely destroy most females.

You may be on to something.

You and I could really put in some work. We just need to become 'females'.

nodogoshi wrote:

PRIDE FC wrote:Fox is basically a man and should be fighting men. I´m a beast of an athlete myself and if I changed gender I´m pretty sure I would completely destroy most females.

You may be on to something.

You and I could really put in some work. We just need to become 'females'.

If big fortune and fame is on the line people will change sex, no doubt about that.

Glad people are talking now in here, I didnt want to say anything but,......