07 March 2013

This Fox Is A Fighter

I never thought that I would ever mention Mixed Martial Arts on this blog.  It's not that I have anything against them, or anyone who participates or even competes in them.  They're just not something I think about very often.

Well, there's a first time for everything, right?  So here goes:  Fallon Fox's MMA licenses are under review.

You see, the 37-year-old Ms. Fox had gender-reassignment surgery seven years ago.  (It's a great way to turn 30, isn't it?)  And, of course, she took hormones before, and has taken them since, then.

That means the 145-pound Ms. Fox would not have any advantage over another woman of her size.  The hormones reduce the mass and density of bone and muscle and, in some male-to-female transgenders, lessen endurance.  Before her surgery, she would have been taking an anti-androgen, which also would have reduced her muscles and bone mass and endurance.  After the surgery, the glands that produce testosterone are gone, which would also take away any physical advantage she might have enjoyed as a man.

Still, in spite of these facts, she has won all five of her bouts, and all of those victories have come in the first round.

Apparently, there was some confusion about licensing procedures:  She thought her application for a license in California had been approved, and she used it to obtain another license in Florida.  She used the license she thought she'd gotten from the Golden State to get its counterpart in the Sunshine State and says she 

Ms. Fox's next match was scheduled for 20 April as part of the semifinals in an eight-woman tournament.  Her promoter, the Championship Fighting Alliance, has canceled the event in a show of support.