Combat sports up and running again: ten thousandth Fightpassport registration

Combat sports were on hold for eighteen months because of the coronavirus crisis. Competitions are now resuming. One of the bright spots is that last week the ten thousandth competitive fighter was registered in the Fightpassport system, a milestone in the organisation of kickboxing, Thai boxing and MMA in the Netherlands.

Combat sports were on the rise when the coronavirus crisis broke out. In 2019, more than 200 events were organised in the Netherlands. In 2020, almost everything came to a standstill. A majority of people have now been vaccinated and we are slowly moving towards a new normal. For combat sports, the task is to continue the positive developments from before this period.

Fightpassport
One of those positive developments was the introduction of the Fightpassport. This uniform digital competition record book put an end to a disorderly situation. Previously, every federation used its own paper competition record book. As a result, competitive fighters sometimes held three or four different record books. Nobody had a clear overview. The introduction of the digital Fightpassport by the VA (Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit, the Dutch combat sports authority) put an end to this.

VA number
All federations now use the same system for matchmaking and for recording bouts won and lost. All ringside doctors also record relevant information in this system, such as knock-outs or other medical findings. This means all federations and doctors have the information they need. Everyone who wants to compete is registered here. He or she then receives a unique VA number and a file page containing all the details: from age, weight and class to the results of all bouts and any medical findings.

Matchmaking
This has made it easier to match evenly balanced opponents against each other. As a result, competitive fighters run less risk of having to face a much stronger or a far less experienced opponent. In addition, federations now automatically adopt (medical) suspensions imposed by other federations. All of this serves the health of the fighters, sportsmanship and the appeal of the bouts.

Ten thousand
Last week the ten thousandth competitive fighter was registered in the Fightpassport system. This is a modest milestone for the VA and all the partners that have contributed to the system. After all, one of the VA's core tasks is to make combat sports better organised. The Fightpassport makes an important contribution to that.

Our calendar shows where enthusiasts can watch bouts live in the coming weeks. More than forty galas and championships are now scheduled. From the youngest beginners to the world's best, everyone will take to the ring over the course of this year. We sincerely hope that combat sports will quickly pick up the upward trend of 2019.

More information: vechtsportautoriteit.nl/fightpassport