DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) -- Insiders say Iowa's amateur mixed martial arts scene is unsafe and needs to be regulated.
People involved in the contests, known as ultimate fighting, told The Des Moines Register some promoters let participants fight drunk. Dangerous mismatches lead to injuries. And some promoters don't require blood tests for HIV or hepatitis, raising the risk of infection.
Iowa lawmakers are considering new restrictions on the fights.
Seventeen-year-old Jerod Botts of Waverly was allowed to fight even though he was underage, inexperienced and didn't have a parent's permission. A seasoned fighter left him with a broken nose, a cracked eye socket and vision damage.
His father, Kirk Botts, says his uninsured son had $20,000 in medical expenses.
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