Safety/competitive balance are two sides of the same coin when it comes to competitive sports that are violent. Boxing, wrestling, etc. have a competitive framework based around competitors of similar weight, size and makeup so as to allow people to participate. Without those limits, people run the risk of serious injury or death, and the injured/dead can't compete.

That's the underpinning of a weight class system.

For MMA or boxing, safety/competition are interchangeable. It's why boxing gloves have changed over time, and it's why men don't fight women of the same weight.

That makes sense from the standpoint of the MMA.

That's not really how I approached/thought about the poll, however. But I concede that maybe I'm the only one.

That's both yours and chemdas problem. You don't understand that a different point is being made. You jump straight to everyone should be treated the same when that's just not true. Not everything is for everyone.

I still don't agree, and I think that the women competing should decide what's safe for them, even if it means splitting the sport. Though I do admit that my views on splitting the sport are pretty much based entirely on what we do in roller derby (there are quite a few rule sets).

I am, however, much more understanding of that point of view and am less likely to write you all off of my island if I had an island.

Yes! The women competing should decide what's safe for them!

You're gonna give me an aneurysm!

They should decide what's safe for them and then decide whether or not to participate in this sport.

I don't join football and say "except I don't want to be tackled, because some of these women may be stronger than I am and I don't feel safe."

I think the majority of woman competing have decided what's safe for them. Seems like the all are saying Fallon shouldn't be fighting.

Would you join football and then say every one else can't where pads just me?

But then how can women decide to exclude men for the purposes of safety and competition? It seems like your fine with one cutoff, but not another.

The entire issue here is the validity of a hard gender cutoff.

Is this true? Or is it just high profile fighters like Rousey saying this?

I feel very strongly that people should advocate for their own personal safety. If everyone feels that it's dangerous to fight Fallon, then they shouldn't fight Fallon, trans or not.