By Oriosvaldo Costa

Photo release

The primitives warned us that the nation that steals from itself its artistic, cultural and sportive creations is condemned to fail. Not even is so called totalitarian countries, like Iran or Venezuela, MMA chased like it is in Brazil, where it’s been created.

I don’t really consider Brazil a democratic country. Fighters and managers may be deprived from their right to raise money, and the fans won’t have the freedom of chose what they want to have fun with.

The controversy bill of the reelected congressman Jose Mentor (PT-SP) might bring us a lot of headache pretty soon. I actually had to change this article like three times in two days because things wouldn’t stop to come up.

On the last week, PL 5.534/09 has been filled. However, Jose Mentor demanded it was reopened, and obeyed right away. These things make me think that this congressman will have even more influence on this new government than he had on the previous one.

He was able to convince, secretly, the current writer of the bill, so that he seems favorable to the approval of the project, unlike the former writer, who was against it. The infamous bill transacts in Brasilia since June of 2009 and intends to forbid the broadcast of non-Olympic combat sports on all kinds of Brazilian television.

I’ve read the bill piece by piece. It’s not against MMA competitions in Brazil. It couldn’t be, because as it’s said on the Brazilian constitution, Chapter 3, Article 217, Item IV, “it’s a State due to promote the practice of formal and informal sports, as everyone’s right, reminding of the protection and incentive to sportive manifestations of national culture”. MMA’s been created in Brazil, before its development and conquest of the world.

To make it doesn’t look that big, Mentor is “just” trying to ban the sport off the schedule of a great big broadcaster TV channel, which as public domain, should go under the judgment of people of PNDH.

There’re many contradictions on Mentor’s arguments, which tries to get his bill approved, a bill that, if it’s sanctioned, it’ll lower the amount of money involved on MMA competitions in Brazil, besides opening a door for the sport to be condemned and become more violent and dangerous.

The effect gained with this shitty bill will be exactly the opposite of the expected. The fighters that sight better scholarships and they’ll go compete in other countries. Countries on which there’s a real democracy.