A Sturgis, North Dakota man who died last month after a mixed martial arts match might still be alive if the state had a commission that regulates boxing and other fighting sports, a state lawmaker said today.

Rep. Dean Schrempp, D-Lantry, said the death of Dustin Jenson shows why the state needs a commission. Schrempp has been involved in the sport for 50 years, both as a boxer and trainer. He also referees sanctioned matches in North Dakota.

Jenson, 26, died after suffering a seizure following a fight in Rapid City. He was taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, but he didn’t survive.

Schrempp said that Jenson would not have been allowed to fight if matches were run through an organization that sanctions fights. He had been in four fights in less than four months and Jenson was knocked out less than three months before his last fight. Under rules followed in other states, Jenson would have been suspended after his previous knockout for 90 days. He would have also been the subject of a pre and post fight physical by a doctor who might have recognized the extent of his earlier injuries.

He should have been on suspension, Schrempp said. He shouldn’t have been allowed to fight.

Schrempp was the prime House sponsor of a 2009 bill that created a commission. However, neither Govs. Mike Rounds or Dennis Daugaard have ever appointed commissioners, and the legislation that created the commission is scheduled to sunset on July 1.

Read entire article…