Today – one day before her main card fight on Pay Per View – the New York State Athletic Commission pulled female strawweight Pearl Gonzalez off he card.
She literally has NOTHING wrong with her. Nothing – except Breast Implants.
The last state in the US to legalize MMA fighting, the bill was passed in March of 2016. Each state has its own Athletic Commission with its own set of policies. As far as I know, the NYSAC is the sole commission with a rule stating that a fighter with breast implants may not compete.
In 2013 the Louisiana State Boxing and Wrestling Commission passed an emergency rule prohibiting fighters with breast implants from competing without clearance from their plastic surgeon.
“If [women] want to look good, then they don’t have to be in the ring.” (That’s a direct quote from commissioner Harold Williams during a meeting at the Louisiana State Capitol.).
Wait, what?
First of all(any sentence beginning with that is going to be followed up with a second of all, third of all…you get the picture…pour yourself a glass of wine and buckle up), breast implants are RE-SIL-IENT. Here is a video. Hammer, nail, wooden planks and a silicone breast implant. Does it rupture? NOPE. How about this video? A couple girls traipsing around the city tossing around silicone implants. Ruptured? NOPE.
Now, saline implants are a bit more delicate – a BIT more – not “delicate like a flower petal”. And the rupture is usually caused due to a valve malfunction(silicone implants do not have valves). Even so, the occurrence of rupture is relatively low.
Have you heard of RealSelf.com? Its is an awesome website where real, board-certified plastic surgeons answer questions and provide helpful insight as to the do’s and don’ts of plastic surgery. Oh, look! A thread about the LOW RISK OF BREAST IMPLANT RUPTURE IN CONTACT SPORTS!
Second of all, if a saline implant ruptures the implant will deflate and the saline will be reabsorbed into your body. No harm, no foul. Other than the odd uneven cleavage. If a silicone implant ruptures you may feel some burning, a change in the contour of the breast or capsular contracture may occur. Usually a silicone rupture goes unnoticed as the free silicone stays trapped in the surrounding tissue or “capsule”. Also – the Mayo Clinic states ruptured silicone breast implants aren’t thought to cause breast cancer, reproductive problems or connective tissue disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Both types of implants would need to be replaced after rupture to prevent complications.
Okay – now for the good stuff…
Third of all…
Who at the NYSAC was unaware that Gonzalez had breast implants? Did she have her procedure last week? Did she not have to sit for a physical exam or provide medical clearance? At one day pre-fight there was no time to move the fight to another card or even search for another opponent for Calvillo. Bummer. #GetItTogetherNYSAC.
And now, FOURTH OF ALL…
Harold Williams, really? I have been in aesthetics for over ten years. I also grew up partaking in Martial Arts. It taught me respect, instilled confidence and led me to meet a group of women, friends, who do actually want to look good AND be in the ring. Every day I walk into my badass MMA gym in four inch heels, a face full of makeup and a pencil skirt, wanting to look good, and then get in the ring. So, chill.
To sum all of that up, breast implants don’t rupture that easily, breast implants are resilient, NYSAC waited terribly long to ask a simple question and you can wear heels AND shin guards(though not at the same time, trust me.).
