Europa
MMA is still illegal! What’s it like to be a pro MMA fighter in Norway?
Pro MMA is illegal in Norway. Photo: Daniel Schälander
From an underground phenomenon to the biggest arenas in the world – MMA has come a long way in the three decades since the UFC took its first trembling steps.
The sport is now well-respected and mainstream in most parts of the world. In the US, for example, the UFC is up there with the biggest leagues like NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB, selling out arenas everywhere they go.
However, there is one unlikely exception.
In the wealthy Scandinavian country of Norway, professional MMA is still banned. The country’s dedicated pro and amateur fighters are struggling daily to pursue their careers – as well as making the sport accepted by Norwegian society.
”The ban has a huge impact on young fighters who want to compete and fully invest themselves in the sport,” says UFC veteran Jack Hermansson.
”Five years ago, I thought we were close to legalization, but nothing has happened yet,” says up-and-coming UFC prospect Ivana Petrovic.
In this story, Frontkick reaches out to four professional MMA fighters in various stages in their careers to get a better understanding about how the ban affects their lives and the Norwegian MMA scene as a whole.
Click ”Next” to read the full story!
Ivana Siric Petrovic. Photo: Stefan Romare
”The ban has had a significant impact on my career”
Compared to neighboring Sweden and Denmark, which are culturally very similar to Norway, the differences are monumental when it comes to combat sports. While the rest of Scandinavia have a rich flora of local MMA promotions where fighters can start their careers, Norwegian athletes are forced to go abroad to compete in the sport they love.
Up-and-coming UFC fighter Ivana Petrovic is currently one Norway’s most high-profile fighters.
”The ban has had a significant impact on my career,” Petrovic says. ”Throughout my amateur and professional career, I’ve had to travel to compete because MMA isn’t legal in Norway.”
Two fights into her UFC run, the flyweight prospect is part of the next generation of talented fighters in Scandinavia. The 30-year-old never got the recognition she deserved back home – even though she made Norwegian sports history and found international success.
”I became a two-division amature champion in Cage Warriors, the first woman to win the title in French MMA organization Ares, and the first woman from Norway to sign with the UFC – but I never really felt like I could share that success with Norway,” Petrovic says. ”It feels like the news outlets here just isn’t interested in MMA, and a lot of people still don’t even know what the sport is in this country.”
No sponsors, no insurance, no nothing!
The ban clearly impacts the growth of the sport in Norway, on both amateur and professional level.
Each athlete featured in this story points out a couple of factors that play a significant role for all fighters regardless of level or stage in their careers.
Fighters are forced to go outside the borders to compete, making it difficult for them to gain the necessary experience. The ban also makes it hard to find the sponsors that are vital for a pro career. Finding proper insurance is another a major concern.
Ranked UFC fighter Jack Hermansson has been at the top of the sport for many years, facing several of the biggest names in the octagon. Born in Uddevalla, Sweden, Hermansson moved to Oslo at age 18 and spent his whole MMA career fighting out of Norway.
”The ban has a huge impact on young fighters who want to compete and fully invest themselves in the sport,” Hermansson says. ”It is expensive to buy plane tickets and hotels every time you’re going to fight. If young athletes could compete at home, there would be a lower threshold for getting fights and they could be matched more often.”
Fellow UFC fighter Petrovic agrees that the ban limits the opportunities for up-and-coming fighters.
”They don’t get the same exposure or support that fighters in other countries have, which can slow down their development and the popularity of the sport here,” Petrovic says. ”I see the impact firsthand at Orion MMA Academy, where I train. A lot of kids with personal issues have found purpose through MMA, and I know that once it’s legalized, it will bring so much good to the country.”
Jack Hermansson. Photo: Stefan Romare
”The average Norwegian still doesn’t know much about MMA”
Amateur European and World Cup gold medalist Cecilie Bolander is a red-hot name on the European pro scene. Just four fights into her promising pro career, she already fought in Sweden, Greece, Czechia and England.
With a background in judo, Bolander is used to uphill struggle before she transitioned into mixed martial arts.
”The fact that MMA is illegal obviously makes it difficult to get sponsors and insurance,” she says. ”It makes it harder to fully commit to the sport in Norway. Despite that, the community is still growing. The bigger the sport gets world wide, the more popular it gets in Norway too.”
Norway only recently legalized boxing in 2015. It seems strange that MMA didn’t follow closely behind, given the statistics that MMA is safer than boxing.
So, why is Norway going against the grain?
One big factor is the Norwegian media’s disinterest in MMA. The athletes and the sport simply won’t get any exposure in the mainstream media outlets since the sport is illegal.
”I feel like the average Norwegian still doesn’t know much about MMA,” Petrovic says. ”Many people still have misconceptions about what the sport is, and that limits the level of interest and support from the public. But it’s clear that the sport hasn’t reached the level of recognition it deserves in Norway.”
Seasoned MMA veteran Joachim Tollefsen, who’s seen a decade of action in Nordic promotions like Superior Challenge and CAGE, agrees with Petrovic.
”In the ’old days’, the opinion of the Norwegian media and people was usually that only criminals did combat sports. In general. Not until after Conor McGregor, the media and Norwegian people really got their eyes up for the sport,” Tollefsen says. ”The ban affects Norwegian MMA by having little to no media exposure, and by that also taking away possibilities for people to get into the sport without having to seek for it by themselves.”
Joachim Tollefsen. Photo: Chris Önnerby
A shift in the general opinion?
This paints a picture of Norway stuck in the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer, where cross-country skiing rules and conformity is king.
However, UFC veteran Hermansson, who’s been a pro since 2010, senses a slight shift in the general opinion, especially amongst younger people.
”There are mixed opinions about MMA in Norway,” Hermansson says. ”It seems that the younger generation is more open to it than the older. It’s very mixed in my opinion. A lot of people love MMA, but some don’t even think it’s a sport.”
Up-and-coming Bolander is more optimistic than some of her fellow colleagues.
”Most people think it’s cool that I do MMA, ”Bolander says. ”A few think it’s a bit extreme with all the blood. Visually, it can be difficult for people to watch the sport if they are not interested in it, but most people think it’s cool. I mostly get a positive reaction when I say I’m a MMA fighter.”
Cecilie Bolander. Photo: Chris Önnerby
MMA is illegal in Norway – but for how long?
Will Norway lift the ban in the foreseeable future? The fighters have not yet given up hope, even though it’s looking bleak.
”I think we are far away from legalizing MMA, as other combat sports, and Norges Idrettsforbund (The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports) are working against having it legalized,” Tollefsen says.
Petrovic paints an even darker picture of the Norwegian situation.
”Five years ago, I thought we were close to legalization, but nothing has happened yet. Honestly, I’m not sure anymore. Everything moves so slowly here in Norway. When they say ’soon’, that could mean one or two years, or even five years. It’s really frustrating how long it takes for things to move forward here.”
But what would it actually take to put the country on track with the rest of the world?
Bolander suggests it would take something very special to swing general opinion, perhaps a young Norwegian becoming the best fighter in the world.
”Probably a girl or a very, very young guy. Something that really makes people raise their eyebrows. In Norway, what gets people’s attention is women and youths who are achieving big things in sports,” she says. ”Or a very, very commercial male fighter who can become the best in the world.”
Hermansson, whose dream is to headline a UFC card in Norway before hanging up his gloves for good, is not sure he will see the ban being lifted in his career.
”If the right people get together and really put in the work, it can go fast. But as long as no one is willing to do it, it will take time. I would guess between two to ten years, but it’s hard to say.”
Frontkick has reached out to Norges Idrettsforbund (The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports) for comment, but they have not responded to our request.
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