Does Fallon Fox Really Have An Unfair Advantage?

With much thought and consideration, I think it's time to get some interaction. With WMMA being quite close to my heart, I've decided to write about something current and concerning. There’s been quite a bit of hype in the world of MMA about Fallon Fox and whether or not she has an unfair advantage over other female MMA fighters.

Fallon Fox, born Boyd Burton on November 29, 1975 is the first openly transgender athlete in MMA history. Medical experts point out that “male to female transsexuals have significantly less muscle strength and bone density, and higher fat mass, than males."

Medical examinations aside, Fallon is of “average” female height and weight and feels she does not have an advantage over other female fighters.

In every MMA fight, athletes are generally matched up according to their weight and their record in terms of experience. In some instances, their opponent may have a height advantage, or a reach advantage and they have to deal with that. And that's what they do, they deal with it.

This brings us back to the question: Does Fallon Fox have an unfair advantage over other female athletes in MMA? Does she? Does she really?

This is a pretty debatable topic and could get ugly, so I’m running with this post at the risk of receiving some criticism. I don’t think that Fallon has an unfair advantage. As an athlete in the Martial Arts industry, I’ve learnt that it’s not about who your opponent is. The athlete and their camp are going to emphasise training certain disciplines and techniques in preparation for a fight, but at the end of the day it’s not about who your opponent is.

Think about it, if you were going to base accepting a fight on whom your opponent would be (granted that they’re on the same level of experience and weight as you), do you really think that would make for a successful career?

What are your thoughts and opinions on Fallon, as a transgender female in WMMA?