UFC fighter Soa "The Hulk" Palelei has been banned from visiting kids at a children's hospital after helping to raise more than $43,000 for the organization.
The reason? Because he fights in a "cage."
MMA is legal in Western Australia, where Princess Margaret Hospital is located. But matches must be held inside of a boxing ring, because "cage-fighting" has been banned by state government officials.
Palelei told CNN he was "deeply hurt" by the hospital's decision to ban him from the photoshoot, adding: "I'm also a person with a life outside of UFC, with a son who suffers from absence epilepsy, and not to mention all the charitable work I have done over the years.
The hospital issued a statement in defense of its decision.
"Following the significant media coverage of controversy surrounding UFC and 'cage' fighting, which is currently banned in Western Australia, a decision was made by the Princess Margaret Hospital Executive that it would not be appropriate to have a representative of the sport visit the hospital," a spokesperson from the health service said.
Again, MMA is legal in Western Australia, as long as the bouts don't take place inside of a so-called cage -- which makes all of this seem fairly ridiculous, considering the charitable work that Palelei is attempting to do for nothing but altruistic reasons.
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[via CNN]
