Text of MMA’s “Ali Act” Now Published

[ErikMagraken]

Text of MMA’s “Ali Act” Now Published

Last week Congressman MarkWayne Mullin introduced a Bill to expand the Professional Boxing Safety Act to other combative sports. The text of the Bill has now been published.

As previously discussed, this is a Bill to amend a statute and it does not make for straightforward reading. To understand exactly what it will do a ‘Frankenstein‘ law has to be drafted taking the proposed amendments referred to below and grafting these onto the original legislation. I have done this previously before the Bill’s language was published and you can click here for an example of what this Bill will do for professional MMA.

In short this bill will not only expand the Professional Boxing Safety Act to professional MMA but also to all professional “fighters” so sports such as professional Muay Thai and Kickboxing can be captured under this proposed legislation.

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[Robbie Hart]

In laymens terms Erik? I get lost in potential, could be and very well could happen versus what is going to happen.....what are we looking at, for sure, no doubt?

 

[ErikMagraken]

In laymens terms Erik? I get lost in potential, could be and very well could happen versus what is going to happen.....what are we looking at, for sure, no doubt?

Sorry, no short answer. Read here for a section by section breakdown which is fairly accurate (I put it together before the text was revealed but it was a fairly accurate guess)

Let’s Draft MMA’s “Muhammad Ali” Act

 

[ErikMagraken]

In laymens terms Erik? I get lost in potential, could be and very well could happen versus what is going to happen.....what are we looking at, for sure, no doubt?

On second thought, here are the highlights in laymens terms

• This Bill will expand all of the protections of the Professional Boxing Safety Act to Professional MMA
• It will also bring these protections to all other “Professional Combat Sport Competitions” which include any “professional fight that allows fighters to use one or more forms of martial arts” The only exceptions to this are
  • a combat sport that allows the use of a weapon or foreign object
  • a competition that is regulated by an amateur sports organization
• In other words it will apply to sports like pro kickboxing and Muay Thai so organizations like Glory, Bellator Kickboxing, Lion Fight Promotions etc
• Of the various changes the Bill brings to these sports the following are the most significant
  • coercive contracts will be prohibited. This means contracts that over 12 months that also require rights to be given to the promoter to allow the fighter to compete against another athlete who is under contract with that promoter (think basically every UFC contract)
  • In house titles would be eliminated and titles would instead be overseen by outside sanctioning organizations. These organizations are regulated under the legislation with requirements for objecting ranking criteria and other protections for the fighters
  • all contracts between promoters and fighters wound need to be disclosed to athletic commissions and further promoters would be required to disclose all compensation the promoter is making. In other words it would create a far more informed negotiating landscape.
  • A firewall would be in place between promoters and managers for all MMA fighters and other ‘fighters’ captured by the Bill who compete for 11 minutes or more
  • Imposing criminal and civil penalties for those who violate this legislation. More importantly it gives fighters the right to sue anyone who caused them ‘economic injury’ by violating the statute. A powerful tool that MMA fighters currently do not have.

 

[Virtually Identical]

View: https://twitter.com/robnashville/status/740958882701402112

 

[LawFitz]

No wonder Zuffa is looking to sell. If this thing passes, buh bye $4 billion.

 

[Wild]

Section 11 – This is perhaps one of the most significant changes. This would require all contracts between promoters and fighters to be disclosed to athletic commissions and further require promoters to disclose all compensation the promoter is making. In other words it would create a far more informed negotiating landscape.

I like this one a lot.

 

[Kingtony87]

Section 11 – This is perhaps one of the most significant changes. This would require all contracts between promoters and fighters to be disclosed to athletic commissions and further require promoters to disclose all compensation the promoter is making. In other words it would create a far more informed negotiating landscape.

I like this one a lot.

The athletic commissions cannot properly over see the sport as it is. They do not have competent judges, or refs half the time, and they can't handle drug trusts. And people want to give them more control, let them decide matchmaking?? How long did paq mayweather take to make? This is a bad bad thing for us as fans.

 

[Wild]

The athletic commissions cannot properly over see the sport as it is. They do not have competent judges, or refs half the time, and they can't handle drug trusts. And people want to give them more control, let them decide matchmaking?? How long did paq mayweather take to make? This is a bad bad thing for us as fans.

True, but I believe once that information has been provided to AC's, it becomes public record.

 

[ErikMagraken]

The athletic commissions cannot properly over see the sport as it is. They do not have competent judges, or refs half the time, and they can't handle drug trusts. And people want to give them more control, let them decide matchmaking?? How long did paq mayweather take to make? This is a bad bad thing for us as fans.

I disagree. I'm not suggesting AC's are above reproach but there is no harm in giving a regulatory agency power to ensure promoters reveal all revenues to fighters. An informed negotiating landscape is a good thing.

Nothing in this legislation makes AC's matchmakers.

 

[Kingtony87]

I disagree. I'm not suggesting AC's are above reproach but there is no harm in giving a regulatory agency power to ensure promoters reveal all revenues to fighters. An informed negotiating landscape is a good thing.

Again that may help fighters get more income, doubtful though as the ufc is still the highest paying gig in town so they won't have the competition driving salaries higher. A union would be infinitely more beneficial then more government regulation. Did you listen to some of the things said about or sport from the ny senators? They cannot manage what small part they have now. People that uneducated should not be given more power to govern something they no nothing about.

 

[kneeblock]

I'd sacrifice my fandom for fighters having a fairer shake but I agree that an association is still necessary particularly with an open market. Transparency is no panacea. The fighters need to be able to bargain from a position of strength.

 

[seekntruth]

View: https://twitter.com/robnashville/status/740958882701402112

 

[Kingtony87]

During the discussion to legalize mma in NY, mma was compared to both gay porn and forcing slaves to fight each other. Many knew nothing of weight classes or many of the modern rules. Hell on ariel's podcast he mentions how only 4 years ago a judge was asking what was going on during a kimura attempt. More government involvement will not benefit our sport.