Coker: I think I’d be in favor of expanding the Ali Act to cover MMA
Scott Coker: “But hey, if all of the planets aligned and there was a concerted effort to change things, I think I would be in favor of it.”
Boxing was in such a colossally poor state, that in 1996 it became to date the only sport subject to US Federal regulation, with the passage of the Professional Boxing Safety Act. In 2000 it was amended, with the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, widely referred to as the Ali Act.
There have been attempts to amend the Ali Act virtually every year since. The most notable change has been a call for a Federal boxing commission, which was tried repeatedly. All amendments to date have failed.
One of the provisions of the Ali Act is the creation of the Association of Boxing Commissions, for the purpose of sharing records and suspensions, and strengthening other regulatory activities and fighter protections.
At the most recent ABC convention, several figures disillusions with the UFC showed up unexpectedly. They included fighters Wanderlei Silva, Jon Fitch, Brandon Vera, and Ryan JImmo, as well as trainer Juanito Ibarra, cutman Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran, and attorney Rob Maysey. During an open forum period, the group advocated for the Ali Act to be amended to include mixed martial arts.
Maysey founded the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association (MMAFA), and initiated a class-action lawsuit against the UFC. He was the primary spokesperson for the group at the convention during the open mic period.
Newly elected president of the Association of Boxing Commissions Michael Mazzuli of the Mohegun Sun spoke with John S. Nash for BE, and said the ABC may more formally address the issue at next year’s convention.
“We’re interested in what’s best for the fighters,” said Mazzulli. “If they overwhelmingly say this is a problem, that this is something they would like to see happen, then the Association of Boxing Commissions would definitely take a look at it at next year’s meeting.”
Nash also reached out to the UFC, Bellator MMA, and World Series of Fighting for comment on the potential expansion of the Ali Act to MMA. Only Coker replied.
“A little bit of history here is in order,” began Coker. “The Ali Act, is a federal law that was introduced in 1999 and enacted on May 26, 2000 in response to widespread abuse of professional boxers. The Act amends the 1996 Professional Boxing Safety Act by expanding upon it to protect boxers against exploitation, conflict of interest, enforcement, as well as to provide a mechanism for additional amendments. I am not a lawyer, but I don’t think the ABC has the authority to expand the Ali Act to MMA, it would require an actual amendment from Congress. At one time, a few years back, Senator John McCain introduced a bill to amend the Ali Act to include MMA, however, some strong lobbying efforts (by someone) managed to stall that process and I believe it was abandoned. But hey, if all of the planets aligned and there was a concerted effort to change things, I think I would be in favor of it – in fact, I think they should call it the Randy Couture Act.”
Coker is factually incorrect in one regard. To date, no Senator has introduced a bill to expand the Ali Act to include MMA. Coker is however correct that expanding the Ali Act to include MMA would require that a new Federal law be passed.