Ron Puccillo, the state’s boxing chief, quietly retired last week after a controversial tenure running combat sports.

Puccillo, who has been president of the Illinois Athletic Commission since 2003, oversaw pro boxing and mixed martial arts in the state. Commission spokeswoman Sue Hofer didn’t detail why Puccillo stepped down, except to say that many state employees retired at the end of the fiscal year.

Hofer said that Nancy Illg, who has worked for the athletic commission for several years, is now acting manager.

“All of us in the industry have known for the last couple of months that Ron was going away,” said Rob Hinds, who trains mixed martial arts judges and referees in the Midwest. “There was a lot of pressure on him.”

Last year he and other state officials were the subject of two complaints by a longtime referee, prompting an investigation by the executive inspector general’s office. The Tribune also revealed that under Puccillo’s watch, fees were collected but not accounted for in financial records, and safety regulations were not properly enforced.

Puccillo’s most recent salary was $67,776.

A Tribune investigation in 2010 highlighted the lax attention to safety in Illinois, including a lack of rule enforcement. When pressed to answer questions about an incident that nearly killed a female boxer, Puccillo told the newspaper, “I am not a rat.”

In February, the Tribune reported that licensees in pro boxing and mixed martial arts for years paid photo-processing fees for their applications even though those fees were not mandated and not clearly accounted for in state financial records.

The practice of collecting the fee stopped about March 2011, about the time the commission’s No. 2 official, Joel Campuzano, was placed on administrative leave in the wake of a complaint from referee John O’Brien that he used the office for political purposes and to benefit his family. In October, O’Brien filed another complaint that accused Puccillo of allowing officials, including ringside judges, to work events unlicensed.

Last year, longtime boxing promoter Bobby Hitz and fellow promoter — and longtime rival — Dominic Pesoli met with Illinois boxing officials to air concerns about what they said were increasingly unfair state regulations. Hitz, who stopped promoting in Illinois for several years and returned last year after Campuzano was placed on leave, said those concerns were resolved and called Puccillo a fair person to work with. He characterized Puccillo as a “scapegoat” for complaints and allegations.

Some have questioned whether Puccillo did enough to nurture other combat sports, such as mixed martial arts, which is gaining popularity at a national level.

Trainer Hinds said that Puccillo didn’t care enough about MMA and missed an opportunity to develop a growing sport. “He’s one of those guys that feel MMA robbed boxing,” Hinds said.

The commission has always been filled with just a few full-time employees. Lately, the group has been even smaller. Campuzano, who remains under investigation, is on paid leave. Another longtime employee was recently transferred to another department. Most of the oversight is now handled by Illg.

Alex Trujillo, who trains professional and amateur fighters at Midwest Training Center in Schaumburg, said it’s unclear whether working with the commission will be easier with Puccillo gone.

“The state, I don’t know where they’re going. … They don’t have anyone with any experience in any fighting sports that will be regulating in mixed marital arts,” he said. “I just keep training my dudes and showing up to fight.”

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