IL legislation would allow amateur pay up to $1,500
The bill would allow “a stipend for an athletic club or sponsor of the contestant to cover the cost of training and participation expenses not to exceed $1,500.”
Illinois state senator Dave Koehler (D-Pekin) has proposed amendments to the regulations governing MMA in The Land of Lincoln with some unfortunate consequences.
The bill would allow “a stipend for an athletic club or sponsor of the contestant to cover the cost of training and participation expenses not to exceed $1,500.”
$1,500 is more than five professional fighters made at Bellator 133 last year. If you are making $1,500 in mixed martial arts, you are not an amateur.
The proposed bill would also also allow some independent sanctioning bodies to regulate MMA without commission oversight.
There is no suggestion that the bill is not well-well meaning. But doing the right thing takes more than good intentions, especially in a high contact sport like mixed martial arts.
