1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Muhammad Ali Expansion Act”.
Muhammad Ali Expansion Act
A BILL
To amend the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 to include fighters of combat sports in the safety provisions of such Act.
2. Inclusion of mixed martial arts fighters
by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (15) as paragraphs (5), (6), (7), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), and (17), respectively;
by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
“(4) Fighter—The term fighter means an individual who fights in a professional mixed martial arts competition or other professional combat sport competition.”
by inserting after paragraph (7), as so redesignated, the following:
“(8) Combat sport competition—The term combat sport competition means a professional fight that allows fighters to use one or more forms of martial arts, including mixed martial arts. Such term does not include—
“(A) a combat sport that allows the use of a weapon or foreign object; or
“(B) a competition that is regulated by an amateur sports organization.”
by adding at the end the following:
“(18) Mixed martial arts—The term mixed martial arts means a full-contact combat sport that allows fighters to use both striking and grappling techniques, and both standing and on the ground, from a variety of other combat sports and martial arts.”
Conforming amendments—
Sections 3 through 21 (other than section 20) of the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 (15 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) are amended—
by inserting “or fighter” after “boxer” each place it appears;
by inserting “and fighters” after “boxers” each place it appears;
by inserting “or combat sport competition” after “boxing match” each place it appears;
by inserting “and combat sport competitions” after “boxing matches” each place it appears;
by inserting “or competition” after “the match” each place it appears; and
by striking “boxing service provider” and inserting “boxing or combat sport service provider”.
Section 2 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 6301) is further amended—
in paragraph (2), by inserting “and combat sport competitions” after “professional boxing matches”;
in paragraphs (3), (6), and (14), by inserting “and fighters” after “boxers” each place it appears;
in paragraphs (4), (11), and (13), by inserting “or fighter” after “boxer” each place it appears;
in paragraphs (6), (9), and (14), by inserting “or combat sport competition” after “professional boxing match” each place it appears;
in paragraph (9), by inserting “or competition” after “the match” each place it appears;
in paragraphs (12) and (13), by striking “boxing service provider” and inserting “boxing or combat sport service provider”; and
in paragraph (15) by inserting “or combat sports” after “boxing”.
Section 3(2) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 6302(2)) is further amended by inserting “and professional combat sports industry” after “professional boxing industry”.
Section 4(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 6303(a)) is further amended by inserting “and combat sport regulations” after “professional boxing regulations”.
Section 6(c) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 6305(c)) is further amended by inserting “and fighting” after “risk associated with boxing”.
Section 7(a)(2) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 6306(a)(2)) is further amended by inserting “or compete” after “box”.
Section 9 of such Act is further amended—
by striking “Within 2” and inserting the following:
“(a) Boxing contracts—Within 2”
by adding at the end the following:
“(b) Combat sports contracts—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Muhammad Ali Expansion Act, the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) shall develop and shall approve by a vote of no less than a majority of its member State boxing commissioners, guidelines for minimum contractual provisions that should be included in bout agreements and mixed martial arts and other combat sport contracts. It is the sense of the Congress that State boxing commissions should follow these ABC guidelines.”
Section 10(a) of such Act is further amended—
in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting “or fighter’s” after “boxer’s”; and
in paragraph (2)—
by striking “This subsection” and inserting “With respect to boxing contracts, this subsection”; and
by adding at the end the following: “With respect to mixed martial arts and other combat sport contracts, this subsection shall only apply to contracts entered into after the date of the enactment of the Muhammad Ali Expansion Act.”.
Section 11 of such Act is further amended—
in subsection (a)—
by striking “Within 2” and inserting the following:
“(1) Boxing contracts—Within 2”
by adding at the end the following:
“(2) Combat sports—Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of the Muhammad Ali Expansion Act, the Association of Boxing Commissions shall develop and shall approve by a vote of no less than a majority of its member State boxing commissioners, guidelines for objective and consistent written criteria for the ratings of mixed martial arts and other combat sports. It is the sense of the Congress that sanctioning bodies and State boxing commissions should follow these ABC guidelines.”
in subsection (d)(1)(C) is amended by striking “boxer’s rating” and inserting “boxer or fighter’s rating”.
Section 13 of such Act is further amended—
in subsection (a), by striking “boxer’s purse” and inserting “boxer or fighter’s purse”; and
in subsection (b), by striking “boxer’s purse” and inserting “boxer or fighter’s purse”.
Section 17(b)(2)(B) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 6308(b)(2)(B)) is further amended by inserting “, and fighters participating in a mixed martial arts competition or other combat sport competition scheduled for 11 minutes or more” after “10 rounds or more”.
Section 18(b)(3) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 6309(b)(3)) is further amended by inserting “or combat sport” after “State boxing”.