The Savage Truth: Ali Act to MMA -- Good or Bad?

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I’m sure you have heard about the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act by now. There have been a number of people who have been very vocal in their belief that the federal legislation enacted 10 years ago should also cover the sport of mixed martial arts. With this week’s news that an Oklahoma congressman is preparing to introduce new legislation that would indeed bring the protections of the Ali Act to MMA, I thought it would be a good time to take a closer look at what that would mean.

First off, full disclosure, I am a proponent of bringing the Ali Act to MMA. I feel that mixed martial arts is a professional sport and has proven to be a technically demanding endeavor practiced by some of the most athletic, dedicated and disciplined competitors in the sports world. It is a combat sport that is run by promoters who, if unchecked or unscrupulous, have the ability to run roughshod over the very people who line their pockets. There are provisions in the Ali Act that help even things out between promoters and fighters, and this is the main reason I believe it should be amended to include MMA.

The Ali Act, if enforced -- and that is a big if when you look at how it has been applied in boxing -- can, in theory, help fighters by leveling the playing field between promoter and fighter. If Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) is able to shepherd a bill through congress and eventually get it enacted into law, we could see some pretty big changes in how fighters and promoters interact. It won’t happen overnight, but this is the first step in a long, arduous process for which many fighters and managers have been hoping.

I recently spoke with Mike Mazzulli, president of the Association of Boxing Commissions, about the possibility of further federal legislation. He stated that the ABC was in favor of MMA being added to the Ali Act.

“The ABC is for anything that protects the interests of the fighters,” said Mazzulli. “The ABC should be included in any future legislation regarding the regulation of combat sports.”

So, what would change should the Ali Act standards be applied to MMA? Well, here’s the bad news: probably not much at all.

Since its inception, the Ali Act -- and its forerunner, the 1996 Boxing Reform Act -- have not been enforced by the Department of Justice or the U.S. Attorneys who are tasked with upholding the provisions of the law. In a 2007 interview with ESPN, then-ABC President Tim Lueckenhoff sounded off about his frustrations with the lack of enforcement of the law.

“I can’t tell you how frustrated I am,” said Lueckenhoff. “When the ABC was formed, we thought we were going to accomplish some important things, but we have no real power to deal with violations of the Ali Act. So we’re in a situation now where we have this law. We’re trying to uphold it. It’s a federal law. And we’re getting no help whatsoever from U.S. Attorneys around the country.”

Lueckenhoff echoed those same sentiments when I spoke with him about the potential for the Ali Act to be amended to include MMA. We spoke at the ABC convention in 2014 and he told me he thought it should cover MMA but was worried the same issues with enforcement would come up all over again.

I spoke with a number of people on the regulatory side of the sport and found that there is, at the very least, some strong support for bringing the Ali Act to MMA. I wouldn’t say it is unanimous by any means. The support ranges from strong to middling, with some stating that it would be a game-changer, while others felt it would be more of the same, just as it’s been with boxing.

So, why should people fight for something to be put on the books if there are no repercussions for breaking the laws within? There is something to be said for uniformity, and just because a law hasn’t been enforced in the past doesn’t mean it loses its teeth if a promoter decides to get a bit squirrely by pushing the envelope in their interactions with fighters.

Lueckenhoff told ESPN in the same 2007 interview that even one action by the United States Attorney’s office could make a major difference. Even the threat of a U.S. Attorney’s investigation would be a big deterrent for any rogue promoters who might want to take advantage of fighters.

Another important point is the fact that boxing and MMA are both major combat sports. Long gone are the days of MMA being the redheaded stepchild of the combat arena. With the Boxing Reform Act and Ali Act, the ABC is a federally recognized body with a mandate to regulate the sport of boxing. It is time it is recognized in the same manner when it comes to MMA.

Sherdog.com Executive Editor Greg Savage can be reached by email or via Twitter @TheSavageTruth.