California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) voted unanimously (6-0) at Wednesday’s public hearing to support the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. The legislation, spearheaded by UFC and TKO executives (who clearly have skin in the game), is designed to provide professional boxers with more career opportunities, better pay, and greater safety protections.
Critics see the bill as nothing more than an excuse to “bring the pay back down.”
“On behalf of Zuffa Boxing, we want to thank California
State Athletic Commission for their thoughtful consideration of all voices presented in today’s hearing and for their unanimous (6-0) support for the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act,” ZUFFA Boxing board member, Nick Khan, said in a news release. “This bill does not eliminate or change any of the existing provisions of the original Ali Act. What we are proposing is an alternative system in which fighters will have more choice and opportunities, better pay, greater health and safety protections, and more events in which to compete.”
UFC CEO, Dana White, and Saudi’s General Minister for Entertainment, Turki Alalshikh, recently joined forces to create a new boxing promotion that is expected to stream events on Paramount+, the new home for UFC programming. ZUFFA Boxing is hoping to operate independent of the four major boxing organizations, which are the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF), and World Boxing Organization (WBO).
“Also, as the commission is fully aware, the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act is supported by Lonnie Ali, wife of the greatest, Muhammad Ali,” Khan added. “We know Lonnie personally and can share with you what she said to us: ‘This is a great opportunity for boxers, and this is what Muhammad would have wanted.’”
CSAC may be voting unanimously, but the Ali family is not.
“As an Ali, I’m completely against altering the Muhammad Ali Act,” Muhammad Ali’s grandson and PFL fighter, Biaggio Ali Walsh, wrote on social media. “My grandfather fought for it to protect fighters from getting screwed over. Remove it, and promoters take control while fighters get paid less. Keep the act and protect the fighters who put their lives on the line.”
The original Muhammad Ali Act (read it here) was designed to protect boxers from shady managers and promoters by establishing contractual requirements that require financial transparencies and public disclosures. The Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act (see the updates here) seeks to alter that law by giving promoters like ZUFFA boxing the power to control its own roster, akin to how White and Co. operate under UFC.
Several dissenting opinions were on hand at this week’s hearing to protest the changes, including former UFC fighters Kajan Johnson, Vinicius Quieroz, Sara McMann, Tarec Saffiedine, Hugo Viana, Carlos Newton, Matt Brown, Todd Duffee, Pat Barry, Nathan Quarry, and Brock Jardine, in addition to several prominent voices in the combat sports industry.
The Revival Act now awaits a hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives.
