Early last month, the California State Athletic Commission tabled a vote on whether to support TKO’s attempt to gut the Ali Act after significant publish pushback, vowing to reconvene in December after a subcommittee
investigation.
Turns out they lied. After convening behind closed doors and refusing to release the minutes, CSAC announced a meeting for today, revealing beforehand that they intended to support the bill. TKO’s Nick Khan got first dibs on public comment, followed by veteran referee “Big” John McCarthy, who accused critics of being financially incentivized. UFC veteran turned referee Chris Leben supported the bill, as did current employee Forrest Griffin, a number of medical officials, and promoters Tom Loeffler and Cory Rapacz.
Former UFC fighters Kajan Johnson, Tarec Saffiedine, Sara McMann, Brock Jardine, Hugo Viana, Matt Brown, Pat Barry, and Todd Duffee voiced vehement opposition. Several brought up UFC’s “take it or leave it” policy to fight negotiations, which causes athletes to compete injured, and Duffee mentioned how he made $10k for his first main event at the same time UFC’s ban on personal sponsors cost him over $100k.
BoxRec’s Grey Johnson kept a list of those who called in, which includes me. I was not as eloquent as I’d have liked, as the dishonesty on display spiked my heart rate past the point where I could regulate my emotions.
Despite the horror stories that these athletes endured under Dana White’s rule, CSAC voted unanimously to support the bill.
To be clear: the bill itself still has yet to come up for a vote. There’s been no action on it since its introduction three months ago, meaning it would have to pass committee, pass the House, and get at least 60 votes in the Senate to reach the President’s desk. The House has been absent for all but 12 days in the last ~3 months, and considering the combination of looming appropriations deadlines and the sheer dysfunction that’s engulfed Congress, there’s a strong chance this never sees the light of day.
That doesn’t make this any less pathetic on Andy Foster’s part. The Nevada State Athletic Commission has long been my go-to example of regulatory capture, having been the first to approve the abomination that is Power Slap, but CSAC is quickly making up for lost ground.
I will do my best to keep you all appraised of the bill’s progress and what you can do to impede it.
