A new bill that aims to overhaul the business of professional boxing in the United States has been introduced into Congress.
The bill, titled "The Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act," was introduced Wednesday by U.S. Representatives Brian Jack, a Republican from Georgia, and Sharice Davids, a Democrat from Kansas. The bill’s language would allow for “alternative systems” called Unified Boxing Organizations, which would permit promoters to introduce their own rankings and championship belts – something explicitly outlawed by the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000.
That provision would allow for a structure in boxing that is similar to Ultimate Fighting Championship naming its own champions in mixed martial arts. The similarity isn’t coincidental, as the bill is backed by TKO, the company which owns the UFC and has partnered with Riyadh Season financier Turki Alalshikh, according to The Ring’s Mike Coppinger.
As part of the bill, UBOs would have to pay boxers a minimum of $150 per round, while also mandating a minimum of $25,000 in coverage for injuries sustained during a fight.
Under the UBO system, these organizations would be allowed to establish their own anti-doping testing programs, just as the UFC has, raising jurisdictional concerns with state commissions and their own drug testing policies.
UBOs would also have to provide health insurance to boxers under contract to them, which would cover injuries sustained in training. UBOs would also "ensure that the boxer has access to equipment and facilities" for "training and rehabilitation," similar to the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
Rep. Jack claims that “ambiguity in current law … has stifled investment,” while claiming that the law would establish “a framework for innovation to flourish.
“Under the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act (H.R. 4624), UBOs would not replace the current sanctioning organizations,” reads a press release from Rep. Jack’s office. “Instead, UBOs would exist side-by-side and operate independently, with UBO events regulated by state athletic commissions.”
In addition to TKO and the bill’s co-sponsors, the bill also has high-profile endorsements from Michael Mazzulli, president of the Association of Boxing Commissions, and Lonnie Ali, the widow of boxing great Muhammad Ali.
But the proposal isn’t without its detractors.
Erik Magraken, a combat sports regulatory lawyer, warns that in-house championships could make it more difficult for boxers to leverage their worth in an open market.
“Independent rank and title is the biggest protection that lets boxers earn so much more than MMA fighters,” said Magraken in a post on the social media platform X.
“Boxers compete for titles. Promoters compete for boxers. If promoters own and control titles then boxers can be exploited by promoters.”
Veteran matchmaker Ron Katz worries the bill will mean “more titles to confuse the ever-dwindling fan base of the sport,” though he states that some of the other provisions in the bill seem “very positive.”
A bill would need a simple majority to pass the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate before it could be sent to the president to be signed into law.
Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.
