Like any good bout in the sport of mixed martial arts that Wertheim describes so well, this book is fast-paced and entertaining. This is an important work that documents and discusses the phenomenal success of MMA in recent years and will likely become a standard for those new to the sport.

Going into this book, I was concerned that it was going to be yet another fighter-abused-as-child-goes-through-adolescent-fights-and-legal-troubles-before-taking-anger-out-in-ring-to-become-champion tale. To some extent it is, but luckily it goes into more depth, commenting on the rise of the UFC, the promotion as it stands today, and somewhat on Miletich’s role in shaping today’s MMA. Gentry’s No Holds Barred: Ultimate Fighting and the Martial Arts Revolution and Krauss/Aita’s Brawl: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Mixed Martial Arts Competition are both more detailed on the rise of the UFC and MMA, but both are dated and while they cover the early history well, they both lack meaningful commentary and of course pre-date the UFC’s exponential growth following the first seasons of The Ultimate Fighter on Spike.

Rather than the same tale told with new names, Miletich’s story is instead the narrative thread that holds together Wertheim’s examination of the sport itself, and that lifts this treatment above the ghosted autobiographies that haunt the genre. Even though the concept works, it is clear that Miletich will not be at the forefront before even opening the book: for some reason Chuck Liddell is pictured on the front cover and Roger Huerta and Clay Guida on the back, none of whom have any particular connection with Pat Miletich.

A minor annoyance is that it is initially overbearing for those familiar with MMA because of the adjective-heavy breathlessness that describes everything as bloody, brutal, painful, intense, etc. Worse yet, the slang of twenty-something fans on the internet boards occasionally creeps in. That may be natural, as Wertheim describes himself as an outsider to the sport who has been recently immersed in MMA events, websites, and message boards. Likely, it also strikes just the note Wertheim needs to capitalize on the recent converts brought in through The Ultimate Fighter. Seriously, though–we all know submissions hurt or fighters wouldn’t tap, and we’ve all seen blood, hell, most of us have probably seen our own blood in the dojo, so it could stand to be ratcheted down a notch. MMA fans are so de-sensitized to the sight of blood that anything smaller than an axe wound-looking cut from an elbow hardly merits mention.

Fortunately, though, the hyperbole either settled down or just became easy to overlook once the book got going, because this really is a work that has a good chance of becoming a classic. Coming at the subject fresh was undoubtedly helpful, and allowed Wertheim to describe Miletich, a UFC champion for much of the late 1990s with a yawn-inducing style, appear dynamic and exciting in his fights. It doesn’t hurt that Wertheim opens with the funny, irrepressible, and shithouse crazy Jens (Lil Evil) Pulver offering to break the author’s nose.

The book abounds with insightful comments, whether about the opacity of the UFC as an organization and the practices of the Fertittas and Dana White, the relationship dynamics between fighters, coaches, managers, and promoters, the growth of the sport in the last five years, or the discussion of the open secret of steroid use, and even touching the almost sexual nature of an MMA bout.

It is worth the cover price for the non-confirmation confirmation of the Gene Lebell/Steven Seagal legend alone. He also managed to capture Lee Murray’s outside-the-ring exploits (much more interesting than Murray inside the ring) within a couple paragraphs and a long footnote. Those footnotes liberally sprinkled throughout are like porn for MMA junkies, riffing asides on the significance of tattoos to MMA fighters, to missed nicknames, to encapsulating the changes in Dana White through the years by noting his change in attire.

The footnotes are indicated in the text by asterisks that I always missed–I wouldn’t catch the footnotes until I was leaving the page and always had to search back through the text. That’s either a criticism of the footnote asterisks or praise at how engrossing the text was, I’m not sure which.

One of the most telling stories is one that couldn’t be told–the way that Zuffa shut down access to longtime UFC matchmaker Joe Silva (“Don’t talk to Joe. Don’t. Talk. To. Joe.”). Just one instance of the paranoid UFC management locking down the ship; an interview with Joe Silva is definitely something that fans would have enjoyed reading.

There are some minor negatives: his perspective as an outsider leaves the technicals a little vague and unsure at times, and he leaves readers with a strange impression of Miletich’s gym that it’s all come-in-and-fight with no technique training, which is obviously false at the gym of one of the most respected coaches in the sport. Notable for its absence was Dana White’s blacklisting of Miletich’s IFL promotion; Wertheim hinted at the UFC’s excommunication practice once it feels crossed by a fighter, but for some reason he doesn’t describe how the same thing happened to Miletich.

But again, this is an excellent introduction to the sport, easily the most readable out there, and it is poised at the correct time to catch the MMA wave. It gives the new fans some of the background needed to appreciate the sport while keeping things entertaining and thoughtful enough for those fans who have seen the transformations firsthand.

Note- this book went to press before Miletich KO’ed Thomas Denny with punches that could drive piles in his December 2008 comeback fight.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) was recently authorized by law in Maryland’s previous legislative session. Since then, the State Athletic Commission has been busy drafting proposed regulations. These proposed regulations were published in the Maryland Register on January 30, 2009.

Just in case you’re part of the 99.99% of the population that has no idea how Maryland  rulemaking works, let me tell you that this is your only chance to be heard on the new regulations. Maryland law requires a notice and comment period for new regulations (“regs”). Therefore, the regs need to be published in the Maryland Register (that’s the notice) and the public needs to be given the opportunity to review and comment on the proposed regulations (that’s the comment). The agency must then review all the comments and respond to every issue in a future edition of the Maryland Register before any final regulations may be adopted.

So anyone interested should review the proposed regulations and provide the Commission with their comments. This whole process is designed so those affected by the new rules, in other words those with some kind of interest in MMA (fighters, fans, promoters, managers, clubs, etc.), will be able to voice any concerns or comments. Therefore I highly recommend you read the proposed regs and provide comments to the Commission by March 2.

Again, there is only a week or so left to comment (sorry, I just found out!), so be sure to review the proposed regs and send any comments to:

Patrick Pannella, Executive Director, Maryland State Athletic Commission, 500 North Calvert Street, Room 304, Baltimore, MD 21202, or call 410-230-6223, or email to ppannella@dllr.state.md.us, or fax to 410-333-6314. Comments will be accepted through March 2, 2009. A public hearing has not been scheduled.

There will also be an Open Meeting:

Final action on the proposal will be considered by the State Athletic Commission during a public meeting to be held on March 26, 2009, 2:30 p.m., at 500 North Calvert Street, Third Floor Conference Room, Baltimore, MD 21202.

I have not had a chance to review these myself because I literally just found out about the regs. The Md. Register website is a pretty poor viewing experience, so I’ve posted the proposed regulations and the economic impact statement below.

 I would greatly appreciate any thoughts or comments: I’ve already noticed a couple things, but I will start a new post with my thoughts. Please feel free to comment directly on this site as well, because I certainly intend on commenting to the Commission and I can include any concerns I see in time. Please also spread the word about the proposed regulations so that we can ensure that the MMA Maryland gets is the MMA Maryland wants!

Without further ado, here is the economic impact statement and the proposed rules as published in the Md. Register at 36:3 Md. Reg. 219 (January 30, 2009):

Subtitle 14 STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION

Notice of Proposed Action

[09-080-P]

The State Athletic Commission proposes to:

(1) Amend Regulation .01 under COMAR 09.14.01 General Provisions;

(2) Amend Regulations .01—.04 and .06-1—.07 and adopt new Regulation .03-1 under COMAR 09.14.02 Applications and Licensing;

(3) Amend Regulations .01—.03 under COMAR 09.14.03 Contracts and Sanctions;

(4) Amend Regulations .01—.13 under COMAR 09.14.04 Safety and Health Standards for Contestants;

(5) Amend Regulations .01 and .02 under COMAR 09.14.05 Boxing and Kickboxing Facilities and Equipment;

(6) Amend Regulation .04 under COMAR 09.14.06 Conduct of Boxing Contests;

(7) Amend Regulations .01—.07 under COMAR 09.14.07 Ring Officials;

(8) Amend Regulation .05 under COMAR 09.14.09 Control and Taxing of Tickets;

(9) Amend Regulation .06-1 under COMAR 09.14.10 Prohibited Practices;

(10) Repeal COMAR 09.14.11 Hearing Regulations in its entirety;

(11) Amend Regulations .01—.03, .08, and .09 under COMAR 09.14.13 Prohibited Substances;

(12) Amend Regulations .02—.08 under COMAR 09.14.15 State Championships;

(13) Adopt Regulations .01—.12 under a new chapter, COMAR 09.14.16 Mixed Martial Arts—Professional; and

(14) Adopt Regulations .01—.14 under a new chapter, COMAR 09.14.17 Mixed Martial Arts—Amateur.

This action was considered at a public meeting held on November 17, 2008, notice of which was given by publication in The Daily Record on November 10, 2008.

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this action is to provide for the licensing and regulation of professional mixed martial arts (MMA) by the Maryland State Athletic Commission. Specifically, the action amends existing regulations applicable to professional boxing and kickboxing, so that these regulations also are applicable to professional MMA, and creates new regulations applicable only to professional MMA. In addition, the action provides for the regulation of amateur MMA through an amateur kickboxing or amateur MMA organization approved by the Maryland State Athletic Commission, as well as the rules of amateur MMA under which such activities must be conducted.

Comparison to Federal Standards

There is no corresponding federal standard to this proposed action.

Estimate of Economic Impact

I. Summary of Economic Impact. Professional mixed martial arts (MMA) and amateur MMA events will be held in the State of Maryland. The State Athletic Commission will be responsible for sanctioning and regulating professional MMA contests. Amateur kickboxing organizations or amateur MMA organizations approved by the State Athletic Commission will be responsible for sanctioning and regulating amateur MMA contests. Promoters who are currently licensed by the State Athletic Commission to hold professional boxing events and wrestling events, as well as new promoters, have expressed an interest in holding professional MMA events, amateur MMA events, or both. As a result of such extensive promoter interest, coupled with the growing popularity and emergence of MMA as an accepted spectator sport by the general public, it is projected that up to 12 professional MMA events and up to 12 amateur MMA events will be held in Maryland in the first year of activity. It is projected that the Maryland Comptroller will collect: (1) In excess of $42,000 for the boxing and wrestling tax from the gross receipts of professional MMA events held in Maryland in the first year of activity; and (2) Up to $42,000 for the boxing and wrestling tax from the gross receipts of amateur MMA events held in Maryland in the first year of activity. It is projected that the State Athletic Commission will collect $6,000 in license fees from the regulation of professional MMA contests held in the first year of activity. It is projected that the State Athletic Commission will incur costs of $32,444 for the regulation of MMA in the first year of activity. These costs include per diem payments to officials and physicians who are assigned to regulate professional MMA contests, payments to neurologists who are assigned to perform neurological examinations of professional MMA contestants, testing of professional MMA contestants for controlled dangerous substances, and training MMA officials (referees and judges) to properly officiate both professional MMA contests and amateur MMA contests.

III. Assumptions. (Identified by Impact Letter and Number from Section II.)

A(1). Projected costs in regard to the regulation of MMA in the first year of activity include: (a) per diem payments to referees, judges, inspectors, and physicians who are assigned to regulate professional MMA contests ($20,100); (b) payments to neurologists who are assigned to perform neurological examinations of professional MMA contestants ($3,000); (c) testing of professional MMA contestants for controlled dangerous substances ($4,344); and (d) training referee and judge candidates to properly officiate both professional MMA and amateur MMA contests ($5,000).

A(2). It is projected that, due to the increase in activity as a result of the addition of professional MMA events, the State Athletic Commission will collect $6,000 in revenue from license fees pertaining to the regulation of professional MMA contests. License categories (and cost of licenses) include: MMA contestant ($10); second ($10); referee ($15); judge ($15); manager ($25); matchmaker ($25); and promoter ($150). Projected funds generated from each license category include: MMA contestant ($1,980); second ($1,500); referee ($90); judge ($180); manager ($1,250); matchmaker ($100); and promoters ($900).

B. It is projected that the Maryland Comptroller will collect in excess of $42,000 for the boxing and wrestling tax from 10 percent of the gross receipts of professional MMA events held in Maryland in the first year of activity. It is projected that the Maryland Comptroller will collect up to an additional $42,000 for the admissions and amusement tax from a calculated percentage (based on the jurisdiction in which the event occurs) of the gross receipts of amateur MMA events held in Maryland in the first year of activity.

D(1). It is projected that professional MMA contestants will earn purse monies in excess of $100,000 from competing in professional MMA contests held in Maryland in the first year of activity.

D(2). It is projected that promoters will earn in excess of $450,000 from the gate receipts (after the deduction of the boxing and wrestling tax) of professional MMA events held in Maryland in the first year of activity. It is projected that promoters will earn in excess of $180,000 from the gate receipts (after the deduction of the admissions and amusement tax) of amateur MMA events held in Maryland in the first year of activity.

E. It is projected that medical service providers will earn in excess of $83,000 in additional monies from the increased business generated by providing medical services related to both professional MMA and amateur MMA events held in Maryland in the first year of activity. The medical services include: (1) medical testing of MMA contestants; and (2) an ambulance and two-person crew on-site at both professional MMA events and amateur MMA events.

F. It is projected that at least 10,000 spectators will purchase tickets to, and attend, professional MMA events held in Maryland in the first year of activity. It is projected that at least 5,000 spectators will purchase tickets to, and attend, amateur MMA events held in Maryland in the first year of activity.

Economic Impact on Small Businesses

The proposed action has a meaningful economic impact on small businesses. An analysis of this economic impact follows.

It is projected that promoters will earn in excess of $450,000 from the gate receipts (after the deduction of the boxing and wrestling tax) of professional MMA events held in Maryland in the first year of activity. It is projected that promoters will earn in excess of $180,000 from the gate receipts (after the deduction of the admissions and amusement tax) of amateur MMA events held in Maryland in the first year of activity.

It is projected that medical service providers in the State of Maryland will see an increase in business annually in areas of service including: (1) medical testing of MMA contestants (projected in an amount in excess of $70,000 in the first year of MMA activity); and (2) ambulance and two-person crew (projected in the amount of $10,200 in the first year of MMA activity) on-site at both professional MMA events and amateur MMA events.

Impact on Individuals with Disabilities

The proposed action has no impact on individuals with disabilities.

Opportunity for Public Comment

Comments may be sent to Patrick Pannella, Executive Director, Maryland State Athletic Commission, 500 North Calvert Street, Room 304, Baltimore, MD 21202, or call 410-230-6223, or email to ppannella@dllr.state.md.us, or fax to 410-333-6314. Comments will be accepted through March 2, 2009. A public hearing has not been scheduled.

Open Meeting

Final action on the proposal will be considered by the State Athletic Commission during a public meeting to be held on March 26, 2009, 2:30 p.m., at 500 North Calvert Street, Third Floor Conference Room, Baltimore, MD 21202.

09.14.01 General Provisions

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §§4-101, 4-205, and 4-303,
Annotated Code of Maryland

.01 Definitions.

A. (text unchanged)

B. Terms Defined.

(1) (text unchanged)

(2) Contest.

(a) “Contest” means any [match, event, or exhibition of] boxing, kickboxing, [sparring,] or wrestling:

(i) Competition;

(ii) Exhibition;

(iii) Match;

(iv) Performance; or

(v) Show.

(b) “Contest” includes a mixed martial arts:

(i) Competition;

(ii) Match;

(iii) Performance; or

(iv) Show.

(c) “Contest” does not include a mixed martial arts exhibition.

(3) “Contestant” means a boxer, kickboxer, [or wrestler] or mixed martial arts contestant who participates against an opponent in a contest.

(4) (text unchanged)

(5) Manager.

(a) “Manager” means a person who, under contract, agreement, or other arrangement, undertakes to control or administer, directly or indirectly, a [boxing-related] contest-related matter on behalf of a [boxer] contestant.

(b) (text unchanged)

(6) “Mixed martial arts” means a competition in which contestants use interdisciplinary forms of fighting, including various forms of martial arts, involving:

(a) Striking with the hands, feet, knees, or elbows; and

(b) Grappling by take-downs, throws, submissions, or choke holds.

(7) “Mixed Martial Arts Exhibition” means a mixed martial arts event in which:

(a) Contact to the body is permitted in only a restrained manner;

(b) Contact to the head is not permitted; and

(c) No contact is permitted that may result, or is intended to result, in physical harm to an opponent.

[(6)] (8) “Official record” means the cumulative results of those boxing, [or] kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contests, sanctioned by a regulatory agency, in which a contestant has participated.

[(7)] (9)—[(8)] (10) (text unchanged)

[(9)] (11) “Regulatory agency” means a commission, board, or other entity of a state, commonwealth, territory, or country, created by law or executive order, which regulates boxing, kickboxing, [or] wrestling, or mixed martial arts.

[(10)] (12) “Second” means an individual who assists a boxer, kickboxer, mixed martial arts contestant, or wrestler during a contest.

09.14.02 Applications and Licensing

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §§4-205, 4-301, and 4-303,
Annotated Code of Maryland

.01 License Required.

A. (text unchanged)

B. Persons requiring a license include a:

(1)—(7) (text unchanged)

(8) Kickboxer; [and]

(9) Judge; and

(10) Mixed martial arts contestant.

C. (text unchanged)

.02 [Boxers and Kickboxers] Contestants.

A. [In order to receive a license, an] An applicant for a license as a contestant shall be:

(1) (text unchanged)

(2) Not more than 36 years old unless special permission is granted by the Commission upon a review of the [boxer's] applicant’s experience and physical fitness.

B. (text unchanged)

C. An applicant shall have a licensed manager, [trainer] licensed second, or qualified [individual] licensee certify to the Commission that the applicant is physically competent as a [boxer or kickboxer] contestant and possesses the skill of a trained [boxer or kickboxer] contestant in the sport for which the applicant is seeking a license, including:

(1)—(3) (text unchanged)

(4) Physical stamina to [box] participate in:

(a) [at] At least four 3-minute rounds of boxing or kickboxing, if the application is for a boxer or kickboxer license; or

(b) At least three 5-minute rounds of mixed martial arts, if the application is for a mixed martial arts contestant license.

D. (text unchanged)

[E. An applicant who resides in another state shall submit a boxing license passport from the regulatory agency of that state.

F. The Commission may issue a boxing license passport to an applicant who resides in another state only if the other state does not have provisions for the issuance of a boxing license passport.]

.03 Managers.

A. An applicant shall provide the Commission with a complete list of all Maryland [boxers] contestants under the applicant’s control.

B. (text unchanged)

C. A licensed manager is responsible for the conduct of the [boxers] contestants under the manager’s control.

.03-1 Second.

An individual younger than 18 years old may not be licensed as a second.

.04 Matchmaker.

A. (text unchanged)

B. A licensed matchmaker may not:

(1) (text unchanged)

(2) Directly or indirectly manage a [boxer, kickboxer, or wrestler] contestant; or

(3) Have a financial interest in a [boxer, kickboxer, or wrestler] contestant who is participating in a contest that is part of the boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts show in which the matchmaker is acting.

.06-1 [Boxing and Kickboxing] Referees.

A. Except as otherwise provided in this regulation, an applicant for an original license to act as a referee in a [boxing or kickboxing] contest shall:

(1) (text unchanged)

(2) Complete a course of training, approved by the Commission, which encompasses the elements of officiating in [a boxing or kickboxing contest] the sport in which the applicant seeks to officiate; and

(3) (text unchanged)

B. (text unchanged)

C. The Commission may waive the requirements of §A of this regulation for a nonresident applicant in a [championship boxing or kickboxing] contest if the applicant submits a certification from another regulatory agency verifying that the applicant is qualified to act as a [boxing or kickboxing] referee in the sport in which the applicant seeks to officiate.

.06-2 [Boxing and Kickboxing] Judges.

A. Except as otherwise provided in this regulation, an applicant for an original license to act as a judge in a boxing, [or] kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest shall:

(1) (text unchanged)

(2) Complete a course of training, approved by the Commission, which encompasses the elements of officiating in [a boxing or kickboxing contest] the sport in which the applicant seeks to officiate; and

(3) (text unchanged)

B. (text unchanged)

C. The Commission may waive the requirements of §A of this regulation for a nonresident applicant in a [championship] boxing, [or] kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest if the applicant submits a certification from another regulatory agency verifying that the applicant is qualified to act as a [boxing or kickboxing] judge in the sport in which the applicant seeks to officiate.

[D. An individual licensed by the Commission as a referee may judge a contest without obtaining a judge's license.]

.07 License Denial, Suspension, Fines, and Revocation.

A. The Commission may deny a license to any applicant or revoke a license if the applicant or licensee:

(1)—(3) (text unchanged)

(4) Has failed to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Commission the physical competence to [engage in the sport of boxing or wrestling] participate as a contestant;

(5)—(8) (text unchanged)

B.—D. (text unchanged)

09.14.03 [Boxing] Contracts and Sanctions

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §4-205,
Annotated Code of Maryland

.01 Contract Between Manager and [Boxer] Contestant.

A. Except as otherwise indicated, a contract between a [boxer] contestant and a manager shall be:

(1) (text unchanged)

(2) Filed with the Commission 5 business days before the [date of the boxer's] contestant first [appearance as a contestant] participates in a contest in this State.

B. Provisions of Contract.

(1) An executed original contract between [all managers and boxers] a manager and a contestant shall be filed with the Commission.

(2) A contract shall include the following provisions:

(a) That there is no financial interest in the earnings of the [boxer] contestant by any person other than the manager or managers of the [boxer] contestant;

(b) That a manager or managers will receive not more than 33 percent of the gross earnings of the [boxer] contestant;

(c)—(d) (text unchanged)

(e) That the [boxer] contestant shall comply with all laws, regulations, and directives of the Commission.

C. (text unchanged)

D. A manager may not sign a promoter-[boxer] contestant contract on behalf of a [boxer] contestant which obligates the [boxer] contestant to compete in an event scheduled to take place after the expiration of the contract between the manager and [boxer] contestant.

E. A [boxer] contestant may not sign a contract with any other manager during the term of an existing contract the [boxer] contestant may have with a manager.

.02 Contract Between Promoter and [Boxer] Contestant.

A. A contract between a promoter and a contestant shall include the following provisions:

(1) The amount of guarantee or percentage promised by the promoter to the contestant;

(2) (text unchanged)

(3) The time and location that the [boxers] contestants are scheduled to appear;

(4) (text unchanged)

(5) A prohibition against the [boxer] contestant engaging in a [boxing] contest at least 14 days before the contest stated in the contract;

(6) (text unchanged)

(7) A provision stating that:

(a) Drug testing is mandatory in boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts contests sanctioned by the State Athletic Commission;

(b) (text unchanged)

(c) Refusing to submit to the urine test subjects a [boxer] contestant to disciplinary action by the Commission; and

(d) Testing positive for prohibited drugs:

(i) Is cause for a [boxer] contestant to forfeit the purse set[,]; and

(ii) Subjects a [boxer] contestant to disciplinary action by the Commission; and

(8) (text unchanged)

B. [Contracts] Unless the Commission otherwise approves, contracts for main event [boxers] contestants shall be filed with the Commission with the request for sanction.

C. [Contracts] Unless the Commission otherwise approves, contracts for other [boxers] contestants in a contest shall be submitted to the Commission not later than 5 business days before the date of the contest.

D. (text unchanged)

E. Unless the Commission [in its discretion so] otherwise approves, a [boxer or a kickboxer] contestant, or a manager on behalf of a [boxer or a kickboxer] contestant, may not obligate a [boxer or a kickboxer] contestant to participate in any boxing, [or] kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest within 14 days before or after a date on which the [boxer or kickboxer] contestant participates or is contracted to participate [as a contestant] in another contest.

F. For the purposes of this regulation, the promoter-[boxer] contestant contract received first in time by the Commission prevails over any other promoter-[boxer] contestant contract.

G. Failure [To] to Appear.

(1) Except as provided below, if a contestant absents himself from a contest for which [he] the contestant is contractually obligated to participate, the contestant and [his] the manager of the contestant are subject to disciplinary action.

(2) If a contestant is unable to fulfill a contract due to a physical disability, the contestant shall be placed on medical suspension until the Commission receives documentation of the contestant’s physical disability signed by a licensed physician. Upon the expiration of the suspension, the contestant shall fulfill [his] the contract against the same opponent or similar opponent within a reasonable amount of time as set by the Commission, unless the contestant obtains a written release from the contract by the promoter.

(3) If a contestant presents a valid written excuse for not fulfilling the contract, the contestant shall, when the reasons necessitating the excuse no longer apply, fulfill [his] the contract against the same opponent or a similar opponent within a reasonable period of time.

.03 Commission Sanction Required.

A. A [boxing] contest may not take place unless sanctioned by the Commission.

B. Promoters shall file a written request for a sanction with the Commission at least 30 days before [the] a boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest containing the following information:

(1) The names [and the signed contracts] of the main event [boxers] contestants;

(2) The time, date, and location of the [boxing] contest;

(3) A plan for the employment of uniformed security at the [boxing] contest; and

(4) (text unchanged)

C. Before a [boxing] contest is sanctioned by the Commission, a promoter may not:

(1)—(2) (text unchanged)

D. Substitution of Contestants.

(1) If either of the contestants in the main event [boxing] contest is unable to appear on the night of the contest, a substitute contestant may not participate unless a new sanction is obtained from the Commission.

(2) (text unchanged)

E. Each contestant shall be insured through a group insurance policy provided by the Commission as follows:

(1) Minimum medical expense coverage of [$5,000] $10,000; and

(2) Minimum coverage of [$5,000] $10,000 for death, dismemberment, or loss of sight.

F.—I. (text unchanged)

J. A [boxing] contest may be cancelled at the exclusive discretion of the Commission.

09.14.04 Safety and Health Standards for [Boxers] Contestants

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §§4-205, 4-304, 4-304.1, 4-310, 4-314, and 4-315,
Annotated Code of Maryland

.01 Medical Examinations.

A. A [boxer] contestant applying for a license or license renewal shall have a comprehensive physical examination by the [boxer's] applicant’s personal physician performed within [21] 30 days before the application is submitted to the Commission.

B. The findings from a physical examination under §A of this regulation shall be reported by the [boxer] applicant to the Commission at least 5 business days before the date of the contest.

.02 Ophthalmological Evaluation.

A. (text unchanged)

B. A [boxer] contestant applying for a license or license renewal shall submit to the Commission an ophthalmological evaluation completed by an ophthalmologist licensed by or eligible for certification by the American Board of Ophthalmology, performed within [1 month] 30 days before the date of filing the application.

C.—D. (text unchanged)

E. In order to participate in a contest, a [boxer or kickboxer] contestant shall pass an ophthalmological evaluation and:

(1)—(2) (text unchanged)

.03 Neurological Testing.

A. (text unchanged)

B. A [boxer] contestant shall be examined by a neurologist or neurosurgeon appointed by the Commission before the [boxer's] contestant’s first bout in Maryland each licensed period and annually after that.

C. The Commission shall require a [boxer] contestant to be reexamined by a neurologist or neurosurgeon, appointed by the Commission, before participating [as a contestant] in a contest:

(1) If the [boxer] contestant has participated [as a contestant] in more than 12 [boxing matches] contests in or outside the State;

(2) If the [boxer] contestant has been knocked out or receives a technical knockout as a result of neurological injury in two consecutive [boxing matches] contests; or

(3) (text unchanged)

D. The Commission may require a [boxer] contestant to undergo additional neurological testing and evaluation as prescribed by the examining neurosurgeon or neurologist.

E. (text unchanged)

F. A [boxer] contestant may not be licensed or permitted to participate in a contest if the neurological examination demonstrates abnormalities suggestive of acute, subacute, or chronic nervous system abnormalities.

.04 Precontest Examinations.

A. A [boxer] contestant and any substitute [boxer] contestant shall undergo a final physical examination by a physician [and] at a location, and on a date and time, approved by the Commission [on the date of the contest].

B. A [boxer] contestant may not engage in a contest if any of the following physical conditions are found by the Commission’s physician:

(1)—(8) (text unchanged)

(9) Hand injuries and fractures less than 6 weeks old that would be detrimental to the [boxer's] contestant’s showing or to subsequent healing;

(10)—(11) (text unchanged)

C. Upon certification by a [boxer's] contestant’s ophthalmologist who performed the operation, and upon review and approval of the Commission’s senior physician, a repaired retinal abnormality may not automatically disqualify a [boxer] contestant from participation in a contest. Documentation shall be submitted to the Commission 1 month in advance.

D. The Commission may cancel a boxing contest if either [boxer] contestant in a contest fails to appear for the final physical by 12 p.m. on the day of the contest.

E. Within 1 hour before the first [match] contest, the Commission’s physician may, at any time, conduct a brief examination to determine if a [boxer's] contestant’s physical condition has changed since the final physical.

F. (text unchanged)

G. A [boxer] contestant under contract who is injured or becomes ill before a contest shall submit to the Commission, before the date of the contest, a notarized medical report by a physician detailing the nature of the injury or illness and the prognosis for recovery.

H. On the date of the contest, a [boxer] contestant shall declare use of any medication on the final physical examination form including the name, the dosage, and the time of the last injection or ingestion of any prescription or non-prescription drug.

I. The Commission shall provide the [boxer] contestant with a written statement which explains the [boxer's] contestant’s rights and responsibilities under these regulations at the pre-fight examination on the date of the contest.

.05 Physician at [Boxing] Contest.

A. The Commission shall appoint at least [2] two physicians to insure the safety and health of all [boxers] contestants in a contest.

B.—C. (text unchanged)

D. A senior physician has the following authority to:

(1) Interrupt a [match] contest at any time to examine a [boxer] contestant;

(2) Terminate a [match] contest at any time after determining that serious injury has occurred or is immediately likely to occur to either [boxer] contestant, or when a [boxer] contestant is bleeding sufficiently to provide a health hazard to spectators and personnel;

(3) Admit a [boxer] contestant to a medical facility; and

(4) Require a [boxer] contestant to submit to a blood test or urinalysis.

E. (text unchanged)

F. The senior physician and ringside physician may render emergency treatment to a [boxer] contestant on-site or while traveling to a hospital.

.06 Ringside Medical Equipment and Materials.

A. The following items shall be available in good working order before each contest begins:

(1) (text unchanged)

(2) A portable resuscitator or Ambubag with oxygen equipment; [and]

(3) A [soft] hard cervical collar[.];

(4) Endotracheal tubes with laryngoscope;

(5) A portable defibrillator; and

(6) Advanced life-support medications.

B. Only the following materials shall be allowed in a [boxer's] contestant’s corner:

(1)—(12) (text unchanged)

.07 Protection Materials.

A [boxer] contestant shall use a custom fitted mouthpiece with palate and a professional protection cup during the contest.

.08 [Location] Proximity of Contest to Emergency Medical Facilities.

A. The location of a [boxing] contest may not be more than 15 minutes by ambulance from a hospital providing neurosurgical evaluation and treatment facilities, with a neurosurgeon on call.

B. (text unchanged)

.09 Post-Fight Examinations.

A. A [boxer] contestant shall be given a brief post-fight physical examination by the ringside physician.

B. The ringside physician shall complete a post-fight medical recommendation form and give copies of the form to the [boxer] contestant and the [boxer's] contestant’s manager.

C. The following individuals shall remain in the arena and be available for medical evaluation until released by the senior physician:

(1) A [boxer] contestant suffering a knockout or technical knockout; or

(2) A [boxer] contestant who requires observation in the opinion of the ringside physician.

.10 Medical Suspensions.

A.—B. (text unchanged)

C. A [boxer] contestant suspended indefinitely under §B(5) of this regulation shall remain suspended until a medical examination specified by the Commission has been completed and the Commission has determined that the [boxer] contestant has satisfactorily recovered.

D. [A boxer] Unless the Commission otherwise approves, a contestant may not participate in another contest:

(1) [for] For at least 14 days after a contest of four to eight rounds duration[,]; and

(2) [for] For at least 28 days after a contest of more than eight rounds duration.

E. A [boxer] contestant whose urine test results are positive shall be suspended pending a hearing.

F. Knockout occurrences in other states, suspensions, and durations of contests shall be used in determining the length of medical suspensions and the fitness of a [boxer] contestant to compete.

.11 Duties of Promoter.

A. A promoter shall furnish the following for a boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest:

(1) Sanitary dressing rooms for [boxers] contestants that contain a [shower,] restroom, rest table, and facilities for Commission physicians to examine [boxers] contestants before and after a contest;

(2) Emergency procedures at least 7 days before the date of the contest to the Commission for removing an injured [boxer] contestant to a hospital pursuant to Regulation .08 of this chapter;

(3) A ring conforming with the specifications of the Commission; [and]

(4) An ambulance to transport an injured [boxer] contestant to a medical facility as required in Regulation .08A of this chapter[.]; and

(5) An ambulance crew consisting of:

(a) One emergency medical technician—paramedic (EMT-P); and

(b) One emergency medical technician—basic (EMT-B).

B. A promoter shall instruct [boxers] contestants, managers, and individuals in charge of the [boxing] arena in the safety standards of the Commission.

C. A promoter shall follow all safety standards required by the Commission and shall take all reasonable precautions to insure the safety and health of [boxers] contestants, officials, and spectators.

.12 Female [Boxer] Contestant.

A. A contest between female [boxers] contestants shall be subject to all the requirements of this chapter.

B. The following requirements for a female [boxer] contestant are in addition to the requirements under §A of this regulation:

(1) A female [boxer] contestant may not contract for, or engage in, a contest with a male [boxer] contestant;

(2) Contests shall be limited as follows:

(a) Not more than eight rounds of 2-minute duration with a 1-minute rest period between rounds, depending on the skills of the [boxers] contestants competing[,]; and

(b) (text unchanged)

(3) (text unchanged)

(4) Hair shall be secured in a manner that it does not interfere with the vision or safety of either [boxer] contestant;

(5)—(6) (text unchanged)

(7) Cosmetic use shall be [minimal] prohibited;

(8)—(10) (text unchanged)

C. A female [boxer] contestant shall:

(1)—(2) (text unchanged)

D. Failure of a female [boxer] contestant to comply with §C of this regulation shall result in the immediate disqualification of the female [boxer] contestant for a contest.

.13 Blood Tests.

A. In compliance with the blood testing requirements of Business Regulation Article, §4-304.1, Annotated Code of Maryland, a blood sample from an individual desiring to participate in a boxing, [or] kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest shall be:

(1)—(2) (text unchanged)

B. (text unchanged)

C. The required negative blood tests:

(1) Shall be submitted to the Commission by an applicant for licensure as a [boxer or kickboxer] contestant, a [boxer, a kickboxer] contestant, or an authorized representative of the applicant[, boxer, or kickboxer] or contestant; and

(2) (text unchanged)

D. The required negative blood tests shall:

(1) (text unchanged)

(2) Except as provided in §E of this regulation, be submitted to the Commission:

(a) (text unchanged)

(b) Not later than the weigh-in for the first contest in which the [boxer or kickboxer] contestant is to participate following the submittal of the application.

E. The Commission, in its discretion, may extend the time for the submittal of the required negative blood tests to a time immediately before the [boxer's or kickboxer's] contestant’s first contest following the issuance of a license.

F. (text unchanged)

G. In addition to submitting the required negative blood tests before a [boxer's or kickboxer's] contestant’s first contest following the submittal of an application for licensure, a [boxer or kickboxer] contestant is required to submit the required negative blood tests if:

(1) The [boxer or kickboxer] contestant previously tested positive for the antibodies to HIV or the antigens of virus hepatitis B; or

(2) The Commission has reasonable cause to believe that the testing of the [boxer's or kickboxer's] contestant’s blood may not result in a negative test for the presence of the antibodies to HIV or the antigens of virus hepatitis B.

09.14.05 Boxing and Kickboxing Facilities and Equipment

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §4-205,
Annotated Code of Maryland

.01 Boxing or Kickboxing Ring.

A. A boxing or kickboxing ring shall meet the following requirements:

(1) The boxing or kickboxing ring may not be less than 18 feet square, or more than 24 feet square within the ring ropes;

(2)—(7) (text unchanged)

B.—C. (text unchanged)

.02 Ring Equipment.

A. The promoter shall provide all necessary equipment for use by seconds, [and] boxers, and kickboxers at all events, subject to approval by the Commission.

B. (text unchanged)

09.14.06 Conduct of Boxing Contests

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §§4-205 and 4-310[(a)],
Annotated Code of Maryland

.04 Boxer’s Appearance.

A. (text unchanged)

B. A boxer may not use excessive amounts of grease, any substance that constitutes an irritant, or any other foreign [substances] substance not allowed in a boxer’s corner as described in COMAR 09.14.04.06B.

09.14.07 Ring Officials

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §§4-205 [and], 4-303, and 4-308,
Annotated Code of Maryland

.01 Authority of Commission.

A. (text unchanged)

B. The Commission shall control and direct the activities of the following individuals:

(1)—(4) (text unchanged)

(5) Ring inspectors; [and]

(6) Judges; and

(7) Scorekeeper.

.02 Assignments of Officials.

A. The Commission shall assign all officials in a boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest.

B. The following persons shall be assigned as officials for each boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest:

(1)—(3) (text unchanged)

[(4) One knockdown timekeeper;]

[(5)] (4) (text unchanged)

[(6)] (5) At least two physicians; [and]

[(7)] (6) Inspectors; and

(7) Scorekeeper.

.03 Referee.

A. General. The referee shall have the authority to:

(1) Supervise, generally, [the boxing] a boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest;

(2) Decide all matters arising during a boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest that are not specified in these regulations.

B. Referee’s Authority.

(1) The referee may stop a boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts contest during or between rounds for any of the following reasons:

(a) Injury to a [boxer] contestant;

(b) Poor physical conditioning of a [boxer] contestant;

(c) Disqualification of a [boxer] contestant for not [boxing] participating in earnest; or

(d) Unsafe ring or fenced area conditions.

(2) The referee shall give a [boxer] contestant sufficient time to recuperate when the [boxer] contestant is incapacitated by a low blow or other fouling tactic.

C. Referee’s Duties.

(1) A referee may touch a [boxer] contestant only if the [boxer] contestant fails to obey a command to break.

(2) In addition to the knockdown procedure described in COMAR 09.14.06.11, the referee shall:

(a) Begin a knockdown count for any [boxer] contestant who leaves the ring or fenced area during the 1-minute rest period between rounds and does not resume [boxing] participation when the [gong] bell signals the beginning of a round;

(b) Begin a knockdown count for any [boxer] contestant who is knocked out or falls out of the ring [enclosure] or fenced area during a round and fails to return immediately to the ring [enclosure] or fenced area; and

(c) Remove the mouthpiece of a [boxer] contestant after the knockdown count.

(3) A referee shall warn a [boxer] contestant and the [boxer's] contestant’s manager or chief second in a clear and distinct manner that persistent fouling will result in a penalty before a referee assesses a penalty point.

D. Medical Standards for Referees.

(1) A referee annually shall submit to the Commission certification of the following medical examinations:

(a)—(b) (text unchanged)

(c) A neurological [evaluation] test as defined in COMAR 09.14.04.03A which is performed by a neurologist or neurosurgeon.

(2) (text unchanged)

.04 Physicians.

A. (text unchanged)

B. Ringside Physician. The examining physician shall exercise the duties specified in COMAR 09.14.04.05 including:

(1) (text unchanged)

(2) Examining [boxers] contestants at the request of the referee; and

(3) (text unchanged)

.05 Judges.

A. The judges appointed by the Commission shall be stationed [at ringside] in locations designated by the Commission.

B. (text unchanged)

C. Judges shall render their [decision] scoring at the conclusion of [a contest that lasts the number of scheduled rounds] each round.

D.—E. (text unchanged)

.06 Timekeepers.

[A. Timekeeper.] The timekeeper shall:

[(1)] A. Be provided with a whistle and accurate stopwatch;

[(2)] B. Be seated outside the ring, or fenced area, close to the [gong] bell and shall indicate the beginning and ending of each round by striking the [gong] bell with a metal hammer;

[(3)] C. Give an appropriate signal to the [boxer's] contestants’ seconds 10 seconds before the beginning of each round;

[(4)] D. Inform the announcer of the exact duration of a contest that is terminated before the completion of the scheduled number of rounds[.];

[B. Knockdown Timekeeper.

(1) The knockdown timekeeper shall keep]

E. Keep the time for a [boxer] contestant suffering a knockdown[.]; and

[(2)] F. After a knockdown, [the knockdown timekeeper shall] rise and start counting with the stopwatch until the count of ten is reached.

.07 Announcer.

A. The announcer shall state the following:

(1) The name of the [boxers] contestants;

(2) The correct weight of the [boxers] contestants; and

(3) (text unchanged)

B. (text unchanged)

09.14.09 Control and Taxing of Tickets

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §4-205,
Annotated Code of Maryland

.05 Complimentary Tickets.

A. The total number of complimentary tickets, excluding press tickets, shall be:

(1) Not more than 100 for professional boxing [and], kickboxing, and mixed martial arts events in venues with under 3,000 total seats;

(2) Not more than 300 for professional boxing [and], kickboxing, and mixed martial arts events in venues with 3,000 total seats or more;

(3)—(4) (text unchanged)

B. (text unchanged)

09.14.10 Prohibited Practices

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §§4-205 and 4-315,
Annotated Code of Maryland

.06-1 Publishing, Announcing, or Advertising [of] a [Boxer's and Kickboxer's] Contestant’s Record.

A person may not publish or advertise a [boxer's or kickboxer's] contestant’s record other than the official record.

09.14.13 Prohibited Substances

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §4-205,
Annotated Code of Maryland

.01 [Definitions] Definition.

A. In [these regulations] this chapter, the following [terms have] term has the [meanings] meaning indicated.

B. [Terms] Term Defined.

[(1) “Boxer” means a licensed contestant in a boxing contest sanctioned by the State Athletic Commission.

(2)] “Prohibited substance” means any controlled dangerous substance listed in Criminal Law Article, §5-101, Annotated Code of Maryland.

.02 Urine Test Required.

A [boxer] contestant who signs a contract to participate in a [boxing] contest sanctioned by the State Athletic Commission shall submit to a urine test.

.03 Urine Specimen Collection Procedures.

A. The Commission shall designate an inspector and observer who shall be responsible for the collection of the urine sample from each [boxer] contestant.

B. The [boxer] contestant shall report to the designated inspector at a time and location designated by the Commission.

C. The [boxer] contestant shall designate an individual to act as [his] the contestant’s witness to monitor the urine sampling procedure.

D. The inspector shall log the time the [boxer] contestant reports to the testing area and shall, upon request, explain to the [boxer] contestant instructions of the [boxer's] contestant’s rights and responsibilities under these regulations.

E. (text unchanged)

F. The [boxer] contestant shall randomly select a test kit and provide at least 30 milliliters of urine in each bottle.

G. The Commission inspector and observer, and the witness designated by the [boxer] contestant, shall accompany the [boxer] contestant continuously from the time a test kit is selected until the time the specimen bottles are filled and the required identification documents are completed.

H. The specimen bottles shall be sealed with a tamper-resistant seal by the Commission inspector or observer in the presence of the [boxer] contestant and [his] the contestant’s witness.

I. The [boxer] contestant, the [boxer's] contestant’s witness, and the Commission’s inspector and [the] observer shall sign two affidavits. One affidavit shall be affixed to each bottle, which will certify that the urine sample was collected in accordance with Maryland law and these regulations and that there were no irregularities in the sampling process.

J. Evidence Bag.

(1) (text unchanged)

(2) The placement of the bottles into the evidence bag shall be witnessed by the [boxer] contestant and the [boxer's] contestant’s witness.

(3) The inspector, the observer, the [boxer] contestant, and the [boxer's] contestant’s witness shall certify, on a form provided by the Commission, the following:

(a) (text unchanged)

(b) That certification labels, correctly identifying the urine sample as belonging to the [boxer] contestant, were affixed to both bottles;

(c) That the inspector immediately sealed the bottles with tamper resistant tape upon receipt from the [boxer] contestant and then placed the bottles in the evidence bag; and

(d) (text unchanged)

K. Certification.

(1)—(2) (text unchanged)

(3) The [boxer] contestant shall receive a copy of the affidavit.

L. All sealed and certified bottles shall be secured in a State Athletic Commission transportation case which shall also include a manifest of all samples collected at the event and a sample of any liquids given to the [boxer] contestant to stimulate the production of urine.

M.—N. (text unchanged)

.08 Notification of the [Boxer] Contestant.

A [boxer] contestant whose urine test was positive shall be advised in writing of the following:

A. (text unchanged)

B. The [boxer's] contestant’s license is under a medical suspension; and

C. The date for a proposed hearing in accordance with COMAR [09.14.11] 09.01.02.

.09 Penalties.

After a hearing, as provided in [these regulations] COMAR 09.01.02, the Commission shall impose the following penalties upon a [boxer] contestant found to have a controlled dangerous [substances] substance in the [boxer's] contestant’s urine sample:

A.—B. (text unchanged)

C. If the [boxer] contestant was the winner of a Commission sanctioned contest, the [boxer] contestant shall be disqualified and the decision of the contest shall be changed to “No Contest”;

D. If the [boxer] contestant was the loser of the contest, the result shall remain unchanged.

09.14.15 State Championships

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §4-205,
Annotated Code of Maryland

.02 Eligibility.

A. To be eligible to participate in a State championship contest, a [boxer or kickboxer] contestant shall:

(1) (text unchanged)

(2) Participate in at least [four] two contests in Maryland within a 24-month period preceding the State championship contest.

B. In determining the eligibility of a [boxer or kickboxer] contestant to participate in a State championship contest, the Commission shall consider the contestant’s:

(1)—(3) (text unchanged)

.03 Challenging for a State Championship.

A. To challenge for a State championship, a [boxer or kickboxer] contestant shall submit a written challenge to the Commission.

B. Upon determining that a [boxer or kickboxer] contestant is eligible as provided in Regulation .02 of this chapter, the Commission, within 10 days after its determination, shall notify the existing State champion in the pertinent weight class, if any, of the:

(1)—(2) (text unchanged)

.04 Defense of a State Championship.

A. (text unchanged)

B. The Commission may extend the time within which a State championship is to be defended if:

(1) A determination by the Commission that a [boxer or kickboxer] contestant is an eligible challenger is made within 30 days of the time within which the State championship is to be defended; or

(2) (text unchanged)

.05 Loss of State Championship.

The Commission may void a State championship held by a [boxer or kickboxer] contestant for any of the following reasons:

A.—G. (text unchanged)

.06 Determination of Champion Status.

A [boxer or kickboxer] contestant is considered a State champion only by winning a State championship contest, and a [boxer or kickboxer] contestant may not be considered a State champion by way of default.

.07 Length and Time of Rounds.

A contest to determine a State champion consists of:

A. [ten] Ten 3-minute rounds in a boxing or kickboxing contest; and

B. Five 5-minute rounds in a mixed martial arts contest.

.08 Promotional Activities.

A person may not promote or advertise a [boxer or kickboxer] contestant as a State champion or challenger for a State championship in a false or misleading manner.

09.14.16 Mixed Martial Arts—Professional

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §§4-205 and 4-301,
Annotated Code of Maryland

.01 Applicable Boxing Regulations.

Unless otherwise indicated, the regulations in this subtitle pertaining to the sport of boxing shall apply to the sport of professional mixed martial arts.

.02 Weights and Classes.

A. The Commission recognizes the following weights and classes in professional mixed martial arts:

(1) Flyweight—up to 125 pounds;

(2) Bantamweight—over 125 pounds to 135 pounds;

(3) Featherweight—over 135 pounds to 145 pounds;

(4) Lightweight—over 145 pounds to 155 pounds;

(5) Welterweight—over 155 pounds to 170 pounds;

(6) Middleweight—over 170 pounds to 185 pounds;

(7) Light heavyweight—over 185 pounds to 205 pounds;

(8) Heavyweight—over 205 pounds to 265 pounds; and

(9) Super heavyweight—all over 265 pounds.

B. If a mixed martial arts contestant’s weight is greater than the weight specified in the promoter-contestant contract, the contest may not take place without special permission of the Commission.

.03 Mixed Martial Arts Contestant Equipment.

A. General. Each mixed martial arts contestant shall use the equipment, and in the manner, specified in this regulation.

B. Hand Wraps. For all weight classes, the hand wraps shall be:

(1) Soft gauze cloth not more than 13 yards long and 2 inches wide, distributed evenly across the hand; and

(2) Held in place by not more than 10 yards of surgeon’s tape, 1 inch wide, for each hand, which shall:

(a) Be placed directly on each hand for protection near the wrist; and

(b) Cross the back of the hand twice and extend to cover and protect the knuckles when the hand is clenched to make a fist;

(3) Placed on a mixed martial arts contestant’s hands in the dressing room in the presence of the chief second of the mixed martial arts contestant’s opponent; and

(4) Be inspected and approved by the Commission prior to the gloves being placed on the hands of the mixed martial arts contestant.

C. Gloves. Gloves worn by each mixed martial arts contestant during a contest shall:

(1) Be open-fingered;

(2) Conform to specifications as determined by the Commission;

(3) Weigh between 4 and 7.5 ounces; and

(4) Be examined before the contest by a Commission representative and the referee.

D. A mouth guard shall be approved by the Commission.

E. Groin protection shall be approved by the Commission.

.04 Proper Attire and Appearance.

A. A mixed martial arts contestant, during a contest:

(1) Shall wear shorts approved by the Commission;

(2) May wear one or more neoprene sleeves without taping;

(3) May not be taped on any part of the body other than in a hand-wrap as described in Regulation .03B of this chapter; and

(4) May not wear shoes or any padding on the feet.

B. A mixed martial arts contestant shall have properly trimmed fingernails and toenails.

.05 Fighting Area.

A. A mixed martial arts contest shall be held in a ring or in a fenced area.

B. A ring used for a contest of mixed martial arts shall meet the following requirements:

(1) The ring may not be smaller than 20 feet square and may not be larger than 32 feet square within the ropes;

(2) The ring floor shall:

(a) Extend at least 18 inches beyond the ropes;

(b) Be padded with ensolite or another similar closed-cell foam, with at least a 1-inch layer of foam padding, which shall extend beyond the ring ropes and over the edge of the platform;

(c) Have a top covering of canvas, duck, or similar material that:

(i) Does not tend to gather in lumps or ridges; and

(ii) Is tightly stretched and laced to the ring platform; and

(d) Be free of any obstruction or object, including a triangular border;

(3) The ring platform:

(a) May not be more than 4 feet above the floor of the building; and

(b) Shall have suitable steps for the use of the mixed martial arts contestants;

(4) The ring posts:

(a) Shall be made of metal;

(b) May not be more than 3 inches in diameter, extending from the floor of the building to a minimum height of 58 inches above the ring floor;

(c) Shall be at least 18 inches away from the ring ropes; and

(d) Shall be properly padded in a manner approved by the Commission; and

(5) The ring ropes:

(a) Shall be five in number;

(b) May not be less than 1 inch in diameter;

(c) Shall be wrapped in soft material; and

(d) Shall be at least 12 inches above the ring floor.

C. A fenced area used for a contest of mixed martial arts shall meet the following requirements:

(1) The fenced area shall be circular or have at least four equal sides;

(2) The fenced area may not be smaller than 20 feet wide and may not be larger than 32 feet wide in diameter;

(3) The floor of the fenced area shall:

(a) Be padded with ensolite or another similar closed-cell foam, with at least a 1-inch layer of foam padding; and

(b) Have a top covering of canvas, duck, or similar material that:

(i) Does not tend to gather in lumps or ridges; and

(ii) Is tightly stretched and laced to the platform of the fenced area;

(4) The platform of the fenced area:

(a) May not be more than 4 feet above the floor of the building; and

(b) Shall have suitable steps for the use of the mixed martial arts contestants;

(5) The fence posts of the fenced area shall be:

(a) Made of metal, not more than 6 inches in diameter, extending from the floor of the building to between 5 and 7 feet above the floor of the fenced area; and

(b) Properly padded in a manner approved by the Commission;

(6) The fencing used to enclose the fenced area shall be made of a material that will prevent a mixed martial arts contestant from falling out of, or breaking through, the fenced area onto the floor of the building or onto the spectators;

(7) Any metal portion of the fenced area shall be covered and padded in a manner approved by the Commission and may not be abrasive to the mixed martial arts contestants;

(8) The fenced area shall have two entrances; and

(9) There may not be any obstruction on any part of the fence surrounding the area where the mixed martial arts contestants are to be competing.

.06 Video Screens.

The promoter of a mixed martial arts contest shall hang at least two video screens that:

A. Allow spectators and judges to view the action inside the ring or fenced area from an overhead perspective; and

B. Meet the approval of the Commission.

.07 Rounds.

A. A nonchampionship contest of mixed martial arts may not exceed three rounds in duration.

B. A championship contest of mixed martial arts shall be five rounds in duration.

C. Unless otherwise approved by the Commission, each round in a mixed martial arts contest shall be 5 minutes in duration with a 1-minute rest period between each round.

D. The total number of rounds and the total number of mixed martial arts contests a promoter is authorized to schedule shall be subject to the approval of the Commission.

.08 Referee.

The referee shall be:

A. The sole arbiter of a mixed martial arts contest; and

B. Other than the senior ringside physician, the only individual authorized to:

(1) Enter the fighting area at any time during the competition; and

(2) Stop a contest.

.09 Method of Judging.

A. All mixed martial arts contests shall be evaluated and scored by three judges.

B. The 10-Point Must System shall be the standard system of scoring a mixed martial arts contest where:

(1) The winner of each round receives 10 points and the opponent proportionately less;

(2) If a round is even, each mixed martial arts contestant receives 10 points; and

(3) Fractions of points may not be awarded.

C. Judges shall evaluate mixed martial arts techniques, including:

(1) Effective striking;

(2) Effective grappling;

(3) Control of the fighting area;

(4) Effective aggressiveness; and

(5) Defense.

D. Except as provided in §K of this regulation, when scoring each round, the judges shall evaluate the mixed martial arts techniques set forth in §C of this regulation by assigning the most weight to the technique in the order it appears in §C of this regulation.

E. Effective striking shall be judged by determining the total number of legal heavy strikes landed by a contestant.

F. Effective grappling shall be judged by considering the number of successful executions of a legal takedown and a legal reversal including:

(1) A takedown from the standing position to a mount position;

(2) Passing the guard to a mount position; and

(3) A bottom position mixed martial arts contestant using an active, threatening guard.

G. Fighting area control shall be judged by determining which mixed martial arts contestant is dictating the pace, location, and position of the bout, including:

(1) Countering an attempted takedown by remaining standing and legally striking;

(2) Taking down an opponent to force a ground fight;

(3) Creating a threatening submission attempt;

(4) Passing the guard to achieve a mount; and

(5) Creating striking opportunities.

H. Effective aggressiveness means moving forward and landing a legal strike.

I. Effective defense means avoiding being struck, taken down, or reversed while countering with offensive attacks.

J. The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized by the judges when scoring a round:

(1) A round shall be scored as a 10-10 round when both mixed martial arts contestants appear to be fighting evenly and neither mixed martial arts contestant shows clear dominance in a round;

(2) A round shall be scored as a 10-9 round when a mixed martial arts contestant wins by a close margin, landing the greater number of effective legal strikes, grappling, and other maneuvers;

(3) A round shall be scored as a 10-8 round when a mixed martial arts contestant overwhelmingly dominates by striking or grappling in a round; and

(4) A round shall be scored as a 10-7 round when a mixed martial arts contestant totally dominates by striking or grappling in a round.

K. Judges shall use a sliding scale and recognize the length of time the mixed martial arts contestants are either standing or on the ground, as follows:

(1) If the mixed martial arts contestant spent a majority of a round on the canvas, then:

(a) Effective grappling is weighed first; and

(b) Effective striking is then weighed;

(2) If the mixed martial arts contestant spent a majority of a round standing, then:

(a) Effective striking is weighed first; and

(b) Effective grappling is then weighed; and

(3) If a round ends with a relatively even amount of time spent standing and on the canvas, striking and grappling shall be weighed equally.

.10 Fouls.

A. A mixed martial arts contestant who flagrantly or repeatedly commits a foul may be:

(1) Disqualified in a contest by the referee; and

(2) Subject to disciplinary action by the Commission.

B. The following acts are fouls and may result in penalties:

(1) Butting with the head;

(2) Eye gouging of any kind;

(3) Biting or spitting at an opponent;

(4) Hair pulling;

(5) Fish hooking;

(6) Groin attacks of any kind;

(7) Intentionally placing a finger in any opponent’s orifice, or into any cut or laceration of an opponent;

(8) Downward pointing of elbow strikes;

(9) Small joint manipulation;

(10) Strikes to the spine or back of the head;

(11) Strikes or kicks to the kidney;

(12) Throat strikes of any kind, including the grabbing of the trachea;

(13) Clawing, pinching, or twisting the flesh or grabbing the clavicle;

(14) Kicking the head of a grounded mixed martial arts contestant;

(15) Kneeing the head of a grounded mixed martial arts contestant;

(16) Stomping of a grounded mixed martial arts contestant;

(17) The use of abusive language in the fighting area;

(18) Any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent;

(19) Attacking an opponent on or during the break;

(20) Attacking an opponent who is under the referee’s care;

(21) Timidity, including:

(a) Avoiding contact;

(b) Continual dropping of the contestant’s mouthpiece; or

(c) Faking an injury;

(22) Interference from a mixed martial arts contestant’s second, including throwing in the towel during competition;

(23) Throwing an opponent out of the fighting area;

(24) Flagrant disregard of the referee’s instructions; and

(25) Spiking an opponent to the canvas on the head or neck.

C. Except as provided in §E of this regulation, if a foul is committed, the referee may:

(1) Call time;

(2) Check the fouled mixed martial arts contestant’s condition and safety; and

(3) Assess the foul to the offending contestant and deduct one or more points, based upon the severity and effect of the foul, by notifying, as soon as practical, but not later than the end of the round in which the foul occurred:

(a) Both corners;

(b) The judges; and

(c) The Commission table.

D. Subject to the discretion of the referee, a fouled mixed martial arts contestant may have up to 5 minutes to recuperate.

E. If a bottom mixed martial arts contestant commits a foul, unless the top mixed martial arts contestant is injured, the contest shall continue, so as not to jeopardize the top mixed martial arts contestant’s superior positioning at the time, and the referee shall:

(1) Verbally notify the bottom mixed martial arts contestant of the foul; and

(2) Assess the foul and notify both corners’ seconds, the judges, and the official scorekeeper of the same when the round is over.

F. If the referee does not call a foul and deduct one or more points, the judges may not make such an assessment on their own or factor such an assessment into their scoring calculations.

G. A deduction of one or more points by the referee shall result in that number of points being deducted from the offending mixed martial arts contestant’s score by the official scorekeeper.

.11 Injuries Sustained During Competition.

A. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of a legal maneuver is severe enough to terminate a contest, the injured mixed martial arts contestant shall lose by a technical knockout.

B. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul is severe enough to terminate a contest, the mixed martial arts contestant causing the injury shall be disqualified.

C. If an injury is sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul and the contest is allowed to continue, the referee shall notify the scorekeeper to automatically deduct one or more points from the contestant who committed the foul.

D. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul causes the injured mixed martial arts contestant to be unable to continue at a subsequent point in the contest:

(1) The injured mixed martial arts contestant shall win by technical decision if the contestant is ahead on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage; and

(2) The contest shall be declared a technical draw if the injured mixed martial arts contestant is even or behind on the score cards at the time of stoppage.

E. If a mixed martial arts contestant injures himself or herself while attempting to foul his or her opponent:

(1) The referee may not take any action in his or her favor; and

(2) The injury shall be treated in the same manner as an injury produced by a fair blow.

F. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an accidental foul is severe enough for the referee to stop the contest immediately or in a subsequent round, the contest shall result in a no contest if:

(1) In a three-round contest, the contest is stopped before two rounds have been completed; or

(2) In a five-round contest, the contest is stopped before three rounds have been completed.

G. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an accidental foul is severe enough for the referee to stop the contest immediately or in a subsequent round, the contest shall result in a technical decision awarded to the mixed martial arts contestant who is ahead on the score cards at the time the contest is stopped if:

(1) In a three-round contest, the contest is stopped after two rounds have been completed; or

(2) In a five-round contest, the contest is stopped after three rounds have been completed.

H. If an accidental foul occurs and the injured mixed martial arts contestant is able to continue, the referee shall notify both corners, the judges, and the Commission table of the accidental foul not later than the end of the round in which the accidental foul took place.

I. An incomplete round may not be scored.

.12 Results of a Contest.

A mixed martial arts contest may end under any of the following results:

A. Knockout, by the failure of a mixed martial arts contestant to rise from the canvas;

B. Technical knockout, by the referee or ringside physician determining that a mixed martial arts contestant is unable to continue the contest;

C. Submission by tap-out when a mixed martial arts contestant:

(1) Physically uses his or her hand to indicate that he or she no longer wishes to continue; or

(2) Verbally announces to the referee that he or she does not wish to continue;

D. Decision via score cards, including:

(1) Unanimous decision, when all three judges score the contest in favor of the same mixed martial arts contestant;

(2) Split decision, when two judges score the contest in favor of one mixed martial arts contestant and one judge scores the contest in favor of the other mixed martial arts contestant; or

(3) Majority decision, when two judges score the contest in favor of the same mixed martial arts contestant and one judge scores the contest as a draw;

E. Draw, including:

(1) Unanimous draw, when all three judges score the contest a draw;

(2) Majority draw, when two judges score the contest a draw and one judge scores the contest in favor of one of the mixed martial arts contestants; or

(3) Split draw, when one judge scores the contest in favor of one of the mixed martial arts contestants, another judge scores the contest in favor of the other mixed martial arts contestant, and the third judge scores the contest a draw;

F. Technical draw, when an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul causes the injured mixed martial arts contestant to be unable to continue, and the injured mixed martial arts contestant is even or behind on the score cards at the time of stoppage;

G. Technical decision, when the contest is prematurely stopped due to an accidental injury, and a mixed martial arts contestant is leading on the score cards;

H. No contest, when a contest is prematurely stopped due to accidental injury, and a sufficient number of rounds have not been completed to render a decision via the score cards; or

I. Disqualification, as provided in Regulation .10A of this chapter.

09.14.17 Mixed Martial Arts—Amateur

Authority: Business Regulation Article, §§4-205 and 4-302,
Annotated Code of Maryland

.01 General.

A. Definition.

(1) In this chapter, the following term has the meaning indicated.

(2) Term Defined. “Organization” means an amateur kickboxing organization or an amateur mixed martial arts organization, as described in Business Regulation Article, §4-302(a)(3), Annotated Code of Maryland.

B. All amateur mixed martial arts contests shall be conducted under the supervision of an organization.

.02 Organization Supervising Amateur Mixed Martial Arts.

An organization seeking to supervise an amateur mixed martial arts contest shall:

A. Be approved by the Commission;

B. Ensure that all contests are conducted in accordance with these regulations regarding amateur mixed martial arts;

C. Have a Commission-approved training and certification program for officials;

D. Provide the Commission with evidence demonstrating:

(1) A minimum of $100,000 in liability insurance coverage for the officials; and

(2) A minimum of $10,000 in medical insurance coverage for the amateur mixed martial arts contestants;

E. Provide the Commission with any other information it may request, provided the Commission request is neither arbitrary nor capricious;

F. Ensure the presence of two Commission-approved ringside physicians on-site and at ringside at all times during the amateur mixed martial arts contests being supervised by the organization;

G. Ensure the presence of the following equipment and personnel on-site at all times during the amateur mixed martial arts contests being supervised by the organization:

(1) A stretcher;

(2) A portable resuscitator or Ambubag with oxygen equipment;

(3) A hard cervical collar;

(4) Endotracheal tubes with laryngoscope;

(5) A portable defibrillator;

(6) Advanced life support medications; and

(7) An ambulance crew consisting of:

(a) One emergency medical technician—paramedic (EMT-P); and

(b) One emergency medical technician—basic (EMT-B);

H. Ensure that the officials used by the organization in the supervision of the amateur mixed martial arts contests have been approved by the Commission;

I. Ensure that none of the amateur mixed martial arts contestants receives any type of purse payment or other form of compensation other than Commission-approved travel expenses;

J. Obtain from each amateur mixed martial arts contestant a signed affidavit in which the amateur mixed martial arts contestant attests that he or she:

(1) Has been trained in mixed martial arts, including the number of years of the training;

(2) Is sufficiently skilled, healthy, and prepared to compete in the scheduled amateur mixed martial arts contest;

(3) Understands the dangers and risks attendant to participating in amateur mixed martial arts;

(4) Waives any claim against the organization supervising the amateur mixed martial arts contest and the Commission related to any injury he or she sustains while participating in amateur mixed martial arts;

(5) Is not under suspension in any jurisdiction or by any organization supervising amateur mixed martial arts contests;

(6) Has never participated in a professional mixed martial arts contest; and

(7) Last participated in an amateur mixed martial arts contest on a specified date, and the result of that amateur mixed martial arts contest;

K. Obtain from the trainer of each amateur mixed martial arts contestant a signed affidavit in which the trainer attests to:

(1) The name, address, and telephone number of the gym or school in which the trainer performs his or her duties;

(2) The length of time the trainer has trained the amateur mixed martial arts contestant; and

(3) The fact that the amateur mixed martial arts contestant:

(a) Is sufficiently skilled, healthy, and prepared to compete in the scheduled amateur mixed martial arts contest;

(b) Has never participated in a professional mixed martial arts contest; and

(c) Is not under suspension in any jurisdiction or by any organization supervising professional or amateur mixed martial arts;

L. Ensure that there are no exhibition bouts;

M. Conduct a weigh-in, which shall be completed not later than 2 hours from the time the weigh-in begins;

N. Ensure that each amateur mixed martial arts contestants has a:

(1) Comprehensive physical examination conducted by a licensed physician, completed within 30 days of the amateur mixed martial arts contest, stating that the mixed martial arts contestant is healthy to compete in an amateur mixed martial arts contest;

(2) Precontest physical examination conducted by a Commission-approved ringside physician; and

(3) Post-contest physical examination immediately following the conclusion of the contest in which the amateur mixed martial arts contestant competes;

O. Conduct a precontest rules meeting, which shall be attended by each amateur mixed martial arts contestant scheduled to participate in a contest, and disqualify any amateur mixed martial arts contestant who fails to attend;

P. Inspect the fighting area before the amateur mixed martial arts contest begins; and

Q. Supervise the hand wrapping and glove placement for each amateur mixed martial arts contestant.

.03 Promoters.

The promoter of an amateur mixed martial arts contest shall:

A. Obtain sanctioning approval from an organization to supervise the contest, including the payment of any applicable fees;

B. Notify the organization of the date, time, and location of the amateur mixed martial arts contest at least 60 days prior to the date the contest is scheduled to be held;

C. Agree that the organization will be responsible for appointing the officials for the amateur mixed martial arts contests, and that the promoter will not be permitted to officiate the contests he or she promotes;

D. Be responsible for paying the officials the following fees, subject to increase if more than 15 contests are scheduled:

(1) One referee at a minimum of $100 per eight contests;

(2) Three judges at a minimum of $100 each;

(3) Two inspectors at a minimum of $75 each;

(4) One timekeeper at a minimum of $75;

(5) One scorekeeper at a minimum of $75; and

(6) Two ringside physicians at a minimum of $200 each;

E. Within 48 hours prior to a scheduled amateur mixed martial contest, submit to the organization, in writing:

(1) A list containing the following for each amateur mixed martial arts contestant scheduled to participate in the contest:

(a) Name;

(b) Address;

(c) Telephone number;

(d) Age;

(e) Height and weight;

(f) Trainer;

(g) Trainer’s telephone number;

(h) Training gym or school; and

(i) Amateur mixed martial arts record;

(2) A certification that two Commission-approved ringside physicians will be on-site and at ringside at all times when competition is ongoing;

(3) A certification that the requirements of Regulation .02G of this chapter will be met;

(4) A certification that the contests will be conducted under the amateur mixed martial arts regulations of the Commission;

(5) The required medical insurance and accidental death insurance policies, as described in Regulation .02D of this chapter; and

(6) Any other information the organization may reasonably request.

.04 Additional Duties and Responsibilities of a Promoter.

A. A promoter shall provide the following equipment at an amateur mixed martial arts contest:

(1) Gloves:

(a) Approved by the organization;

(b) Weighing from 4.0 to 7.5 ounces; and

(c) In red and blue to denote the color for each corner;

(2) Gauze and surgeon’s tape for the contestant’s wraps at each contest;

(3) Shin and instep guards in various sizes, approved by the organization, in red and blue to denote the color for each corner;

(4) Disposable gloves for each second, each referee, and each ringside physician; and

(5) For each second, a form of identification indicating that person is allowed:

(a) Access into the ring or fenced area; and

(b) To be in a corner.

B. Prior to handing out equipment, a promoter shall clean each piece, inside and out, with antibacterial disinfectant wipes.

C. After each amateur mixed martial arts contestant returns his or her equipment, a promoter shall clean each piece, inside and out, with antibacterial disinfectant wipes before issuing the equipment to another amateur mixed martial arts contestant.

D. After all equipment is returned at the end of all of the contests, a promoter shall clean each piece of equipment, inside and out, with antibacterial disinfectant wipes.

E. A promoter shall make hand sanitizer available to all amateur mixed martial arts contestants, which shall be kept at the equipment table and used by each amateur mixed martial arts contestant:

(1) Prior to putting on his or her wraps; and

(2) After his or her contest, when the wraps are removed.

.05 Physical Examination.

A. Each amateur mixed martial arts contestant shall submit to the organization a comprehensive physical examination by a licensed physician, completed within 30 days of the amateur mixed martial arts contest, stating that the mixed martial arts contestant is healthy to compete in an amateur mixed martial arts contest.

B. Each amateur mixed martial arts contestant shall be examined by a Commission-approved ringside physician and be approved to participate prior to participating in an amateur mixed martial arts contest.

C. The failure of an amateur mixed martial arts contestant to be examined in accordance with §§A and B of this regulation shall result in the disqualification of the amateur mixed martial arts contestant.

D. Each amateur mixed martial arts contestant shall be examined by a Commission-approved ringside physician immediately after the amateur mixed martial arts contestant participates in an amateur mixed martial arts contest.

E. The failure of an amateur mixed martial arts contestant to be examined in accordance with §D of this regulation shall result in a minimum 90-day suspension of the amateur mixed martial arts contestant.

.06 Weight and Classes.

A. Men’s Division. The Commission recognizes the following weights and classes in amateur mixed martial arts for male contestants:

(1) Flyweight—up to 112 pounds;

(2) Bantamweight—over 112 pounds to 118 pounds;

(3) Super bantamweight—over 118 pounds to 122 pounds;

(4) Featherweight—over 122 pounds to 126 pounds;

(5) Super featherweight—over 126 pounds to 130 pounds;

(6) Lightweight—over 130 pounds to 135 pounds;

(7) Super lightweight—over 135 pounds to 140 pounds;

(8) Welterweight—over 140 pounds to 147 pounds;

(9) Super welterweight—over 147 pounds to 154 pounds;

(10) Middleweight—over 154 pounds to 160 pounds;

(11) Super middleweight—over 160 pounds to 167 pounds;

(12) Light heavyweight—over 167 pounds to 175 pounds;

(13) Super light heavyweight—over 175 pounds to 183 pounds;

(14) Cruiserweight—over 183 pounds to 190 pounds;

(15) Super cruiserweight—over 190 pounds to 195 pounds

(16) Heavyweight—over 195 pounds to 210 pounds; and

(17) Super heavyweight—all over 210 pounds.

B. Women’s Division. The Commission recognizes the following weights and classes in amateur mixed martial arts for female contestants:

(1) Flyweight—up to 105 pounds;

(2) Bantamweight—over 105 pounds to 114 pounds;

(3) Featherweight—over 114 pounds to 123 pounds;

(4) Lightweight—over 123 pounds to 132 pounds;

(5) Welterweight—over 132 pounds to 141 pounds;

(6) Middleweight—over 141 pounds to 150 pounds;

(7) Light heavyweight—over 150 pounds to 159 pounds;

(8) Cruiserweight—over 159 pounds to 168 pounds; and

(9) Heavyweight—all over 168 pounds,

C. Weight differences between contestants may not exceed 7 pounds.

.07 Weigh-In.

A. A weigh-in shall be completed within 2 hours from the time of its commencement.

B. If an amateur mixed martial arts contestant is not present at the weigh-in, the amateur mixed martial arts contestant may not be allowed to participate in the contest for which he or she was scheduled.

C. At the weigh-in, if an amateur mixed martial arts contestant is over the allowable weight, a second weigh-in may be conducted not more than 1 hour after the initial weigh-in.

D. An amateur mixed martial arts contestant may not be permitted to lose more than 2 pounds between the first and second weigh-in.

E. If an amateur mixed martial arts contestant does not make weight or fails to attend the weigh-in, the contest in which the amateur mixed martial arts contestant was scheduled to participate shall be canceled.

.08 Equipment, Attire, and Appearance.

A. An amateur mixed martial arts contestant shall use:

(1) Hand wraps as described in COMAR 09.14.16.03A;

(2) Open finger gloves, which shall weigh not less than 4 ounces and not more than 7.5 ounces;

(3) A mouth guard;

(4) Shin pads;

(5) Instep pads; and

(6) For male contestants, groin protection.

B. An amateur mixed martial arts contestant may not use:

(1) Shoes or sneakers;

(2) Shorts with a metal zipper;

(3) A shirt, other than a female amateur mixed martial arts contestant, who shall wear a rashguard; or

(4) Grease, oil, balm, lotion, or an excessive amount of petroleum jelly on the face or body.

C. An amateur mixed martial arts contestant shall have properly trimmed fingernails and toenails.

.09 Rounds.

A. Unless the organization agrees to fewer rounds per contest or rounds of a lesser duration, each amateur mixed martial arts contest shall consist of three 3-minute rounds with a 1-minute rest period between each round.

B. The organization shall prescribe the total number of rounds and the total number of amateur mixed martial arts contests a promoter is authorized to schedule.

C. Not more than one corner person for each amateur MMA contestant may be in the fighting area between rounds.

.10 Seconds.

A. More than three seconds may not be in the corner of each amateur mixed martial arts contestant.

B. All seconds shall wear disposable gloves.

.11 Legal Techniques.

A. The following techniques are permissible in amateur mixed martial arts while an amateur mixed martial arts contestant is in a standing position:

(1) Closed hand strikes to head and body;

(2) Kicking techniques to body;

(3) Knees to body and legs;

(4) Throws, takedowns, and sweeps;

(5) Standing submissions;

(6) Chokes;

(7) Arm bars; and

(8) Shouldering.

B. The following techniques are permissible in amateur mixed martial arts while an amateur mixed martial arts contestant is on the ground:

(1) Closed hand strikes to the body and legs; and

(2) Submissions restricted to those accomplished by:

(a) Chokes;

(b) Arm bars; or

(c) Straight leg locks.

.12 Illegal Techniques.

A. The following techniques are not permissible in amateur mixed martial arts while an amateur mixed martial arts contestant is in a standing position:

(1) Striking an opponent with the elbows;

(2) Striking with the knees to the head of an opponent;

(3) Kicking the knees of an opponent;

(4) Stomping the feet of an opponent;

(5) Striking the groin of an opponent;

(6) Striking the back of an opponent’s head;

(7) Striking the spine of an opponent;

(8) Slamming an opponent to the ground;

(9) Throwing an opponent onto his or her head or neck;

(10) Throwing an opponent against a joint;

(11) Throwing an opponent out of the competition area;

(12) Cranking the neck of an opponent;

(13) Pinching, biting, or gouging an opponent;

(14) Holding onto the ropes; and

(15) Striking or kicking the kidney of an opponent.

B. The following techniques are not permissible in amateur mixed martial arts while an amateur mixed martial arts contestant is on the ground:

(1) Any striking of an opponent’s head;

(2) Any striking of an opponent with an elbow;

(3) Cranking of an opponent’s neck;

(4) Hooking an opponent’s heel;

(5) Locking an opponent’s finger or toe;

(6) Choking an opponent by the placement of a hand on the opponent’s throat;

(7) Smothering an opponent by the placement of a hand over the opponent’s mouth;

(8) Locking an opponent’s spine;

(9) Placing an opponent in a hammer lock;

(10) Fish hooking an opponent;

(11) Striking an opponent in the groin;

(12) Striking an opponent in the spine;

(13) Slamming an opponent to the ground;

(14) Throwing an opponent out of the competition area;

(15) Pinching, biting, or gouging an opponent;

(16) Twisting an opponent’s leg, knee, or ankle; and

(17) Striking or kicking the kidney of an opponent.

.13 Injuries Sustained During Competition.

A. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of a legal maneuver is severe enough to terminate a contest, the injured amateur mixed martial arts contestant shall lose by a technical knockout.

B. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul is severe enough to terminate a contest, the amateur mixed martial arts contestant causing the injury shall be disqualified.

C. If an injury is sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul and the contest is allowed to continue, the referee shall notify the scorekeeper to automatically deduct one or more points from the contestant who committed the foul.

D. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul causes the injured amateur mixed martial arts contestant to be unable to continue at a subsequent point in the contest:

(1) The injured amateur mixed martial arts contestant shall win by technical decision if he or she is ahead on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage; and

(2) The contest shall be declared a technical draw if the injured amateur mixed martial arts contestant is even or behind on the score cards at the time of stoppage.

E. If an amateur mixed martial arts contestant injures himself or herself while attempting to foul his or her opponent:

(1) The referee may not take any action in his or her favor; and

(2) The injury shall be treated in the same manner as an injury produced by a fair blow.

F. If an accidental foul occurs and the injured mixed martial arts contestant is able to continue, the referee shall notify both corners, the judges, and the organization of the accidental foul not later than the end of the round in which the accidental foul took place.

G. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an accidental foul is severe enough for the referee to stop the contest immediately or in a subsequent round, the contest shall result in a no contest if the accidental foul occurs before one round has been completed in a three-round contest.

H. If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an accidental foul is severe enough for the referee to stop the contest immediately or in a subsequent round, the contest shall result in a technical decision awarded to the amateur mixed martial arts contestant who is ahead on the score cards at the time the contest is stopped if the contest is stopped after one round has been completed in a three-round contest.

I. An incomplete round may not be scored.

.14 Results of a Contest.

A. An amateur mixed martial arts contest may end under any of the results described in COMAR 09.14.16.12.

B. The organization shall report the results of each amateur mixed martial arts contest, and any suspension resulting from the contest, to the mixed martial arts record keeper, certified by the Association of Boxing Commissions, within a time frame prescribed by the Association of Boxing Commissions.

DAVID J. NORMAN
Chairman
State Athletic Commission

It is the opinion of the State Athletic Commission that Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competitions are not legal in Maryland, but a bill before the Maryland General Assembly may change that.

Sen. Joan Carter Conway, a Baltimore Democrat, and Del. Kirill Reznik (he studies Kempo!), a Montgomery County Democrat, have introduced respective Senate (SB 649) and House (HB 795) bills that would legalize MMA by giving the State Athletic commission oversight.

State regulation of athletic competitions depends on a State’s particular statutes and agency regulations. Some states allow any competition that they do not specifically regulate, whereas Maryland falls on the other side and disallows any striking competitions not regulated.

Currently, more than half the states in the U.S. allow both amateur and professional MMA competitions. For a comprehensive listing of all states, see the International Kickboxing Federation listings.

If passed in Maryland, the new law would require the State Athletic Commission to promulgate regulations for MMA competitions, similar to those already existing for boxing, kickboxing, and wrestling. Likely Maryland’s regulations would follow New Jersey’s Mixed Martial Arts Unified Rules of Conduct.

Unfortunately, agency regulations are promulgated through a long notice and comment procedure where proposed regulations are drafted, then reviewed by agencies and respective counsel, and then published for public comment. Agencies then review the public comments before finalizing the regulations and republishing. This process is not quick and it is doubtful that MMA competitions will be taking place in Maryland anytime in 2008 even if the current bills are passed.

Even that is not a done deal, as there are many reasons why a particular bill may be held up in committee, fail to be passed into law, or just turned into useless sausage by the grinding political process.

If you are at all interested in seeing MMA in Maryland, the best thing you can do is contact your district’s State Senators and Delegates (i.e., not your U.S. Senators and Congressmen) and let them know by telephone, email, or letter.

You can find the contact information for the Maryland elected officials representing your area here: http://mdelect.net/. Let them know you are a voter that supports Mixed Martial Arts and ask them to vote in favor of Senate Bill 649 and House Bill 795. 

Big thanks to Ground Control’s John Rallo who has been pushing for this for years.

Current Maryland regulations and laws regarding boxing, kickboxing, and wrestling:

Maryland Athletic Commission Regulations (COMAR)

Subtitle 14 STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION

09.14.01 General Provisions
09.14.02 Applications and Licensing
09.14.03 Boxing Contracts and Sanctions
09.14.04 Safety and Health Standards for Boxers
09.14.05 Boxing Facilities and Equipment
09.14.06 Conduct of Boxing Contests
09.14.07 Ring Officials
09.14.08 Wrestling Regulations
09.14.09 Control and Taxing of Tickets
09.14.10 Prohibited Practices
09.14.11 Hearing Regulations
09.14.12 Amateur Boxing Regulations
09.14.13 Prohibited Substances
09.14.14 Kickboxing Regulations
09.14.15 State Championships

Maryland Statutes on Athletic Contests

Md. Code, Business Regulations.

TITLE 4. ATHLETICS

Subtitle 1. Definitions.

• 4-101. Definitions.

Subtitle 2. State Athletic Commission.
• 4-201. Established.
• 4-202. Membership.
• 4-203. Chairman.
• 4-204. Quorum; meetings; compensation; surety bond; staff; office.
• 4-205. Miscellaneous powers and duties.
• 4-206. Disposition of money.
• 4-207. Authority of Secretary.
• 4-208. Termination of certain provisions.

Subtitle 3. Boxing, Kick Boxing, and Wrestling.
• 4-301. "License" defined.
• 4-302. Scope of subtitle; headgear for amateur boxing.
• 4-303. License required.
• 4-304. Qualifications of boxers and kick boxers.
• 4-304.1. Blood tests for boxers and kick boxers.
• 4-305. Applications for licenses.
• 4-306. Surety bond.
• 4-307. Issuance of license.
• 4-308. Scope of license.
• 4-309. Term of license.
• 4-310. Denials, reprimands, suspensions, and revocations – Grounds; penalties.
• 4-311. Same – Hearings.
• 4-312. Judicial review.
• 4-313. Contests authorized.
• 4-314. Neurological examination required.
• 4-315. Boxing contests.
• 4-316. Boxing, kick boxing, or wrestling in fake contests.
• 4-317. Publication of seat prices.
• 4-318. Ticket scalping.
• 4-319. Ventilation and safety of structures.
• 4-320. Allowing unlicensed person to act or participate in contest prohibited.
• 4-321. Accepting money or gifts for favors.
• 4-322. Penalties.
• 4-323. Injunctive relief.

Here I’m defining “modern MMA” as anything occurring after the 1993 debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (“UFC”). Not only because that promotion became the driving force behind MMA’s current popularity, but because earlier fatalities may or may not have much relevance to the sport in its current incarnation. In other words, events today are roughly similar due to a common agreement on exactly what the sport of MMA is and how it should take place. Looking at older MMA fatalities includes problems of documentation and interpretation beyond the scope of this post.

For example, look at the difficulty figuring out exactly what happened in the most famous MMA death to ever occur, that of Arrichion, which is still being discussed millennia later. I also have no doubt that there have been vale tudo deaths, but until someone who knows Portuguese spends a lot of time in Brazil doing interviews and reading old papers, we can’t know for sure. More recently, but still pre-modern MMA as I have defined it, there was the death of fifteen year old Alfred Castro Herrera in 1981. He was participating in “full contact” in Tijuana Mexico, which was described as “boxing mixed with karate and judo” in the St. Louis Globe Democrat (April 15, 1981). Was that MMA? Sounds like it, but maybe it was some Mexican wrestling hybrid, or maybe it was all stand-up striking. For the sake of consistency, I’m using the first UFC as the starting date.

Incidentally, the Herrera death was pulled from EJMAS.com. Joseph Svinth has added a separate MMA fatality section to his excellent resource Death Under the Spotlight: The Manuel Velazquez Boxing Fatality Collection . Go to the MMA fatalities to see the listings of known recent MMA deaths. The deaths prior to Vasquez are there and include Douglas Dedge’s fight in the Ukraine and Lee’s in Korea.

The reports on Lee are sketchy, but it appears that he may have died from a heart attack (myocardial infarction). Dedge is less clear, but there are numerous reports that he had been experiencing dizziness and blackouts in training. See Sherdog.com, which discusses those reports and gives a more balanced presentation than the earlier Guardian article cited at EJMAS. Judging by the video of the end of the Dedge fight, the Guardian made up its description of the fight wholesale. In fact, other than Dedge being either outclassed, tired, or both, it appears little different from any U.S. sanctioned bout, including a closely watching referee and prompt medical attention. While there are mandatory medical screenings before sanctioned events, it is questionable whether Dedge’s medical issues would have been discovered, because he obviously was avoiding diagnosis of the problem.

The “sanctioned event” spin assumes that the existence of athletic commissions and regulatory bodies are a necessity in putting on a safe fight, but safe fights regularly take place in states without commissions. Similarly, there are few, if any, boxing deaths in non-commissioned states. Obviously more boxing matches take place in commissioned states, but the point is that the promoter is probably more important to the safety of a bout than a regulatory body. MMA’s track record is not much different, as the UK and Japan have both held a significant number of unsanctioned shows without deaths and few serious injuries.

Commissions with weak enforcement may be worse than having no commission at all. In a non-regulated state or territory, coaches and fighters know to judge a promoter on his/her merits and past events. The presence of an athletic commission may grant a false sense of confidence if the commission fails to strongly enforce its own rules. An unscrupulous promoter in such a state ignoring proper safety precautions or lining up mismatches is worse than a good promoter in a non-sanctioned area. A good promoter in a state with a good commission would be the best of both worlds.

Based on the very few MMA deaths that have occurred, Joe Svinth pointed out in correspondence the same thing I had noticed, which is that there appeared to be two potential risk factors when looking at the three deaths in modern MMA. Those factors are the age of the participant and the length of time since the participant’s last fight.

The age correlation is shown in the Velazquez Collection with boxers; older boxers are at a higher risk than younger. See, e.g., Harris, C. Harris, DiRusso, S., Sullivan, T., and Benzil, D.L. (2004, May) Mortality risk after head injury increases at 30 years, Journal of American College of Surgeons 198:5, pp. 852-853. It is likely that the risk of mortality in MMA also increases slowly with the age of the fighter once they pass 30.

Also, a long layoff between fights likely increases the potential risk of mortality. However, this may be a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation, as fighting too frequently in boxing also raises the risk of injury and mortality.

On the other hand, as Joe Svinth pointed out, both of those conclusions are drawn from a pretty small MMA pool and might be best considered a working hypothesis.

Lastly, although it would be difficult to quantify, it stands to reason that risk of serious injury increases when inexperienced fighters are mismatched against those significantly more experience.

A separate point to be drawn from the recent attention is the clear need for proper health care and disability insurance. Mandatory health, life, and disability insurance may be a good place to start. Boxing has a high incidence of career-affecting hand, head, and eye injuries. Because MMA has a higher incidence of striking injuries due to the lighter and smaller gloves and the allowance f elbows (see, e.g., Gregory Bledsoe, et al., “Incidence of injury in professional Mixed Martial Arts competition,” Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (July 2006) 5, pp. 136-142, which can be downloaded here), it is even more important that MMA fighters are sufficiently covered.

I think distinguishing MMA deaths based on “sanctioned” versus non-sanctioned bouts serves little purpose. MMA is a sport, and just like any other sport, it will experience future deaths. Instead of trying to define away past deaths, let’s move forward MMA safety while remembering those who have lost their lives in the sport they love.

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Q – What is Bartitsu?

A – An eclectic martial art founded in the late 19th century by E.W. Barton-Wright. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartitsu for the basics, http://www.bartitsu.org for a more thorough summary and buy the Bartitsu Compendium for the whole story. The Bartitsu Forum message archives, Files and Photos sections are also full of information and the best place to get involved.

Q – What is the Bartitsu Society?

A – An informal, international community of Bartitsu enthusiasts who communicate via this email list. Since 2002 we have been active in the research and restoration of Barton-Wright’s “New Art of Self Defence”. Our major project to date has been the publication of the Bartitsu Compendium in 2005 and our major interests include:

* the early history of European jiujitsu

* the eclectic Japanese/European self defence methods developed between 1899 and the early 1920s, and the lives of their founders and practitioners

* street gangsterism, the suffragette movement, “physical culture” exercise programmes and other Victorian and Edwardian-era social phenomena, as related to the martial arts

Q – What is the difference between canonical Bartitsu and neo-Bartitsu?

A – Canonical Bartitsu refers to “Bartitsu as we know it was”; the specific self defence techniques and sequences demonstrated by E.W. Barton-Wright and his colleagues between 1899-1904. Today, canonical Bartitsu is practiced as a mark of respect for Barton-Wright and as a form of living history martial arts training. It also serves as a common technical and tactical “language” amongst contemporary Bartitsuka.

Neo-Bartitsu refers to “Bartitsu as it might have been” and to “Bartitsu as it can be today”; to modern, individualised interpretations of the art, potentially including sport, self defence and performance applications. We are currently developing the second volume of the Bartitsu Compendium to provide resources towards neo-Bartitsu. In any case, we hope that neo-Bartitsu forms will hold to the spirit and feel of the c1900 methods.

Q – What is the Barton-Wright memorial project?

A – E.W. Barton-Wright died penniless in 1951, and was buried in a “pauper’s grave” in Kingston Cemetery, Surrey, England. In 2006, Bartitsu Forum member Phil Giles discovered the exact location of B-W’s grave-site. All proceeds from sales of the Compendium and Kirk Lawson’s Bartitsu DVD have been dedicated to creating a suitable memorial for B-W as a pioneering martial arts innovator. We have nearly reached our target figure!

Q – How can I get involved?

A – Easy! Post your questions, ideas and comments to the Bartitsu Forum (and by all means, an introductory post will be welcome). The Forum is an active and notably positive venue for communication on all matters Bartitsuvian.