A plan by Saudi Arabia-funded TKO boxing to modify the Muhammad Ali Act has stirred widespread discussion among regulators and industry observers. A promotion headed by UFC CEO Dana White has expressed interest in staging bouts as soon as 2026, designing a system in which it would confer its own “TKO” championship belts, much like the UFC’s practice in mixed martial arts.
Concerns were raised when a memo from Association of Boxing Commissions President Mike Mazzulli, posted on the Combat Sports Law website, indicated that TKO sought amendments to the federal statute that safeguards boxers’ financial and health interests. The Muhammad Ali Act, enacted in 2000, requires transparency, contract disclosures, and the avoidance of conflicts of interest in boxing. Some feared that if White chose to leverage his longstanding political ties, he could push changes that would radically undermine these protections.
However, regulators who have been briefed on the matter say TKO’s request is relatively narrow: the promotion wants permission to award its own belts without needing to rely on the four major sanctioning bodies. Under the current law, a promoter awarding its own titles in boxing could violate provisions meant to preserve boxers’ independence and bargaining power. TKO’s proposed change would provide an exception for its league-style approach while leaving most of the statute, including key contract disclosures, intact.
White’s previous experience with regulation dates back to the UFC’s early challenges, when the sport was dismissed in Congress as “human cockfighting.” Through persistent communication with officials in states like Nevada and New Jersey, plus the Mohegan Sun Tribe’s commission in Connecticut, the UFC ultimately achieved national acceptance. Observers believe TKO’s “run to regulation” similarly aims for transparency so state authorities can be comfortable allowing another belt system to enter boxing.
For now, TKO is working to reassure regulators that it does not intend to weaken the Ali Act’s overarching consumer and fighter protections. The timeline for any amendments remains uncertain. Whether TKO’s newly proposed league-and-belt model is welcomed by the broader boxing community will likely depend on how it interacts with existing sanctioning bodies and how firmly TKO adheres to the fundamental protections that the Ali Act still guarantees.
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