Them’s fightin’ words: Minnesota Boxing Commission looks for new life at Lege

Last year, the Minnesota Boxing Commission began overseeing mixed martial arts (MMA) matches, a.k.a Ultimate Fighting, alongside boxing. Now, the MBC is seeking official oversight status of the sport that has seen record-breaking pay-per-view revenues in recent years — and a name change, pending approval from the state legislature.

Under H.F. 3913, it would be dubbed the Minnesota Combative Sports Commission to formally reflect its broader scope. The current commission, which monitors safety and fairness at events, was established in 2006. (Former Gov. Jesse Ventura dismantled the previous Boxing Board in 2001, according to information from the legislature.)

Continued: Click “Read more”According to Minnesota Boxing Commissioner Scott LeDoux, a veteran heavyweight who has also been a fight commentator for the Fox network and ESPN, the commission took on MMA, sort of informally, about a year or so ago. Back then, “many rules were being broken [in the ring]…unscrupulous things were happening to fighters.” 

At one MMA competition, he said, “I saw [an event] judge on his cell phone and drinking ringside during a fight. That is unacceptable. Now we’re getting the sport on track, like we did with boxing.”

However, one thing LeDoux hasn’t been able to accomplish is getting MMA contests booked at First Avenue, something the Minneapolis City Council has recently debated. Apparently, it’s okay for competitions to be held at the Target Center, but not across the street, he commented.

Rep. Bob Gunther (R-Fairmont), author of the bill, said the state has the responsibility to make sure fights are judged fairly and aren’t dangerous, a point he raised during a House Governmental Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections Committee meeting on March 19. Committee members backed the proposal, while Sen. David Tomassini’s (DFL-Chisholm) companion bill, S.F. 3685, is yet to be discussed.

But not everyone sees the advantages of state support for the commission, evolved or otherwise. During the recent committee meeting, Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls) reportedly questioned why General Fund money should promote an activity “where the primary purpose of the combatants is to injure the brain of another person.”