Midwest Mixed Martial Arts MMA News and Information

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Welcome to the party Wisconsin; on Thursday afternoon, Governor Jim Doyle officially signed Senate Bill 290, his autograph made Wisconsin the 43rd state to regulate the sport of mixed martial arts.

In what has been an extremely smooth process, the MMA safety regulations rocketed through the state’s legal system. After being introduced in mid September, Senate Bill 290 took less than five months to become an official bill.

“This process actually went really quick,” said Mark Ratner, the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. “I was very impressed with everyone involved. We had a wonderful lobbyist and I am very pleased with the entire process here in Wisconsin.”

The bill, which borrowed heavily from an already existing version of Wisconsin’s boxing regulations, was created in large part to ensure the safety of the area’s fighters.

According to the new regulations, each combative participant must now provide proof of adequate health insurance, be examined before and after each match, attend regular physicals, and be tested for banned substances.

Along with the mandatory blood work and proper medical testing, Senate Bill 290 also requires promoters to adhere to certain safety standards. A physician and ambulance must be present during each match, and all judges and referees must be properly licensed.

“This is a great day in Wisconsin for all current and future fighters,” said United States Fighting Championship co-owner Scott Joffe. “It took a lot of people collectively to get this bill passed. I would like to thank everyone of those people who came together in support of a bill that is really all about protecting the fighters.”

As well as requiring promoters to provide licensed officials, physicians, and ambulances, the new bill also enacts a few other regulations.

Each promoter now needs to be licensed
Promoters must pay an annual fee depending on size of city population and ticket cost
A department appointed inspector must be present at all shows to oversee that rules and standards are followed
Matchmakers, managers, refs, examining physicians, and professional fighters must be licensed

According to the highly respected Ratner, Governor Doyle’s decision to approve Senate Bill 290 will create a much higher quality of MMA into Wisconsin.

“With the regulations you will now have medicals, insurance, and trained officials,” said Ratner. “And that is the stuff that is so important. Now you will also see better matchmaking which will make for a better overall experience.”

Since the introduction in September, very little resistance to the bill has been made publicly. Besides Freestyle Combat Challenge promoter Dave Strasser, the state’s most highly respected personalities have solidly backed the proposed bill.

Chosen Few’s Pat O’Malley, Roufusport’s Duke Roufus, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Dr. Tim Westlake are just a few of the notable names who have gone on record to announce their support of the newly signed bill.

“I am excited, relieved, and curious,” said Roufus after the bill was signed. “Wisconsin MMA is going to change drastically now. It wasn’t that people (promoters) didn’t want to do the right things before, but now we all need to do what we are supposed to do.”

As well as creating a safer environment for local fighters, the passing of Senate Bill 290 also opens the door for some of the major organizations to come to the state. Ratner disclosed that the UFC has been eyeing the Badger state for some time.

“We’ve been looking at Wisconsin for the last couple of months,” said Ratner. “Right now we want the commission to be going, we want the commission to have a staff, and we want the commission to have trained referees. We’re serious about coming here.”

On Thursday, the state of Wisconsin became the 43rd state to officially have the sport of mixed martial arts regulated. The brand new bill offers a world of possibilities that excites Senator Dave Hansen.

“This sport is growing by leaps and bounds,” said Hansen. “You can either regulate or do nothing, and it only made sense to regulate. By regulating, we can bring the top flight competition here, draw great cards, and provide a lot of economic drive for the state of Wisconsin.”