Former Ultimate Fighting Championship champ Ronda
Rousey is getting involved in the fight game again, but in a
very different manner than before.
In the California State Assembly, a proposed bill is coming
together to help former fighters. Per
ESPN on Thursday, the charge is being led by Assemblyman Matt
Haney from San Francisco. It was introduced on Feb. 15, and as it
is being discussed and formulated, it could reach the Assembly for
a vote or further debate by March 18 at the soonest. The plan is to
create a pension fund for ex-MMA fighters, similar to the
California fund for former boxers.
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The proposal will pay retired MMA fighters that have competed a
certain number of times within the state’s borders. If the language
remains intact after discussion, the bill would take $1 from every
ticket sold at an MMA event in California and place it in the fund.
The pension would pay retired fighters at 50 years of age or older,
who competed in around 13 fights in California or more, on a yearly
basis. This system would be the first of its kind in the sport, as
no such program for MMA athletes exists in any other state in the
country.
Haney spoke of the importance of the bill, as transcribed by ESPN,
saying, “We know that this is an incredibly popular sport. It’s a
sport that’s growing and it’s also one that can be dangerous and
people put their bodies on the line for our entertainment. And as
fans, we appreciate it, but we should make sure they’re taken care
of when they retire.”
The proposed legislation already has gained support from retired
athletes, one among them being Rousey. The UFC Hall of Famer would
not qualify for the program as she only competed in California four
times as a pro and once more as an amateur. Despite this, she as a
California native is a strong proponent for the proposed pension
program because she knows just how much combat sports can take a
toll on the fighter.
“MMA is a sport that I think you have a much shorter shelf life
than any other sport, than boxing, than NFL, than any of those
other examples,” the six-year professional explained. “You have a
much shorter window because your body takes so much more of a
heavier toll, and the difference with these kinds of combat sports
with all this contact and the neurological injuries involved. You
don’t know the day you’ve taken one hit too many. You’re gonna find
out that you crossed that threshold many decades later, when you no
longer have that extra income…when you’re dealing with the
repercussions of that career is when you no longer have that income
stream.”
Should the bill pass to become a law in California, the California
State Athletic Commission, helmed by executive officer Andy Foster,
will be in charge of operating the fund. The CSAC will be able to
control how the money is doled out, and handle the specifics and
details that the bill may not cover completely. According to
Foster’s disclosure to ESPN, the boxing pension program that it
currently runs has sent out 171 checks since 2012, with each check
averaging $19,000.
“I hope to see a lot of other states replicate this model,” Haney
concluded, “I hope to see us find ways to grow the amount of
revenue that we can put in. We’ve had a good set of conversations
with some of the promoters and hopefully we can get them to be more
invested in it as well, and ultimately they can make even larger
contributions to this fund.”