Last year the Colorado Office of Combative Sports made headlines by amending their rules to clear the way for alternate MMA rulesets, including the loved-by-many PRIDE rules that promotions like ONE Championship use overseas. Colorado also became the first U.S. state to hand out a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for in-competition cannabis use and became one of the few states to approve open scoring.
Recently, Colorado published further proposed rules which look to bring more reforms to the state, including the outright removal of cannabis as a banned substance, the approval of up to five judges to oversee MMA events, adding round length rules, which make the jurisdiction attractive for developing athletes for amateur international competition, as well as more reforms for contracts between promoters and fighters, among other changes.
The Commission is calling for public comments until March 28, 2022 on the proposed rules.
The full changes can be found here. The office published the below public notice:
REQUEST FOR STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS
Colorado Office of Combative Sports and Colorado Combative Sports Commission
Request for Written Stakeholder Comments on:
The proposed revisions to Rules 1.6, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.16, and 1.17 to provide clarity regarding: prohibited substances; payments to participants; amounts and coverage of posted surety bonds; time limits for each round in elimination fights, aligning with national and international level competitions; and establishing a minimum number of judges required for each bout.
What is this about?
The Colorado Office of Combative Sports and Colorado Combative Sports Commission is proposing several revisions to the rules where clarity is needed to protect the safety of participants and promote public trust and confidence in the conduct of professional boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts. The purpose of this request is: 1) inform stakeholders of the proposed rule revisions, and 2) allow stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback.
How do I submit my comments and what is the deadline?
Please submit your written comments to dora_dpo_rulemaking@state.co.us by Monday, March 28, 2022.
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Author Erik Magraken is a British Columbia litigation lawyer, combat sports law consultant, combat sports law blogger, and deeply, deeply appreciated UGer.
