British Columbia set to introduce an Athletic Commission

The British Columbia government is set to form an Athletic Commission. The new legislation (Bill 50) will allow them to regulate professional combat sports like Boxing, Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

The new legislation in the province of British Columbia will replace the local commissions with one provincial body, this will enable them to codify and unify the rules of the sport, ensure participant safety and ensure consistency with fees and taxes, etc.

The Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Ida Chong introduced the Athletic Commissioner Act on Monday and said the following:

“Since sports such as kick-boxing and mixed martial arts are very popular and are taking place without a consistent regulatory framework, it makes sense to be proactive about creating this position to increase the safety of athletes and officials, as well as to provide certainty for communities and the industry.”

The introduction of a Provincial Athletic Commission will allow large organizations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to hold professional events in British Columbia and work alongside the new commission which will help further the sport of MMA and all other professional combat sports.

Here is a video of the act being introduced: