Assemblymember Matt Haney (D- San Francisco) joins MMA Champion Ronda Rousey to introduce AB 2130, which will bolster California’s MMA and Boxer’s Retirement Fund by allowing revenue from sponsorship contracts to go directly toward the pension.
LOS ANGELES — Today, Assemblymember Matt Haney (D- San Francisco) joined Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Champion Ronda Rousey to announce legislation to create a new revenue stream for professional fighters’ retirement funds without raising any costs on fans, fighters, or taxpayers.
Assembly Bill 2130 would bolster MMA Fighters’ and Boxers’ pension funds by allowing the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) to place sponsor logos on referee and official apparel at boxing and mixed martial arts events, and directing most of that revenue toward the funds. Under the bill, seventy-five percent of the sponsorship revenue would be directed to the Boxer’s Pension Fund and the Mixed Martial Arts Retirement Benefit Fund, while the remaining twenty-five percent would support referee training and commission operations.
AB 2130 builds off previous legislation authored by Haney, AB 1136, that created a Mixed Martial Arts Retirement Benefit Fund, which provides specified fighters a pension financed by ticket sales, souvenirs, and sports paraphernalia.
“Big brands profit from fight night, but it’s the fighters that are often left to deal with long-term health challenges and economic struggles long after the night is over,” said Assemblymember Haney. “Unlike other athletes in other major sports, fighters often don’t have the kind of long-term support that helps protect them when their careers end. This is about fairness to the athletes that put their bodies on the line for their fans. They take on repeated physical punishment for a living, and when sponsors make money from that, some of that revenue should go back to the athletes who make this sport possible.”
Combat sports athletes often face repeated head trauma and cumulative injuries during their careers, which can increase the risk of long-term neurological conditions. Unlike athletes in many major professional team sports leagues, many fighters do not have union-negotiated pensions or guaranteed long-term benefits.
“Fighters put everything on the line every time they step into a fight, and this sport made billions off the athletes willing to sacrifice everything for it. AB 2130 is about basic respect. If the people at the top of the industry are making billions, some of that money should be going back to the fighters who gave their bodies and their careers to build it,”said Ronda Rousey, UFC Hall of Famer and three-time WWE Women’s Champion. “I’m grateful to Assemblymember Haney for taking this seriously and fighting for the people who built this sport.”
California maintains retirement funds for boxers and mixed martial artists, but those funds rely largely on event-based assessments and regulatory fees. This bill would create a new revenue stream tied directly to the commercial activity surrounding fights without raising taxes or increasing ticket prices.
“Fighters should share in the value they create. Every ticket sold, every sponsorship, every broadcast exists because they put everything on the line,” said Assemblymember Haney. “When they step out of the ring for the last time, they deserve the security of knowing their sacrifice will be met with long-term support. That’s why I helped create the retirement fund, and why I’ll continue to find ways to strengthen it.”
The legislation would also allow a one-time distribution from the Mixed Martial Arts Retirement Benefit Fund for certain legacy fighters who competed before vesting requirements were fully structured.
“AB 2130 aligns with our core mission of protecting health and safety and ensuring fairness in combat sports. This is the biggest piece of legislation for retired fighters in the history of boxing and mixed martial arts,” said Andy Foster, Executive Officer of the California State Athletic Commission. “It creates a responsible funding tool that supports boxer and mixed martial arts retirement benefits and strengthens our officiating program. It keeps the focus on the athletes, the integrity of the sport, and the fighters who built it.”
AB 2130 is expected to be heard in Assembly Business & Professions and Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports, & Tourism in the coming weeks.
###