California Legislature Passes Bill Creating New MMA Fighters Pension Fund

California Legislature Passes Bill Creating New MMA Fighters Pension Fund

Assemblymember Haney’s AB 1136 will require Mixed Martial Arts promoters to set aside a portion of their ticket sales for a California state run retirement benefit fund for combat sports 

Sacramento, CA — Today, Assemblymember Matt Haney’s (D-San Francisco) AB 1136, the Mixed Martial Arts Retirement Benefit Fund passed out of the Senate and Assembly floor with overwhelming bipartisan support and is now headed to Governor Newsom’s desk for signing. 

World famous MMA fighters came to the state capital to speak to the importance of taking care of combat athletes as they age out of the sport. 

“Your body doesn’t forget. And many times you don’t realize you’ve taken one hit too many until decades later,” said Ronda Rousey, former Bantamweight champion and the first female athlete to have signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). “Everyone loves you when you’re fighting in the octagon, but will any of those people be there for you when you’re in your nineties paying the price?”

Other notable supporters of the bill include world champion MMA fighters Urijah Faber, Cat Zingano, renowned Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) coach Cesar Gracie and MMA all-star referee and former pro-fighter Herb Dean and Mike Beltran who have been outspoken advocates of the bill since its first announcement in February. 

California is the national leader in MMA, hosting the most fights and most fighters of any state. Currently, MMA fighters do not have a guaranteed source of income or retirement benefits once their careers have ended and many fighters have long term injuries from their time in the ring.

“We are providing mixed martial arts athletes with an opportunity to secure their financial future and ensuring they have money set aside when needed” said Haney. “This groundbreaking initiative sets a new standard in the sport, further demonstrating California's unwavering commitment to MMA fighters who risk their lives for the sport,” said Haney.

The fund will not be paid for using State dollars. Instead, it will be financed through ticket sales, sports paraphernalia, and souvenirs. For every ticket sold, $1 would go towards the MMA Fighters Pension Fund. MMA fighters would become vested between 12-14 fights, which is around 39 scheduled rounds at Commission regulated MMA events.

New amendments that were passed on the Assembly and Senate floor also makes it easier for MMA fighters to receive annual notices of when they vest for the pension fund and how much money they have in the fund. That annual notice will also detail how the vested fighter can withdraw funds from the fund to be used on medical bills or to fund their education.

If the Governor signs the bill, the California State Athletic Commission who administers the new fund will begin the process of creating it as soon as January of 2024.