Assemblymember Matt Haney’s AB 1136 will require Mixed Martial Arts promoters to set aside a portion of their ticket sales for a California state run pension fund for combat sports athletes
Today at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Assemblymember Matt Haney’s (D-San Francisco) AB 1136, the Mixed Martial Arts Pension Fund passed out of the Assembly floor. It’s now headed to the Senate for a future committee hearing and vote.
“This pension fund is the right thing to do. It allows these athletes to save money for their retirement and creates a financial safety net to pay for medical bills,” said Haney. “It’s the first of its kind in the world of MMA and it's an important step to support these athletes who make MMA one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.”
The pension fund would not be funded by State dollars. Instead, it would 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 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.
Other notable supporters of the bill include world champion MMA fighters Ronda Rousey, Urijah Faber, renowned Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) coach Cesar Gracie and MMA all-star referee and former pro-fighter Herb Dean who have been outspoken advocates of the bill since its first announcement in February.