How The Ali Act Overhaul Is Clearing The Path For A Saudi-backed Takeover Of Boxing

When Ari Emanuel – nan notorious Hollywood powerbroker and CEO of TKO Holdings Group, which owns some nan UFC and WWE – made a uncommon media quality connected nan Pat McAfee Show successful February 2025, he offered cryptic remarks astir nan authorities of boxing. Though typically cagey, Emanuel hinted, “Who knows what’s going to hap pinch nan Ali Act” – a reference to nan Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, a national rule designed to protect nan authorities and use of boxers. Since then, rumors person swirled that TKO is softly moving to amend nan rule to make measurement for its recently minted boxing task pinch Saudi Arabia.

Last week, those rumors were confirmed erstwhile US representatives Brian Jack, a Republican from Georgia, and Sharice Davids, a Democrat from Kansas, introduced nan Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act successful Congress.

The projected measure is being touted by nan legislature representatives arsenic a much-needed modernization of national regulations successful master boxing, adding caller provisions to nan 1996 Professional Boxing Safety Act and introducing “alternatives” to nan sanctioning bodies overseeing nan sport.

“I americium incredibly proud to present nan bipartisan Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, which provides boxers pinch much opportunities, amended pay, and greater information standards,” Jack said successful nan property release. “Professional boxing is nan only athletics regulated by Congress, and ambiguity successful existent rule – adopted complete a quarter-century agone – has stifled investment. Congressional action is needed to revive this once-great American sport, and this bipartisan authorities establishes a model for invention to flourish.”

The “stifled investment” that Jack is referencing successful his connection is TKO’s caller boxing task pinch Sela, an intermezo subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and Turki al-Sheikh, nan fig down Saudi’s General Entertainment Authority and a adjacent confidant of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The caller venture, dubbed Zuffa Boxing, will debut connected 13 September 2025, pinch an anticipated ace middleweight showdown betwixt Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez and Terence Crawford. An expanded boxing promotion will apt travel successful 2026.

Backed by nan Saudi government’s tremendous resources, Emanuel’s institution advocated for nan measure successful Congress, including provisions to created alternatives to long-established sanctioning bodies for illustration nan World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Council (WBC). The projected alternatives successful nan authorities are known arsenic Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs), which is what Zuffa Boxing will apt run as.

While framed arsenic a “framework for innovation”, Zuffa Boxing empowers Saudi Arabia to found a parallel boxing ecosystem wherever it has sole determination complete combatant ranking and title belts. This paves nan measurement for Saudi to bypass established sanctioning bodies, undermine existing promoters, and ultimately, gut master boxing.

“This is simply a concerning measure for master boxers,” said Erik Magraken, a combat sports regulatory lawyer and laminitis of combatsportslaw.com. “It courage nan cardinal protections from nan Ali Act for promoters that take to usage nan ‘unified boxing organization’ model. It allows a promoter to power rank and title … and execute a stranglehold connected nan sport.”

The measure besides sets retired a bid of compliance requirements for UBOs, including minimum per‑round payments and information provisions specified arsenic mandatory aesculapian examinations and expanded wellness insurance. While these measures could, successful theory, use up‑and‑coming boxers, they besides create important barriers to introduction for smaller boxing organizations attempting to found UBOs. Zuffa Boxing, backed by Saudi funding, would beryllium well‑positioned to predominate this space, pull caller fighters, and found a caller level successful nan athletics – 1 successful which TKO efficaciously determines who holds nan world titles.

This caller exemplary for boxing is based almost wholly connected nan building of nan UFC, an statement that has agelong been criticized for its exploitation of fighters successful its pursuit of profit. Fitting since UFC CEO Dana White, a longtime friend of US president Donald Trump, is expected to lead nan caller Zuffa Boxing venture.

“Everybody knows nan format – nan champion conflict nan best,” White said successful question and reply pinch The Ring, nan boxing mag owned by Al-Sheikh and, by extension, nan Saudi government. “You activity your measurement up nan rankings, and erstwhile personification breaks into nan apical 5 [and] location is nary mobility [about] who nan champion 5 guys are successful each weight class, they conflict it out. And erstwhile personification holds that belt, you don’t request 3 letters successful beforehand of nan belt. Whoever has that loop is nan champion successful nan world successful that weight class. It’s a very elemental model.”

Despite generating billions successful revenue, nan UFC pays its athletes a importantly smaller stock compared to different awesome sports leagues. While NFL and NBA players person adjacent to 50% of convention revenues, UFC fighters gain astir 15% to 18%, pinch galore connected nan roster making arsenic small arsenic $10,000 to $20,000 per conflict – amounts that hardly screen training costs, coaching and aesculapian expenses. Efforts to unionize aliases situation these inequities person been quashed by nan UFC, which has utilized long-term, exclusive contracts and its marketplace power to support fighters successful line.

Last year, nan UFC agreed to a $375m colony pinch respective 100 fighters to resoluteness an antitrust lawsuit. The plaintiffs accused nan promotion of stifling economical title and utilizing its monopoly powerfulness to suppress combatant pay. While nan UFC denied immoderate wrongdoing, nan underlying claims stay cardinal to a separate, ongoing case.

When Congress passed nan Ali Act successful 2000, it was successful consequence to nan unfair and anti-competitive practices rampant successful pro boxing astatine nan time. The athletics was dominated by influential promoters, corrupt sanctioning bodies and coercive contracts. The Ali Act provided federally-backed oversight and enforcement meant to trim nan exploitation of fighters done transparency mandates and financial disclosure requirements. The authorities passed pinch unanimous bipartisan support and stands arsenic nan only illustration of Congress attempting to straight modulate a master athletics successful nan United States.

While nan Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act does not repeal nan Ali Act, it does pave nan measurement for caller organizations to look extracurricular of nan purview of existent sanctioning bodies, efficaciously bringing nan UFC exemplary to boxing. It is unclear erstwhile nan measure will scope nan House floor, arsenic Congress will beryllium successful recess done nan entirety of August.

Nevertheless, nan measure has received support from Ali’s widow, Lonnie Ali, who was quoted successful nan property merchandise arsenic saying that “Muhammad would beryllium proud to person his sanction associated pinch this bill.” Davids, who co-sponsored nan bill, was besides a former MMA fighter who erstwhile tried retired arsenic a contestant for The Ultimate Fighter – a reality show that places fighters successful a mansion for respective weeks arsenic they activity their measurement done a tourney for a “six-figure UFC contract”. Their engagement successful nan measure is simply a masterstroke of lobbying strategies by TKO and Emanuel.

“The Ali Act was created to extremity coercive and exploitative practices by promoters. It was designed to make a monopolization of nan athletics not possible. Independent rank and title are nan cardinal reasons why pro boxers tin bid specified awesome purses compared to MMA athletes,” Magraken said. “Boxers compete for titles. Promoters compete for boxers. If promoters ain and power titles past boxers tin beryllium exploited by promoters.”

This will beryllium remarkably beneficial to Saudi Arabia and Al-Sheikh, who person invested billions to wrest power of boxing from its accepted masters.

Al-Sheikh has bankrolled immoderate of nan astir high-profile heavyweight fights and surgery done speech stalemates by offering record-breaking sums of money. His occurrence arsenic a promoter has made him 1 of nan sport’s astir powerful figures, while fans and media affectionately mention to him arsenic “His Excellency” – a title that underscores his increasing cult of personality.

Al-Sheikh’s expanding power has stifled disapproval wrong boxing. Fans are consenting to place troubling behaviour arsenic agelong arsenic he continues to present breathtaking matchups, while journalists, eager to support their captious access, often framework nan communicative successful his favor. The kingdom besides owns its ain boxing mag and deploys a immense web of PR firms and executives to beforehand its governmental schedule done sports.

It is yet different reminder of Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy successful sports – a blueprint built connected acquiring influence, shaping narratives and establishing self-sustaining ecosystems nether its control.

Boxing whitethorn beryllium nan perfect plus to complete that vision.

• Karim Zidan writes a regular newsletter connected nan intersection of sports and authoritarian politics.