Fights held at Dana White’s UFC event at the White House will be officially recognised.
Earlier reports had suggested that bouts on the card wouldn’t count as professional contests.
Andrew Huff, head of the DC Combat Sports Commission, raised some concerns at the time, saying: “We don’t know anything [about the UFC White House event]. Every promoter in the District of Columbia should be, and is, held to the same standard, whether you’re putting on a small wrestling show or a major event.”
UFC White House event officially cleared as sanctioned contests
The UFC moved to address concerns on Thursday about whether UFC Freedom 250, set for June 14, would be an unsanctioned event.
The organisation clarified that the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC), which oversees the standardisation and safety of combat sports in the US, will serve as an independent third party to help regulate the event.
All bouts on the card have now been confirmed as fully licensed and sanctioned.
“As the event is being held on federal property, there is no requirement for the UFC to select a state athletic commission to oversee the event,” ABC President Timothy Shipman said in a press release.
“The UFC expresses its commitment to ensuring that this event is among the most thoroughly regulated in the history of the sport and has requested that the ABC serve as an independent third party to assist in assembling the most qualified group of judges, referees, and inspectors in the world.
“The UFC has further confirmed that it will abide by all applicable regulatory requirements in support of this event, including all required medical examinations, pre-bout and post-bout physicals, and athlete safety protocols. All bouts on this card are officially licensed and sanctioned contests.”
UFC’s Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell and Senior Vice President of Government & Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner will work closely with ABC on all regulatory matters for UFC Freedom 250.
It remains unclear whether this arrangement will address concerns raised by Andrew Huff and others within DC’s Combat Sports Commission.
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