Rule 85-5-.05 - Conduct of Promotion(1)General Responsibilities and Provisions. During the performance of any promotion, it shall be the promoter's responsibility to ensure the compliance with all laws and rules governing professional boxing, bare-knuckle boxing, and/or MMA in Georgia. Such responsibilities shall include, but will not be limited to the following:(a)Medical Insurance. The promoter shall provide for the participants insurance covering ambulance services, medical, surgical and hospital care with a minimum limit of $20,000 for injuries sustained while participating in said program and for a $20,000 death benefit awarded to the estate of any Contestant should death occur from injuries received will participating in said contest.(b)Ambulance Service. The promoter shall provide continuous ambulance service with a state-certified EMT attendant, who shall then provide a resuscitator, stretcher, backboard, oxygen, defibrillator, and such other medical equipment reasonably expected for an immediate trauma care, and who shall be present before the start of each contest and shall remain on site until the close of the program. 1. For the purposes of this section, a program of boxing, bare-knuckle boxing and MMA begins with the commencement of the first bout and ends when the last Contestant leaves the site of the program.2. The chief ringside physician shall meet with the EMT prior to the beginning of the show. During such meeting the Commission physician will instruct the EMT concerning the show, placement of the stretcher and any other information necessary to ensure prompt and appropriate immediate care should such care be needed.3. Such ambulance shall be able and available to immediately transport any severely injured Contestant to an appropriate medical facility.4. If the ambulance or EMT is required to leave the site of the show for any reason, no boxing will be allowed to continue until another ambulance or replacement EMT returns to the site.(c)General Safety. It shall be the promoter's responsibility to insure safety for the Contestants, officials and fans and to comply with all safety standards required by the Commission.(d)Arena Security. Arena security is the responsibility of the promoter and such security measures provided by the promoter shall be sufficient to maintain order. At a minimum, 2 sworn off duty law enforcement officers shall be retained for security.(e)Obtain Ring. The promoter will provide a ring for the show and that ring must pass the certification requirements established the Commission.(f)Ring Certification. It is the promoter's responsibility to ensure that the ring for use during each show meets the Commission's rules and regulations concerning proper certification, this should be resolved no less than ten (10) days prior to the date of the show, and to maintain certification throughout and during the show.(g)Advanced Advertising. In addition to the requirements in this Chapter, no contestant or celebrity shall be advertised by any promoter before said promoter has in his or her possession a written commitment from said contestant or celebrity and before said promoter has filed a copy of such written commitment with the Commission.(h)Main Event Start Time. The final bout for all events sanctioned by the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission shall start at the discretion of the Commission on the date for which the event permit is approved.(2)Ringside Physician(a)Providing a physician. It shall be the responsibility of the promoter to assign one or more physicians at ringside during the contest.1. The physicians assigned must be on the roster of physicians authorized to conduct pre-fight physicals and serve as ringside physicians created by the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission.2. At least one ringside physician must have in his or her possession any medical supplies and equipment reasonably anticipated to provide first-aid medical assistance for the type of injuries reasonably anticipated to occur in professional boxing matches.(3)Arena(a)Drinks. No bare-knuckle boxing match will be allowed to commence or continue, without specific authorization from the Commission, in any arena where concessionaires dispense or serve beverages in containers other than plastic or paper cups.(b)Arena safety. No bare-knuckle boxing match will be allowed to commence or continue in any arena which appears to the Commission appointed supervisor to be unsafe or where the Commission appointed supervisor has reason to believe that such building or location does not conform to any applicable laws, ordinances and regulations in the city or unincorporated county area.(c)Dressing rooms. The only people allowed in the Contestant's dressing room are the Contestant, manager, seconds, Commission representatives including appointed Commissioners, approved physician(s), and promoters.1. Promoters may be required by the Commission appointed supervisor to post a guard at the entrance to the dressing rooms to aid in enforcement of dressing room security.2. If requested by the Commission, a separate dressing area should be provided for all referees and judges.(4)Show(a)Marketing Prohibited Without Prior Commission Approval. Commission approval or authorization must be obtained prior to selling tickets, making announcements, or distributing advertisements concerning any show, show date, contestants, or matches.(b)Rounds Scheduled1. Unless otherwise approved by the Commission, promoters shall schedule no less than twenty-four (24) rounds of bare-knuckle boxing on one (1) program. The rounds must be scheduled and approved by the Commission three (3) days prior to the event. An emergency bout must be provided in case any of the scheduled bouts are not held.2. No bare-knuckle boxing match shall have any rounds lasting longer than three (3) minutes. i. The maximum number of rounds for any given bare-knuckle boxing match is six (6) rounds, totaling eighteen (18) minutes.ii. A one (1) minute rest period between rounds.(c)Card Approval. Requests for preliminary approval of cards should be received by the Commission no less than ten days prior to the date of the contest. The Final card must be received by the Commission no less than three days prior to the date of the contest. 1. Substitutions can occur if the promoter is actively working to search for a replacement. The Executive Director and the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Commission must approve the proposed bout.2. No substitution will be allowed during the final seven hours prior to the beginning of the show.(5)Contracts(a) The amount of guarantee or percentage promised; the number and time limit of rounds; when and where the official weigh-in will be conducted; when and where the Contestants are scheduled to appear; weight; and all other reasonably expected to be an issue of agreement within professional bare-knuckle boxing contracts and agreements. 1. Weights expressed on bout agreements for all non-championship bouts shall allow no less than a +/-2 pounds variance of the contracted weight.2. Weights expressed on bout agreements for all championship bouts shall be absolute and shall not allow for any variance.(b)Contract or Bout Agreement: File with Commission. One copy of each signed written agreement or contract, once executed by both parties and within one week of the event, shall be filed with the Commission.(c)Violations: Grounds for Suspension. Violation by either party of any written bout agreement or contract may be grounds for suspension of any license issued by the Commission and may in addition to such suspension result in a fine imposed by the Commission.(6)Failure to Perform(a)Promoter Failure to Perform. The failure of a promoter to perform according to the terms of the contract; to produce contestants or special added attractions as advertised; to pay the contestants their contractual guarantee, or percentage; or the failure of a promoter to live up to his or her agreement with his or her contestants or performers who did perform as scheduled is prohibited.(b)Contestant Failure to Perform. The failure of a contestant under contract with a licensed promoter to perform according to the terms of said contract; or the failure of a contestant to live up to his or her agreement with an person to which the contestant is under contractual agreement is prohibited.(c)Violation: Penalties. 1. Violation of either paragraph (a) or (b) within this subsection shall, for the first offense, be grounds for administrative suspension of not less than 90 days and a fine of not more than the contracted purse amount disclosed on the bout agreement or contract.2. The second and/or any subsequent violation by any person of either paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) within this subsection may, in addition to any suspension by the Commission, subject the violator to a fine of not more than the contracted purse amount as disclosed on the bout agreement or contract plus not more than an additional $10,000. Said fine to be imposed by the Commission.3. Any person or license holder violating on three or more occasions either sub-paragraph (a) or sub-paragraph (b) within this subsection shall have his or her license suspended indefinitely. Provided however that any action by the Commission to enforce or attempt to enforce the provisions of this sub-paragraph will be taken only after notice and hearing according to the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act," Title 50, Chapter 13 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 85-5-.05
O.C.G.A. §§ 43-1-19, 43-1-25, 43-4B-4, 43-4B-7, 43-4B-11, 43-4B-12, 43-4B-13, 43-4B-14, 43-4B-18.1, 43-4B-19, 43-4B-20.
Original Rule entitled "Conduct of Promotion" adopted. F. May 20, 2024; eff. June 9, 2024.