Title 19 Part 208

Before participating in contests or exhibitions, all boxers and mixed martial artists shall submit to medical examinations performed by a physician designated by the commission within 36 hours before the contest or exhibition and also within three hours before the contest or exhibition, unless such times are modified by the commission. Such examinations may include any such testing the examining physician finds necessary.

Any injury or illness to a professional boxing or professional mixed martial arts participant before a contest or exhibition scheduled to be held in the State of New York, or while in training for any such contest or exhibition, shall be fully reported in writing to the commission within 24 hours of its onset by the participant or the participant's manager.

The number of commission-designated ringside physicians required to be in attendance at each professional boxing and professional mixed martial arts contest or exhibition, and the type and quantity of medical and emergency equipment and instruments which shall be available at ringside or elsewhere on the premises, shall be as the commission may prescribe. Ringside physicians designated by the commission to work at authorized professional boxing and professional mixed martial arts events within the State shall be employed by the commission and shall be physicians licensed in New York State pursuant to article 131 of the Education Law. Ringside physicians in attendance at all other authorized combative sports events and professional wrestling exhibitions within the State shall be physicians licensed in New York State pursuant to article 131 of the Education Law, shall be provided by the event promoter, and shall not be considered employees or agents of the commission while on duty at such events.

Any contrary provisions of these rules notwithstanding, the ringside physician may enter the ring during the progress of a match or exhibition at any time to fulfill his or her official duties. A ringside physician desiring to enter the ring for this purpose shall first signal the referee of his or her intention, upon which the referee shall stop the progress of the bout by signaling the timekeeper. At any time during the progress of a bout, the referee may stop the bout by signaling the timekeeper, and require the ringside physician to enter the ring to examine a participant. Nothing herein shall be deemed to prohibit the ringside physician from entering the ring to examine any contestant during rest periods, with or without invitation from the referee, nor shall anything herein be deemed to restrict the ringside physician's authority pursuant to any other section of this Part.

All professional boxers and professional mixed martial artists shall receive a post-bout medical evaluation conducted by a physician designated by the commission immediately following their participation in any match or exhibition. Any professional boxer or mixed martial artist who has sustained any injury or actual knockout in a match or exhibition, shall receive appropriate medical examination and, where deemed necessary in the opinion of the physician, emergency treatment from the evaluating physician. Such physician may direct the professional boxer or mixed martial artist to a hospital or to another treating physician for additional medical treatment, as deemed appropriate in the professional medical opinion of the evaluating physician. Such examination and treatment may include, but shall not be limited to, any or all of the procedures as provided in section 208.2 of this Part or as is directed by the medical advisory board, the commission physician, the ringside physician and/or the commission. The commission may suspend such boxer or mixed martial artist until he or she is fully recovered and, similarly, may extend any such suspension already imposed.

In the event that a professional boxer or mixed martial artist who has suffered a knockout or any severe injury has on such account been treated by his or her personal physician or has been hospitalized, or in the event a boxer or mixed martial artist sustains any knockout, injury, accident or illness which may affect the boxer's health and/or safety whether or not such knockout, injury or accident occurs in a gymnasium, said boxer or his or her manager shall promptly submit to the commission a full report regarding same including but not limited to any report from such a physician or hospital.

Any professional boxing or professional mixed martial arts participant who has lost three consecutive contests by knockout or technical knockout, or who has lost six consecutive contests in any manner, may, upon recommendation of the commission physician, be automatically suspended and may be reinstated in the discretion of the commission only after submitting to a medical examination of the type prescribed by the commission. A suspension under this rule shall not be considered a suspension for any other purpose.

No licensed professional combative sports participant shall be allowed to participate in any combative sport match or exhibition in this State until at least seven days have elapsed since his or her last match or exhibition, and no licensed combative sports participant shall compete in any combative sport match or exhibition within seven days of competing in such a match or exhibition in this State.

All commission-designated ringside physicians and licensed referees of professional boxing and professional mixed martial arts matches and exhibitions shall attend such neurological training seminars as specified and approved by the commission after consultation with the medical advisory board.

No professional boxer or professional mixed martial artist shall participate in any contest or exhibition following weight loss of one percent or more of body weight within 24 hours prior to such contest or exhibition, unless otherwise authorized by the commission. A combatant may be disapproved for participation in a match or exhibition if, in the professional medical opinion of the reviewing physician, it would be unsafe for the combatant to compete in the match or exhibition due to a finding of dehydration or extreme weight loss.

No person may arrange, promote, organize, produce, or hold a combative sports match or exhibition within the State of New York without meeting each of the following minimum requirements for the health and safety of participants:

Such coverage may be primary or secondary to any other applicable insurance coverage held by the covered professional.

physician shall mean a practitioner of medicine licensed in New York State to practice medicine pursuant to article 131 of the Education Law.

Licensees and permit holders shall perform to the best of their abilities and in good faith in all contests or exhibitions in which they participate.

Licensed managers shall keep accurate records of the receipts and expenses of the professional boxer or professional mixed martial artist under their management and control. Such records shall be available to such professional combatants and the commission, upon request.

Licensed managers and assignees are prohibited from acting in any direct or indirect way as a matchmaker of professional boxing or professional mixed martial arts bouts, except as otherwise directed or authorized by the commission.

No licensed manager of a professional boxer or professional mixed martial artist shall sell, assign, transfer, or in any way encumber or attempt to sell, assign, transfer, or in any way encumber any interest, in whole or in part, which he shall hold in any contract for the services of such boxer or mixed martial artist without notice to and written consent of such boxer or mixed martial artist and approval by the commission.

No principal, director, officer, agent or owner of a licensed promoter shall, directly or indirectly, serve or act as the manager, assignee or second of any boxer or mixed martial artist, or be employed by or be in any way commercially connected with the manager, assignee or second of any boxer or mixed martial artist, unless otherwise directed or authorized by the commission.

No licensed matchmaker shall employ or be in any way commercially connected with any boxer, mixed martial artist, manager or second except as otherwise directed or authorized by the commission.

No principal, director, officer, agent or owner of a licensed matchmaker shall, directly or indirectly, serve as or act as the manager, assignee or second of any boxer or mixed martial artist, or be employed by or be in any way connected with the manager, assignee or second of any boxer or mixed martial artist unless otherwise directed or authorized by the commission.

Whenever any licensee is approached with a request or a suggestion that any person participate in, contribute to, aid or abet a sham or collusive contest or a contest that is not to be conducted honestly and fairly, such licensee shall immediately report the entire matter and full circumstances to the commission. Any licensee who learns of any such attempt to effect a sham or collusive contest shall immediately report the entire matter and full circumstances to the commission.

A professional boxing sanctioning organization shall not be entitled to receive any compensation directly or indirectly in connection with a boxing match held in the State until it provides to the commission a statement of:

Representatives of the commission may inspect any persons, parcels, bags or items prior to entry into a licensed combatant’s dressing room or once inside a licensed combatant’s dressing room. Any prohibited substances or items found may subject the licensed combatant to disqualification or other disciplinary action, and may result in the possessor of the prohibited item or substance being immediately removed from the venue and, if licensed, disciplined in accordance with the rules of the commission.

The commission may, in its discretion, at any time require a licensed professional boxer or licensed professional mixed martial artist to submit to drug and/or prohibited substance testing at a date and time and in such manner as directed by the commission. Any finding of prohibited substances, masking methods, or drugs may subject the combatant to disqualification or other disciplinary action. A schedule of prohibited substances and/or impermissible drugs shall be posted and maintained by the commission on its official website. The use of any prohibited performance enhancing drug (PED) during training or competition shall be considered unsportsmanlike conduct, a failure to engage in good faith in honest competition and an act detrimental to the interests of combative sports, and shall subject any licensee found to be in violation of this prohibition to potential purse forfeiture, fine, change of bout result and license revocation.