Combative Sports

Combative Sports in Texas

Combative Sports is a full contact competition between two contestants. The primary sport in this program is boxing. Other sports regulated by this program are kick boxing, shoot wrestling / fighting, pancration wrestling / fighting, mixed martial arts contests or any form of competition in which a blow is struck which may reasonably be expected to inflict injury. Kick boxing is a form of boxing in which blows are delivered with any part of the arm below the shoulder, including the hand, and any part of the leg below the hip including the foot. Shoot wrestling / pancration wrestling is a form of full contact martial arts in which opponents may, while standing, strike with the open hand, kick, wrestle, throw grapple and submit. For more information about combative sports, e-mail TDLR at CSboxing@tdlr.texas.gov.

Advisory Board Meetings

Upcoming Meeting - September 8, 2017

A meeting of the Combative Sports Advisory Board is scheduled for Friday, September 8, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. The meeting will be held at TDLR’s North Campus Building, 1st Floor Public Meeting Room, located at 1106 Clayton Lane, Austin, Texas 78723. When the agenda is available, it will be posted online. The meeting will be broadcast on TDLR's YouTube channel.

Recent Meetings

The Combative Sports Advisory Board meeting scheduled for Friday, July 28 was canceled.

The Combative Sports Advisory Board met March 24, 2017 in Austin. The agenda and staff reports are online. The meeting was archived and is available on TDLR's YouTube channel.

For more information on past meetings, including archive agendas, minutes, and staff reports, please see the Combative Sports Advisory Board page.

News and Updates

Medical Advisory Committee Renamed as Combative Sports Advisory Board

House Bill 3315 passed by the 84th Texas Legislature, amended Occupations Code, Chapter 2052, relating to changing the name of the Medical Advisory Committee to the Combative Sports Advisory Board. House Bill 3315 and the changes to Chapter 2052 became effective September 1, 2015. TDLR encourages all persons interested in the Combative Sports program to review the updated Occupations Code, Chapter 2052.

Online Training for Contract Inspectors

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation now offers online training for Contract Inspectors who are an essential part of the Texas Combative Sports Team. If you are interested in an opportunity to work as an inspector at a boxing or mixed martial arts event, the department encourages you to watch the videos in this YouTube playlist and then contact the combative sports program at CSboxing@tdlr.texas.gov .

Live Seminar for Medical Doctors

If you are a medical doctor licensed by the State of Texas interested in participating in TDLR’s Combative Sports program or are currently a ringside physician and want a refresher, you can watch videos of our live seminar in this YouTube playlist.

Policy Statement - Five-minute Rounds in Professional MMA Events

Individuals from the combative sports industry attended the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation’s strategic planning Face-to-Face session in Houston on March 24, 2014. During the question and answer sessions, a discrepancy between the lengths of rounds in Texas for Professional MMA fights compared to other states was mentioned and recorded. TDLR’s legal staff conducted research and discovered this was in fact the case. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has determined a new policy is appropriate for Professional MMA events in Texas.

Policy Concerning Professional MMA Lengths of Rounds

Beginning on April 1, 2014, and going forward, all Professional MMA events may be 5-minute rounds in Texas unless the promoter of the event determines, for safety or other reasons, that rounds should be shortened to a minimum of 3-minutes in length.

This policy aligns the state of Texas with other states concerning Professional MMA rounds. The change in policy should increase the number of events held around the state by encouraging more professional fighters to come to Texas. Most importantly, it has also been determined that the change in policy does not hinder the safety measures already in place to protect fighters at these events.

Updated Form Required for Combative Sports Contestants

Effective immediately, all applications for combative sports contestants must use the current Professional Contestant Application, Form BOX001, dated January 2015. Older forms will no longer be accepted. You can make sure you are using the latest form by looking in the bottom left-hand corner of the form. It should read, "TDLR Form BOX001 Rev January 2015."

For more information about the TDLR Combative Sports program contact TDLR at CSboxing@tdlr.texas.gov or 800-803-9202. Also, you can sign up to receive TDLR Email Updates to be notified about any further changes to the Combative Sports Program.