Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules

MOAHR-Rules@michigan.gov

AGENCY REPORT TO THE

JOINT COMMITEE ON ADMNINISTRATIVE RULES (JCAR)

1. Agency Information

Agency name:

Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

Division/Bureau/Office:

Corporations, Securities, & Commercial Licensing

Name of person completing this form:

Mackenzie Jones

Phone number of person completing this form:

231-944-3225

E-mail of person completing this form:

JonesM52@michigan.gov

Name of Department Regulatory Affairs Officer reviewing this form:

Elizabeth Arasim

2. Rule Set Information

MOAHR assigned rule set number:

2020-131 LR

Title of proposed rule set:

Unarmed Combat

3. Purpose for the proposed rules and background:

The proposed rules will provide a regulatory structure that would allow the sanctioning of kickboxing

and Muay Thai events in Michigan. They will improve the reliability and competency of event

officials and improve the safety and the integrity of “unarmed combat” events in Michigan.

4. Summary of proposed rules:

The proposed rules provide a regulatory structure that would allow the sanctioning of kickboxing and

muay thai events in Michigan. The rules will improve the reliability of event officials and prevent the

appearance of impropriety. The rules will also set a minimum purse requirement for professional

unarmed combat sports. Other changes include more flexibility in obtaining a professional contestants

license, adding an atomweight class for mixed martial arts, and making the mixed martial arts rules

more consistent with the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports uniform rules.

5. List names of newspapers in which the notice of public hearing was published and

publication dates:

The Ann Arbor News – November 18, 2021

The Grand Rapids Press – November 18, 2021

The Marquette Mining Journal – November 15, 2021

6. Date of publication of rules and notice of public hearing in Michigan Register:

MCL 24.242 and 24.245

Agency Report to JCAR-Page 2

12/1/2021

7. Date, time, and location of public hearing:

12/16/2021 01:00 PM at Sun Conference Room , 2407 North Grand River Avenue, Lansing, MI

48906

8. Provide the link the agency used to post the regulatory impact statement and cost-benefit

analysis on its website:

https://ARS.apps.lara.state.mi.us/Transaction/RFRTransaction?TransactionID=1257

9. List of the name and title of agency representative(s) attending public hearing:

Mack Jones (LARA)

Mitchell Page (LARA)

Benjamin Parker (LARA)

10. Persons submitting comments of support:

Wolfgang Mueller

11. Persons submitting comments of opposition:

Frank Garza

12. Persons submitting other comments:

Collin Rogers

13. Identify any changes made to the proposed rules based on comments received during the

public comment period:

MCL 24.242 and 24.245

Agency Report to JCAR-Page 3

Name &

Organization public hearing

Comments made at Written

Agency Rationale Rule number

for Rule Change & citation

and Description changed

of Change(s)

Comments

Made

1

Frank Garza

“Contest official ‘duty

R 339.204a was

revised to clarify

that the duty of

impartiality

R 339.204a

of impartiality’. The

concept is good but

the way it is written

not so much.”

extends to

“approved event

officials” who are

licensed and

regulated under

the Unarmed

Combat

Regulatory Act,

which include

judges,

timekeepers, and

referees. The

Commission

agreed that the

term should be

modified to

comply with

statute.

2

Frank Garza

“Contest official ‘duty

of impartiality’. The

concept is good but

the way it is written

not so much.”

R339.101 was

R339.101(1)

revised to remove (b)

the definition of

“contest official,”

from “(1)(b)” in

favor of listing the

approved event

officials within

R339.204a. The

Commission

agreed that the

term should be

modified to

comply with

statute.

MCL 24.242 and 24.245

Agency Report to JCAR-Page 4

3

Wolfgang

Mueller

“With regard to Subsection 6 was R339.203(6)

other combat added to R339.203

sports, it is nice to add a uniform

to see them Federal Boxing ID

finally addressed card requirement,

in the proposed which is in line

rules. I would

like to see the

identification

with the ABC

Model Rules

which the

card requirements Commission

for professional wishes to adhere

kickboxing and to on this change.

muay thai

specified in the

rules, as I did not

see specific

language

addressing that

aspect of the

sports.”

4

Wolfgang

Mueller

“Rule 201, Rule The rule was

R339.223b

223b(2), Rule

339.223c

edited so that the

word

(“accidental

“unintentional”

language”) , Rule was replaced with

223c(5), and Rule “accidental” to be

226b(a), all

derive from

ABC’s model

consistent with the

other existing

rules mentioned in

rules. It does not the written

appear that these statement (Rule

rules are

339.223c) as well

as current practice.

consistent with

current practice

and regulations

relating to other

unarmed combat

sports in

Michigan.”

“…Rule 223b(2),

Rule 339.223c

(‘accidental

language’)…”

MCL 24.242 and 24.245

Agency Report to JCAR-Page 5

5

Wolfgang

Mueller

“…Rule 226b(a), The rule was

R339.226b(a)

all derive from

ABC’s model

edited so that the

types of decisions

rules. It does not were modified to

appear that these be uniform across

rules are

consistent with

all sports, and in

226b(a) added the

current practice language for

and regulations

“Unanimous” and

relating to other “Split” decisions

unarmed combat as 226b(a)(i)(ii)

sports in

and (iii). The

Michigan.”

Commission

agreed that the

decisions in this

rule should follow

current practice

and align with the

other sports, which

is a slight

departure from the

ABC model rules.

MCL 24.242 and 24.245

Agency Report to JCAR-Page 6

6

Collin Rogers

“The revision of The rule was

R339.101(l)

R339.101 Rule

101 (L) states

""Muay thai"

edited, and the

rule number

changed, to add in

means a form of “elbow” to the

boxing in which definition of

blows are

“Muay thai” to

delivered with the read “’Muay thai’

hand, any part of means a form of

the leg below the boxing in which

hip, including the blows are

foot, and

clinching. Does hand, elbow, any

this infer that part of the leg

delivered with the

there will be no below the hip,

elbows allowed including the foot,

as a weapon in

and clinching.”

any occurance of Instead of being

Muay Thai in the listed as R339.101

state of Michigan, (l), the definition

be it pro or

amateur? Elbow listed as R339.101

pads are an (k). The

additional option Commission

was changed to be

that could

become a

required

agreed that this

was in line with

current practice.

equipment under

R339.246b Rule

246b as Muay

Thai after all is

"the art of eight

limbs" (legs,

knees, hands,

elbows).”

7

Collin Rogers

In 232b(1)(c), the R339.232b(1)

“In Rule 232b (1) language was

it is stated "A changed to read

(c)

R339.232b(1)

referee of a muay “Direct attacks to (u)

thai contest may the back of the

penalize a muay knee.” In (u), the

thai contestant by language was

deducting points changed to read

from a round for “Illegal tripping or

any of the

sweeping the back

following fouls: of an instep

MCL 24.242 and 24.245

Agency Report to JCAR-Page 7

"(c) Direct

attacks to the

supporting leg of

an opponent.” The

knee." Does this Commission

blanket all attacks agreed that this

that may contact was more in line

the knee I.E. low- with current

kicks to the calf practice.

or thigh area,

front-kicks to the

thigh or hip, etc.?

As well as "(i)

Shoving,

throwing, or

wrestling an

opponent when

pushing in a legal

clinch." Does this

mean a contestant

may not, if the

opportunity

presents itself,

shove an

opponent out of

the clinch and

resume attacking?

This carries into

my next question

of the same

ruleset under "(u)

Tripping or

sweeping an

opponent." being

listed as a foul. In

Muay Thai

fighting, tripping

and/or sweeping

an opponent is a

high-scoring

technique very

often utilized to

show technical

precision and

timing over your

opponent. I see

no reason why

these techniques

MCL 24.242 and 24.245

Agency Report to JCAR-Page 8

should be listed

as fouls under a

Muay Thai

ruleset in

Michigan if the

wishes of the

commission are

to display the true

nature of such a

beautiful martial

art and preserve

the integrity of

the sport.”

8

Collin Rogers

Added the

R339.246b(7)

“In most other

language “if

states we've had contestants agree

fighters compete before a contest to

in, the headgear wear protective

was an optional headgear and shin

selection, based and instep

on the bout

participants

protectors” to

adhere to current

preference. If one practice of the

participant

sport.

preferred that

headgear be

worn, both would

be required. If

both agreed on no

headgear, it was

allowed. The

same could be

said for

shinguards in

some states.”

14.Date report completed:

7/27/2022

MCL 24.242 and 24.245