Former boxer Smith says fighters are exploited and forgotten in a failing system
Former British boxer Paul Smith and the newly formed Global Fighters' Association plan the largest inquiry into health and safety in combat sport. The group wants to become its umbrella body and is raising £500,000.
The Global Fighters' Association (GFA), a UK-based group set up to represent fighters, has announced plans for what it calls the biggest ever inquiry into health and safety in combat sport, including boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA). Former boxer Paul Smith, who challenged three times for a super-middleweight world title before retiring in 2017, says the current system leaves fighters hurt, exploited or forgotten. The GFA hopes the inquiry will help it become the new umbrella organisation for all combat sport.
What the association wants
The GFA was founded last year with the aim of creating a union to safeguard fighters' futures. It is campaigning for fair contracts, better pay, insurance and pensions, proper health and safety standards, and an official channel for reporting problems.
It points to recent public fundraisers that helped fighters such as Lee Reeves pay for emergency care after serious injuries. Smith calls this a failing of the system, saying that every week a fighter is hurt, exploited or forgotten, and the only safety net is what the boxing community can gather afterwards.
Inquiry and funding
Barrister Jonathan Caplan KC will lead the inquiry, which will examine the safety, governance and treatment of combat sport participants at all levels, from grassroots to professional. He will produce a report based on the evidence and testimonies gathered. The GFA is a non-profit organisation and is seeking £500,000 for the inquiry through a crowdfunding campaign.
Chair designate Simon Bazalgette says sports such as rugby, football and horse racing have improved participant welfare over the past decade, while combat sport remains one of the last workplaces with no professional representation for its workers.
The Muhammad Ali Act
GFA acting general secretary Paul Maloney highlights the Muhammad Ali Act, a 2000 US law designed to protect boxers' rights and combat potential monopolies. UFC president Dana White has been leading a push to amend it, and critics say the changes would favour promoters and networks. Earlier this month, British MMA fighter Michael 'Venom' Page urged fighters to form a union and said he would like to see similar legislation for MMA.
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