UFC and Lobbying: How MMA’s biggest promotion influences US politics

entry-content__stream "> The UFC has been in engaged in lobbying since 2008. However, the company didn’t ramp up this side of their operation into…

By: Tim Bissell | 11 months ago
UFC and Lobbying: How MMA’s biggest promotion influences US politics
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The UFC has been in engaged in lobbying since 2008. However, the company didn’t ramp up this side of their operation into well into their modern era.

Over the years the company has sunk millions into lobbyists who go to D.C. to argue for their positions on a wide host of issues.

Some of the issues the UFC is actively engaged in are internet piracy, copyright law, foreign policy and international visas.

The UFC has also lobbied on specific legislation. Most notably, the promotion has spent years (and lots of money) lobbying against efforts to expand the Muhammad Ali Act to MMA. And it seems they might have succeeded on that one.

Other bills the UFC have targeted include laws that would make a Federal US-wide combat sports commission and laws that would redefine what makes someone an employee (and not an independent contractor).

This story-stream includes stories and reports that track the UFC’s spending on lobbyists and tells you what issues they are concerned with.

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About the author
Tim Bissell
Tim Bissell

Tim Bissell is a writer, editor and deputy site manager for Bloody Elbow. He has covered combat sports since 2015. Tim covers news and events and has also written longform and investigative pieces. Among Tim's specialties are the intersections between crime and combat sports. Tim has also covered head trauma, concussions and CTE in great detail.

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