Nova Scotia revamps Boxing Authority Act to include MMA sports

Gavin Tucker of Canada, left, is taken down by Rick Glenn of the USA during their mixed martial arts bout at UFC 215 in Edmonton, Alta., on Saturday September 9, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Nova Scotia has rewritten and renamed its Boxing Authority Act to incorporate the growing popularity of mixed martial arts.

The act will now be known as the Combat Sports Authority Act, to include sports like mixed martial arts, kickboxing and Muay Thai.

The province says the updated regulations will help ensure the safety of all combat sports by designating sanctioned bodies for amateur combat sports including wrestling, taekwondo, karate, judo and boxing.

"There's a growing interest in sports like mixed martial arts, and we've updated regulations to keep competing athletes safe," said Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage Pat Dunn in a news release.

"These changes will make sure that both professional and amateur combat sports are operating effectively and accountably."

Mickey MacDonald is the chair of the Nova Scotia Combat Sports Authority (NSCSA) and says it's a great day for combat sports, as the new legislation gives the NSCSA greater oversight to ensure the safety and compliance of those competing in a variety of combat sports disciplines.

The NSCSA sanctions professional combat sports events across the province and regulates athletes, managers and promoters involved in the sports.

"There's so many other competitions going on outside of boxing now, like MMA, kickboxing and Muay Thai, that we needed a new name to be inclusive of everything," said MacDonald. "That's why we called it the Nova Scotia Combat Sports Authority."

Until now, the provincial regulator was operating formerly as the Nova Scotia Boxing Authority.