Commission counsel proposes aligning boxing rules with unified rules; rulemaking hearing likely

Commission counsel Jesse Gentry told the Tennessee Athletic Commission that staff are preparing rule language to align the commission—s boxing rules with the unified rules framework commonly used in mixed martial arts.

"We do have, we're looking at, setting rules ... to unify the boxing rules to the unified rules instead of having everything laid out similar to what we did with MMA just for efficiency purposes," Gentry said. He said the drafting work responds to recent events where alternative rule sets were used and that the goal is to streamline approvals.

Gentry said a rulemaking hearing is likely to appear on the commission—s agenda at the next meeting or early in 2026. In the meantime, he said promoters who wish to run events under alternative rule sets may still approach the commission for case-by-case approval; he cited a recent event involving a promoter identified in the transcript as "Dirty Boxing." The proposal is framed as an administrative efficiency change rather than an immediate alteration of enforcement policy.

What happens next: Staff will continue drafting proposed rule language and the commission will consider the language at a rulemaking hearing, likely at the next meeting or early in 2026. Promoters may continue to request case-by-case approvals for alternative rule sets until the rulemaking process is concluded.