Oklahoma athletic commission seeks extra funding as it expands oversight to slap fighting and bare‑knuckle events

Diana Fletcher, administrator for the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission, told the Senate Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services on Thursday that the commission has recently secured its own agency number and is asking the Legislature for additional funding to support staffing, IT and enforcement needs.

“We are now sanctioning slap fighting and bare knuckle fighting,” Fletcher said, describing the move as necessary to protect participants and the public from unsafe, unregulated events. She said the commission’s core responsibilities include licensing and oversight of amateur and professional combative sports and professional wrestling.

Fletcher said the commission previously operated under the Department of Health’s umbrella and that the House historically appropriated about $200,000 for its functions. She said the commission is requesting a supplemental “300” and a recurring “500” going forward; the witness used those figures without specifying the monetary units on the record. She added the agency’s revolving fund balance is “$150,000 ish.”

The commission reported it ran 173 events last year and estimated combined event sales at “a little over 3,000,000,” with roughly 3,700 estimated jobs supported and about 480 hotel room nights; Fletcher said those figures exclude spending at restaurants and local retail.

Fletcher also described operational needs. The agency has two full‑time employees and about 29 temporary staff across the state, she said, and requested one additional full‑time hire to ensure staff presence at events. The commission still uses an Excel database for licensing and lacks a formal licensing system; Fletcher urged funding for a modern licensing database and training for officials.

On enforcement, Fletcher told the committee unsanctioned events are prohibited under state statute and said penalties can include misdemeanor charges for a first offense and higher charges for repeat violations. She said the attorney general’s office assists with enforcement. Licensing requirements for promoters, she said, include a $250 fee and a $10,000 bond to ensure promoters meet safety and operational standards.

Committee members pressed Fletcher on scope. She said the commission licenses participants, judges, promoters and announcers involved in combative events; the commission regulates youth kickboxing but does not broadly regulate high‑school athletics. In response to skepticism about slap fighting, Fletcher noted that UFC president Dana White helped popularize the PowerSlap brand and that commission staff trained with UFC personnel in Las Vegas to develop regulatory standards.

A longtime industry representative who described decades of family involvement in Oklahoma combative sports urged lawmakers to support the budget request so the newly independent commission can fund IT, staffing and other needs that would help attract televised and national events.

The subcommittee took no formal vote. The chair closed the hearing and adjourned the meeting.