Tennessee Amateur Sanctioning Bodies
Tennessee Athletic Commission, 500 James Robertson Pkwy, Nashville, TN, 37243, Telephone: 615-532-5129 - Athletic.Commission@TN.Gov

The State of Tennessee has approved the ISCF to regulate amateur MMA in the state of Tennessee and the IKF to regulate amateur kickboxing.

The amateur committee of the Tennessee Athletic Commission has issued a very specific set of guidelines that the Tennessee Athletic Commission requires sanctioning bodies to follow in order to maintain their status in Tennessee. The committee has issued with approval of the Tennessee Athletic Commission this statement:

The Commission will only approve and recognize those amateur sanctioning organizations that are able to establish and enforce rules as strict as, or stricter, than those established by the Commission for professional unarmed combat contests. Any organization wishing to be approved and recognized must provide the following:

1. A copy of the sanctioning organization's rules which must provide at a minimum the following requirements:
   • No professional combatants will be allowed to participate in any amateur event.
   • At least one ringside physician be present at all times during an amateur event.
   • The ringside physician have immediate access to the ring or cage.
   • A (2) two-member licensed emergency medical team consisting of (1) one paramedic be present at all times during an amateur event.
   • An ambulance or other emergency vehicle be present at all times during an amateur event.
   • The most direct and unobstructed route to the ambulance or other emergency vehicle be made available for medical officials.
   • That a promoter of an amateur event will provide spectator liability insurance and adequate medical insurance which provides a minimum of $20,000 medical and accidental death for each participant.
   • Rules covering fouls, intentional or unintentional, which are as strict or stricter than those established by the Commission for professional contests.
2. The criteria and procedures used by the sanctioning organization to approve and register combatants.
3. The criteria and procedures used by the sanctioning organization to approve amateur events.
4. The criteria and procedures used by the sanctioning organization to approve and select ringside physicians and other ring officials for amateur events.
5. The criteria used by the sanctioning organization to approve matches between amateur combatants.
6. The procedures used by the sanctioning organization to verify that a promoter of an amateur unarmed combat event complies with the sanctioning organizations rules.

Please notify the Tennessee State Athletic Commission of your sanctioned event.

As of May 31, 2009, all amateur promoters must have a permit from the state of Tennessee to promote an amateur event. The permit must be issued 30 days prior to the date of the contest. Since there will be less than 30 days from the time that the permit application was available and May 31, the Tennessee Commission has voted not to enforce any penalties for holding an amateur event without a permit until July 1. As of July 1, 2009 please make sure promoters have a permit before you sanction any event.

Thank you for your vigilance in assuring all Tennessee amateur events are properly regulated and safe.
Jeff Mullen
Executive Director
Tennessee Athletic Commission

The State of Tennessee has approved the ISCF to regulate amateur MMA in the state of Tennessee and the IKF to regulate amateur kickboxing.

BLOODWORK
Tennessee Amateur MMA Sanctioning Bodies

The amateur committee of the Tennessee Athletic Commission has issued a very specific set of guidelines that the Tennessee Athletic Commission requires sanctioning bodies to follow in order to maintain their status in Tennessee. The Tennessee Athletic Commission has added the following requirement to the guidelines issued earlier.

AMATEUR MMA ONLY: All amateur combatants shall be required to submit a negative blood test for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV, performed no earlier than 6 months prior to the date of the fight.
If the blood tests are not submitted to the representative of the state recognized sanctioning body prior to the fight, the fighter will not be allowed to fight.
This requirement will go into effect October 1, 2009.
Jeff Mullen
Executive Director
Tennessee Athletic Commission