WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee held a hearing on Wednesday in Washington on a House-passed overhaul of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act that would allow the creation of centralized "Unified Boxing Organizations" operating alongside the current fragmented system. The committee is chaired by Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

Under the proposal, UBOs could act as both promoter and governing body, giving a single entity influence over rankings, title shots, and matchmaking. The measure includes standards for fighter pay, medical coverage, and drug testing, while also permitting exclusive, long-term contracts and reducing financial disclosure requirements for promoters.

The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act was intended to curb the influence of promoters and sanctioning bodies by mandating financial transparency and separating business roles to protect fighters from coercive contracts and conflicts of interest. Some agreements contemplated under the proposal would grant promoters the ability to assign opponents and restrict fighters from participating in outside competitions. Promoters could count a bout as fulfilled even if a fighter withdraws due to injury, without paying the full purse. Fighters who leave a unified system could forfeit their standing within it, including rankings or title status. The bill would remain alongside the existing Ali Act, allowing fighters to choose between the traditional framework or a unified system.

Nico Ali Walsh, a professional boxer with 15 professional bouts and the grandson of Muhammad Ali, addressed the hearing. "When one system controls access, choice becomes theoretical, not real. When that happens, you fight who you're told to fight or you don't fight at all," he said. "Boxing is not broken."

Ali Walsh also questioned assurances that fighters would retain options under the new framework. "They say we have a choice. But once they control everything, we won't have a choice," he said.

The hearing took place as Zuffa Boxing, a joint enterprise backed by TKO Group Holdings and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has entered the sport. Dana White, the president of the UFC and a longtime Donald Trump ally, has been tasked with building the new boxing promotion. Nick Khan is a board member of TKO, the parent company of UFC and WWE. TKO has a partnership with Turki al-Sheikh, the head of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority and a confidant of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In 2024, the UFC agreed to a $375 million settlement with several hundred fighters to resolve an antitrust lawsuit alleging wage suppression and competition limitation. The UFC denied wrongdoing, and related claims remain at issue in a separate, ongoing case.