MMA In Tennessee

The state of Tennessee Boxing & Racing commission explicitly states in their mission statement "The Commissioner of the Department of Commerce and Insurance is responsible for the enforcement of the law and regulations pertaining to professional boxing in Tennessee."
The TN Boxing & Racing commission has now decided to cross the lines and say they can also control amateur Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). They have also went a step further by issuing cease & desist orders outside their county and bypassing the local authorities by taking matters into their own hands.
The only law on the books that the Boxing & Racing commission can find to use against the sport reads as follows.

"39-17-1102. Prize fighting, sparring and other brutal sports unlawful-Exception.

(a) It is unlawful for any person or persons to engage in what is known as prize fighting or boxing with or without gloves, or in other brutal sport or exhibition, whereby bruising, maiming, or other serious bodily injury may result to the boxers or participants.

(b) This section shall not be construed to apply to football or baseball games, or other sport not of like sort with prize fighting or boxing.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit or declare unlawful any activity authorized by other provisions of this code when carried out in accordance with the other provisions, or to render any participants of the same liable to the penalties of subsection (d).

(d) All persons engaging in the sports or contests designated in this section either as principals, aids, seconds, or backers, commit a Class C misdemeanor."

It is our goal to educate the state commission and bring the sport to the state without having to worry about rumor or reprisal.
By signing this petition you are voicing your opinion to the State of Tennessee and the Boxing & Racing commission.
We do want the state to regulate Pro MMA when the time comes and have a community of dedicated, educated sports professionals willing to work with the state to ensure proper guidelines are set forth and regulated in the proper way. MMA is made up of wrestling, judo, jiu jitsu, boxing, kick boxing and other combative sports, all of which are currently legal in the state. MMA is a combination of these different martial arts disciplines to allow competition between athletes who were trained in their respective form of combative sports and is therefore 100\% legal from our point of view.
Help us legitimize the sport of MMA in the state of Tennessee by signing our petition.