Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, March 15, 2024
PURPOSE: This rule is being amended to implement
House Bill 1388 signed into law and effective August 28, 2018.
PURPOSE: This rule establishes minimum guidelines for
the hygiene, attire, and equipment authorized for professional mixed martial
arts contestants.
(1)
Physical Appearance. All contestants in a mixed martial arts bout or contest
shall present a clean and tidy appearance and shall comply with the following:
(A) Fingernails and toenails shall be
sufficiently trimmed to avoid the risk of cutting or scratching an
opponent;
(B) Hair shall be trimmed
or tied back so that the hair does not interfere with the vision of the
contestant or cover the contestant's eyes. The office's representative
determines whether a contestant's head and facial hair presents any safety
hazard to the contestant or his/her opponent or would interfere with the
supervision and conduct of the bout; and
(C) No substance other than petroleum jelly
and/or a similar petroleum based product may be allowed on the face, arms, or
any part of the body. Use of excessive petroleum jelly and/or similar petroleum
based products is prohibited.
(2) Attire and Equipment. All contestants
shall comply with the following:
(A)
Contestants shall wear athletic shorts that do not extend below the knee, such
as, mixed martial arts shorts, grappling/fighting shorts, boxing shorts or
kickboxing shorts, as specified in the bout agreement;
(B) No shirts or Gis may be worn by a
contestant during a bout or contest, provided that female contestants shall
wear an appropriate athletic garment that covers the breasts;
(C) Knee pads, elbow pads, breast protectors,
footwear, shoes, or shin guards shall not be allowed for professional
contestants;
(D) All contestants
shall wear an individually fitted mouthpiece;
(E) Male contestants shall wear a groin
protector. Female contestants may wear a pelvic protector at the option of the
contestant;
(F) Jewelry and/or
piercing accessories are prohibited; and
(G) No attire or equipment may be worn that
contains any metal substance.
(3) Handwraps. All handwraps shall be in
compliance with the following:
(A) The
bandages/handwraps shall consist of soft gauze type cloth that is no more than
twenty (20) yards in length and two inches (2") in width and held in place by
no more than ten feet (10') of surgeon's tape provided that the tape shall be
no more than one inch (1") in width for each hand;
(B) The surgeon's tape shall be placed
directly on each hand for protection near the wrist. The tape may cross the
back of the hand twice and extend to cover and protect the knuckles when the
hand is clenched to make a fist;
(C) Bandages shall be evenly distributed
across the hand;
(D) Bandages and
tape shall be placed on the contestant's hand in the dressing room prior to the
bout and in the presence of the inspector and both contestants. Either
contestant may waive the privilege of witnessing the bandaging of the
opponent's hands; and
(E) The
inspector shall approve all bandages and taping prior to gloves being placed on
any contestant. Under no circumstances are gloves to be placed on the hands of
a contestant before approval by the inspector.
(4) Gloves.
(A) Mixed martial arts contestants shall wear
gloves that are appropriate in weight for the fighter and which shall be no
less than four ounces (4 oz.) and no more than eight ounces (8 oz.) in weight.
Contestants competing against each other in the same bout shall wear the same
sized gloves.
1. Gloves shall be whole,
clean, and in good condition. Broken gloves are prohibited during any bout or
contest;
2. Gloves that are padded
in the palm or fingertip area are prohibited; and
3. All gloves will be approved by the
inspector prior to each bout. The inspector or a designee of the office may
inspect gloves at any time.
(B) All gloves shall be furnished by the
promoter and shall be new or in good condition. Promoters must have extra sets
of gloves in each size used during the contest, to be used in case gloves are
broken or in any way damaged during the course of a bout.
(5) The inspector may prohibit a contestant
from participating in a bout or contest if the contestant has or is wearing any
equipment, apparel, hair or product that presents a safety hazard, or that may
interfere with the supervision or conduct of the event. The contestant may not
competing in the bout unless the circumstances creating the hazard or potential
interference are corrected to the satisfaction of the office's
representative.
(6) All equipment
worn or used by a mixed martial arts contestant shall be approved by the
inspector.
*Original authority: 317.001, RSMo 1983, amended 1996 and
317.006, RSMo 1983, amended 1996.
