MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, MANUFACTURING, AND TRADE OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION DECEMBER 8, 2016 Serial No. 114–179 ( Printed for the use of the Committee on Energy and Commerce energycommerce.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 24–053 WASHINGTON : 2017 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:12 Feb 23, 2017 Jkt 037690 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 F:\MY DOCS\HEARINGS 114\114-179 CHRIS COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE FRED UPTON, Michigan Chairman JOE BARTON, Texas FRANK PALLONE, JR., New Jersey Chairman Emeritus Ranking Member JOHN SHIMKUS, Illinois BOBBY L. RUSH, Illinois JOSEPH R. PITTS, Pennsylvania ANNA G. ESHOO, California GREG WALDEN, Oregon ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York TIM MURPHY, Pennsylvania GENE GREEN, Texas MICHAEL C. BURGESS, Texas DIANA DEGETTE, Colorado MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee LOIS CAPPS, California Vice Chairman MICHAEL F. DOYLE, Pennsylvania STEVE SCALISE, Louisiana JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY, Illinois ROBERT E. LATTA, Ohio G.K. BUTTERFIELD, North Carolina CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS, Washington DORIS O. MATSUI, California GREGG HARPER, Mississippi KATHY CASTOR, Florida LEONARD LANCE, New Jersey JOHN P. SARBANES, Maryland BRETT GUTHRIE, Kentucky JERRY MCNERNEY, California PETE OLSON, Texas PETER WELCH, Vermont DAVID B. MCKINLEY, West Virginia BEN RAY LUJA´ N, New Mexico MIKE POMPEO, Kansas PAUL TONKO, New York ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois JOHN A. YARMUTH, Kentucky H. MORGAN GRIFFITH, Virginia YVETTE D. CLARKE, New York GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida DAVID LOEBSACK, Iowa BILL JOHNSON, Missouri KURT SCHRADER, Oregon BILLY LONG, Missouri JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, III, Massachusetts RENEE L. ELLMERS, North Carolina TONY CA´ RDENAS, California LARRY BUCSHON, Indiana BILL FLORES, Texas SUSAN W. BROOKS, Indiana MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma RICHARD HUDSON, North Carolina CHRIS COLLINS, New York KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:12 Feb 23, 2017 Jkt 037690 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 F:\MY DOCS\HEARINGS 114\114-179 CHRIS SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, MANUFACTURING, AND TRADE MICHAEL C. BURGESS, Texas Chairman JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY, Illinois LEONARD LANCE, New Jersey Ranking Member Vice Chairman YVETTE D. CLARKE, New York MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, III, Massachusetts GREGG HARPER, Mississippi TONY CA´ RDENAS, California BRETT GUTHRIE, Kentucky BOBBY L. RUSH, Illinois PETE OLSON, Texas G.K. BUTTERFIELD, North Carolina MIKE POMPEO, Kansas PETER WELCH, Vermont ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois FRANK PALLONE, JR., New Jersey (ex GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida officio) SUSAN W. BROOKS, Indiana MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma FRED UPTON, Michigan (ex officio) (III) VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:12 Feb 23, 2017 Jkt 037690 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 F:\MY DOCS\HEARINGS 114\114-179 CHRIS VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:12 Feb 23, 2017 Jkt 037690 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 F:\MY DOCS\HEARINGS 114\114-179 CHRIS C O N T E N T S Page Hon. Michael C. Burgess, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas, opening statement .................................................................................... 1 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 3 Hon. Leonard Lance, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey, opening statement ................................................................................... 3 Hon. Janice D. Schakowsky, a Representative in Congress from the State of Illinois, prepared statement ............................................................................ 4 Hon. Markwayne Mullin, a Representative in Congress from the State of Oklahoma, prepared statement .......................................................................... 6 Hon. Fred Upton, a Representative in Congress from the State of Michigan, prepared statement .............................................................................................. 43 WITNESSES Hon. Jeff Denham, a Representative in Congress from the State of California . 7 Jeff Novitzky, Vice President, Athlete Health and Performance, Ultimate Fighting Championship ....................................................................................... 8 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 11 Lydia Robertson, Treasurer, Association of Boxing Commissions and Com- bative Sports ......................................................................................................... 14 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 16 Ann McKee, M.D., Professor of Neurology and Pathology, Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Boston University, Neuropathology Core, Boston University ............. 18 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 20 Randy Couture, President, Xtreme Couture ......................................................... 25 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 27 SUBMITTED MATERIAL MMA contract .......................................................................................................... 45 Article entitled, ‘‘UFC antitrust lawsuit: Inside Bellator’s contracts and the effect on plaintiff fighters,’’ Bloody Elbow, March 4, 2015 ............................... 69 (V) VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:12 Feb 23, 2017 Jkt 037690 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 F:\MY DOCS\HEARINGS 114\114-179 CHRIS VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:12 Feb 23, 2017 Jkt 037690 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 F:\MY DOCS\HEARINGS 114\114-179 CHRIS MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, MANUFACTURING, AND TRADE, COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:57 a.m., in room 2322, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Michael C. Burgess, M.D., (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Burgess, Lance, Guthrie, Mullin, Scha- kowsky, Kennedy, Rush, and Welch. Staff Present: Grace Applebe, Staff Assistant; Graham Dufault, Counsel, Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade; Blair Ellis, Digital Coordinator and Press Secretary; Melissa Froelich, Counsel, Com- merce, Manufacturing, and Trade; Giulia Giannangeli, Legislative Clerk, Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade; A.T. Johnston, Senior Policy Advisor; Paul Nagle, Chief Counsel, Commerce, Manufac- turing, and Trade; Dan Schneider, Press Secretary; Olivia Trusty, Professional Staff, Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade; Dylan Vorbach, Deputy Press Secretary; Michelle Ash, Minority Chief Counsel, Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade; Lisa Goldman, Mi- nority Counsel, Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade; Chris Knauer, Minority Staff Director, Oversight and Investigations; Elizabeth Letter, Minority Professional Staff, Oversight and Inves- tigations; Dan Miller, Minority Staff; Caroline Paris-Behr, Minor- ity, Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade; and Matthew Schumacher, Minority Press Assistant. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MICHAEL C. BURGESS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS Mr. BURGESS. The subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade will now come to order. The chair recognizes himself for 5 minutes for the purposes of an opening statement. And good morning to all of our witnesses. We appreciate you being with us this morning. Before we turn to the matter at hand, I do want to make note of the fact that this is our last hearing before the 114th Congress. I certainly want to thank my vice chairman, Chairman Lance of New Jersey, and Ranking Member Schakowsky of Illinois for their hard work and the hard work of all of our members. (1) VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:12 Feb 23, 2017 Jkt 037690 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\MY DOCS\HEARINGS 114\114-179 CHRIS 2 The Energy and Commerce Committee itself is probably one of the most productive committees on Capitol Hill. The Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Committee has justifiably earned the reputation as the think tank of the Energy and Commerce Com- mittee. And I would just note to the members on the dais that we have passed over two dozen pieces of legislation from members on both sides of the dais over the past 2 years, one of the most produc- tive legislative accomplishments for this subcommittee in several years. So, thanks to the participation of all of our members, I believe, no pun intended, we have been punching above our weight. And I am happy to close out this Congress with my colleagues on the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Committee and look forward to a busy agenda for next year. Once more, we turn our attention to something where this is plowing new ground for Congress. As broad and varied as our juris- diction is, mixed martial arts, especially the industry of mixed mar- tial arts, is probably a new concept to some of us. In fact, it is to your chairman. As the industry continues to evolve swiftly, it seems that now is the time to bring Congress up to speed on mixed martial arts and understand if there is a role that Congress should be playing in this multibillion-dollar industry.