The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports has entered into an agreement to provided the State of California professional boxing and mixed martial arts officials training and the first training of 2017 will take place on Saturday, January 22 at the LAX Hilton in Los Angeles.
The training on January 22 will be an advanced course and currently has nearly 50 people registered. Instructors for the advanced training course will include boxing referee and instructor Jay Nady, boxing judge Steve Weisfeld, and MMA referee John McCarthy.
Registration for officials will include testing with those passing the advanced course listed on the Official Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports site as Recognized Officials under their respective sports.
Along with the training course being open to officials, Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports President Mike Mazzulli and California Executive Director Andy Foster have extended an invitation to professional fighters or trainers of each discipline and classes can accept up to 10-12 licensed fighters or trainers at no cost. Fighters who want to attend can ask questions about new Minimum Standard Rules and the new definition for what constitutes a grounded fighter, the clearer criteria for judging, plus removal of selected fouls for MMA.
“The ABC is partnering with several Commissions and hopes to provide the service to many others in order to keep judges and referees for the sports refreshed in standards for officiating,” Mazzulli said in the press release. “An event at Mohegan Sun should be officiated exactly as it is in California or Kansas for the protection of the fighters.”
Those interested in attending should contact Heather Jackson at the California State Athletic Commission at [email protected].