Due to recent changes to the Illinois Professional Boxing Act and its Administrative Rules, beginning January 1, 2009 amateur martial arts or mixed martial arts events in Illinois are prohibited unless a Department approved amateur sanctioning body oversees the event.

An amateur sanctioning body is the governing body for competitive events or activities with amateur contestants and:

• is exclusively or primarily dedicated to advancing a particular sport
• limits its participation in its events to its registered members
• has a record of enforcing the rules governing a contest or exhibition
• has a record for safety
• provides substantially similar protections for the health, safety and welfare of its contestants as the Professional Boxing Act and its Rules.

The Department may consider, but is not limited to using these and other factors such as national recognition and the number of years and type of experience the sanctioning body has accumulated overseeing amateur events to determine whether an amateur body will be approved.

Any promoter wishing to hold an amateur martial arts or mixed martial arts event in Illinois should contact one of the Department approved amateur sanctioning bodies and obtain its sanctioning before scheduling the amateur event. Failure to obtain such sanctioning may result in the Department taking enforcement action including, but not limited to, imposition of fines and injunctive court relief.

For any entity interested in becoming a sanctioning body approved in Illinois a “Request for Approval Form” and accompanying instructions can be found at the following link,

After a “Request for Approval” form has been received by the Department the completed form and all supporting materials will be reviewed. The requestor may be asked for additional information and will be required to appear before the Illinois Boxing Board for an interview. This approval process is designed so that the highest health and safety standards are applied to amateur martial arts and mixed martial arts events held in Illinois. 

The Illinois Professional Boxing Act may be viewed by clicking here.

A complete set of the Administrative Rules may be viewed by clicking here.

A copy of the Amateuar Sanctioning Body Approval Request Form is located here.

A List of Approved Amateur Sanctioning Bodies is available here.