Item 7: Ordinance Prohibiting Extreme Fighting

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Action: An Ordinance Prohibiting Extreme Fighting; Adding Section 4.740 to the Eugene Code, 1971; and Amending Section 4.990 of that Code Meeting Date: January 8, 2007 Agenda Item Number: 7 Department: City Attorney’s Office Staff Contact: Jerry Lidz www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5080 ISSUE STATEMENT The City Council is scheduled to take action on an ordinance to regulate “extreme fighting,” also known as cage fighting, which is sometimes considered a form of mixed martial arts (MMA). The ordinance would prohibit unregulated, amateur MMA matches, but would permit matches that comply with rules to be adopted by the City Manager. The ordinance sets out four issues that the manager’s rules must address. BACKGROUND Chapter 463 of the Oregon Revised Statutes regulates professional boxing and wrestling, and the statutes define “wrestling” to include all forms of fighting not specifically covered elsewhere in the statutes. Because the State does not regulate amateur fighting and does not prohibit the City from doing so, the City may regulate amateur fighting. The council held a work session on the proposed ordinance on August 14, 2006, a public hearing on September 11, 2006, and another work session on November 27, 2006. Attachment A is a revised draft of the ordinance that includes an amendment, approved by the council at the last work session, to require that the City Manager’s rules include a requirement that MMA participants be covered by medical insurance. At the November 27 work session, Councilor Bettman asked staff to bring back an amendment to prohibit minors from attending or participating in MMA events; that amendment is set out in Option 2, below. The draft ordinance would prohibit both promotion of and participation in “extreme fighting” by amateurs; but, as described above, it defines “extreme fighting” to exclude matches that comply with rules adopted by the City Manager. In other words, the ordinance would allow cage fighting and other mixed martial arts so long as the matches comply with the rules. Penalties for violation of the rules could include fines, jail time and civil penalties. The draft ordinance does not regulate professional fighting, which is regulated by the state. Staff to the Oregon Boxing and Wrestling Commission report that they plan to work with the Legislature to amend the State statutes governing boxing and wrestling to regulate amateur mixed martial arts. If passed, it is possible that the bill would pre-empt local regulation. L:\CMO\2007 Council Agendas\M070108\S0701087.doc