Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn has cautioned against changes to the Muhammad Ali Act.

It has been reported that TKO Group, which owns UFC and WWE, has asked for amendment changes to the Ali Act as a consequence of its ambitions to form, alongside Turki Alalshikh of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, a new boxing promotional organization.

The Ali Act is a US federal law intended to protect boxers from exploitation in the forms of conflicts of interest and enforcement, and therefore to prevent promoters from using anti-competitive practices against them. 

Incidentally, it has been alleged that the Ultimate Fighting Championship, whose figurehead Dana White is working with TKO and Alalshikh in boxing, has exploited its fighters. The UFC recently settled a $375 million antitrust lawsuit filed by fighters alleging that it was an illegal monopsony that used anti-competitive business practices.

Hearn has previously worked with Alalshikh and the GEA, and having become an increasingly significant figure in the US fight market, he told BoxingScene: “What I will say is the act is there to protect the fighters, and I don’t think it’ll go down very well with the fighters [if it’s changed]. 

“To be honest, the level [of fighter] that I think [TKO is] going to be trying to recruit at, people will just be keen to sign up. The bigger-name fighters and representatives – it’s going to raise some eyebrows, because that act is designed to protect fighters and to make sure they’re treated correctly.”

Asked if he was therefore supportive of the act in its existing form, Hearn then responded: “Yeah.”