Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024
Section 177-2-7 - Individual Permit and Permits for Professionals7.1. Application for permit. Before any professional Mixed Martial Arts event is authorized in the State of West Virginia, the promoter shall obtain an individual permit and permit from the Commission at least 30 days before the date of any such contest or exhibition.
7.1.a. Requirements of applicants. -- Each application for a permit shall name all contestants, the number of rounds and the date and place of the contest.7.1.b. Contracts made must be filed. -- All contracts made by the promoter with contestants who are to appear on the event must be filed at the same time. All signed contracts must be submitted to the Commission no later than 12PM of the day of the event. No contestant will be allowed to enter the cage unless he or she has signed a contract for the event. All contestants who are added to the card as a substitute on the day of the event pursuant to Section 7.5, infra, must sign a contract for the event prior to entering the cage.7.1.c. Books open for inspection. -- As a condition for issuance of a permit, each applicant must agree to accord the Commission the right to examine the books, accounts and other records for which the permit is issued.7.2. Permits. Request for event permits shall be submitted to the Commission a minimum of 30 days in advance. Permits will be issued by the Commission 5 days in advance of all contests. Permits for events must be exhibited in a conspicuous place at the box office.
7.3. Minimum Number of Rounds. There shall be a minimum of thirty (30) rounds on a card unless special written permission is obtained from the Commission at the time of granting the permit to have a fewer number of rounds.
7.4. Pre-permit publicity. The promoters are not permitted to give publicity to a card until the card has been approved by the Commission, unless otherwise approved by the Commission.
7.5. Changes or substitutions. All changes and substitutions must be approved by the Commission.
7.5.a. Notice. Notice of any change in the announced or advertised programs for any contest must be filed with the Commission at least 4 hours prior to the contest, conspicuously posted at the box office and announced from the cage before the opening contest.7.5.b. Forfeitures. -- If an MMA contestant who is under contract to appear at an event appears at the weigh-in time and is ready to fulfill his or her contractual obligations, but his or her opponent does not appear or his or her opponent is not able to compete due to a medical condition as determined by the examining physician and a substitute opponent is not provided, the event promoter must pay the contestant his or her contract price unless a forfeit is provided.7.5.c. Refunds. -- Whenever a substitution is made in an advertised contest, the official announcer shall advise the audience of the substitution prior to the opening match. If any of the patrons desire to have the price of the ticket refunded, a refund will be given if the tickets are presented at the box office prior to the fight. The box office must remain open for at least twenty (20) minutes to redeem the tickets.7.6. Substitutions. -- Substitutions shall not be permitted in any bout unless approved by the Commission.7.7. Late changes to card. --The Commission may allow changes to the card on the day of the event if a scheduled contestant fails to attend the match, fails to pass the physical examination, fails to make the required weight for the fight, or for other good cause as determined in its discretion.