How the Ali Act overhaul is clearing the path for a Saudi-backed takeover of boxing

New legislation would let a Saudi-backed venture bypass boxing's sanctioning bodies and adopt the UFC model, undercutting protections the Ali Act once ensured

When Ari Emanuel - the notorious Hollywood powerbroker and CEO of TKO Holdings Group, which owns both the UFC and WWE - made a rare media appearance on the Pat McAfee Show in February 2025, he offered cryptic remarks about the state of boxing. Though typically cagey, Emanuel hinted, Who knows what's going to happen with the Ali Act" - a reference to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, a federal law designed to protect the rights and welfare of boxers. Since then, rumors have swirled that TKO is quietly working to amend the law to make way for its newly minted boxing venture with Saudi Arabia.

Last week, those rumors were confirmed when US representatives Brian Jack, a Republican from Georgia, and Sharice Davids, a Democrat from Kansas, introduced the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act in Congress.

Karim Zidan writes a regular newsletter on the intersection of sports and authoritarian politics.