The Arizona Department of Gaming and Arizona Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts Commission announced that Arizona is bringing back a State Championship for boxing and establishing a first-ever State Championship for mixed martial arts (MMA).
The Commission is developing a roadmap to help interested promoters host State Championship matches according to requirements outlined in Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C. R19-2-B602). Requirements include:
• Promoters first must receive approval from the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission.
• One of the contestants must be an Arizona resident and the other a resident of Arizona, or a neighboring state (California, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Colorado, or New Mexico), provided they have fought at least two sanctioned events in Arizona within the past 12 months.
• Contestants are qualified to fight based on demonstrated ability and record and must make the designated weight for the title’s classification at the time of weigh-in.
Francisco Meneses, Jr., Commission Executive Director said, “We are excited to now offer promoters and fighters these Arizona State Championship opportunities. We look forward to cultivating new Arizona champions!”
Arizona’s first Boxing State Championship was in 1925 and featured Young Dutch vs Allen Whitlow. Dutch won and received the first Arizona State Featherweight Title. Regular Boxing State Championships continued in Arizona until the Anthony Bartinelli versus Charles Davis match in June 2002.
Bartinelli’s win earned him the Arizona State Super Middleweight Title. Arizona has no record of a previous State Championship for MMA.