(a) The director is vested with the sole jurisdiction, direction, management, and control over all mixed martial arts contests to be conducted, held, or given within the State. No mixed martial arts contest shall be conducted, held, or given within the State except in accordance with this chapter and the rules adopted by the director pursuant thereto.
Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 440E-5
contest: means a contest or exhibition in a mixed martial arts event in which a mixed martial arts contestant competes with another mixed martial arts contestant, using mixed martial arts, and includes an amateur mixed martial arts contest. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 440E-1
contestant: means a person who is trained in mixed martial arts and competes in a mixed martial arts contest. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 440E-1
event: means one or more mixed martial arts contests held at the same location on the same date. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 440E-1
Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
Mixed martial arts: means unarmed combat involving the use, subject to any applicable limits set forth in this chapter and any rules adopted to implement these limits, of a combination of techniques, including grappling, kicking, and striking, from different disciplines of martial arts. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 440E-1
Promoter: means an individual, corporation, joint venture, partnership, limited liability corporation, limited liability partnership, or any other type of business entity that promotes, conducts, holds, or gives a mixed martial arts contest. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 440E-1
(b) No mixed martial arts event shall take place unless the director has granted a permit for the proposed event. In addition, the director shall not allow any mixed martial arts contest unless:
(1) The contest consists of not more than five rounds of a duration of not more than five minutes each with an interval of at least one minute between each round and the succeeding round;(2) Each contestant is not disqualified from competing in a similar mixed martial arts contest in another jurisdiction at the time of the contest and does not use stimulants or banned substances before or during the contest;(3) Each mixed martial arts contestant is examined within six hours of the contest by at least one physician or osteopathic physician licensed under chapter 453 who shall certify in writing to the referee of the contest that the contestant is physically fit to engage therein;(4) Each contestant furnishes to the director:
(A) A medical report of a medical examination completed not less than six months before the contest, including the results of HIV and hepatitis testing; and(B) Previous fight records that establish the contestant’s fitness to compete in the contest;(5) The contest is under the control of a licensed referee in the ring who has at least one year of experience in refereeing a match or exhibition involving mixed martial arts and who has passed a physical examination by a physician or osteopathic physician licensed under chapter 453, including an eye examination, within two years prior to the contest;(6) The promoter has complied with sections 440E-6 and 440E-7; and(7) All licensees have complied with the requirements of this chapter and rules adopted in accordance with chapter 91, including any rules or requirements that protect the safety of the contestants to the extent feasible.
