(a) It is the intent of the General Assembly in enacting this chapter to regulate amateur and professional combative sports and combative sports entertainment. Unregulated combative sports and combative sports entertainment matches, contests, and events threaten the health, safety, and welfare not only of their participants, but also of those charged with staging and judging them, those who train to participate in them at a future time, and in some cases those who attend them.

(b) To the end of furthering the substantial and compelling interest of the people of this State in regulating combative sports and combative sporting entertainment events, and in order to promote the health, safety and welfare, of those effected by combative sports and combative sports entertainment in Delaware, this chapter shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate its purposes.

76 Del. Laws, c. 413, §  2;  77 Del. Laws, c. 438, §§  2-5; 

The following words, terms, and phrases shall, when used in this chapter, shall have the meaning ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning.

(1) “Amateur boxing” shall mean any boxing event, as herein defined, which is sanctioned by an amateur boxing association recognized by the Director, such as, but not limited to, the International Amateur Boxing Association, Golden Gloves USA Boxing, Inc. or Mid-Atlantic Association, and for which boxers who engage in a match or contest where no purse of cash or any other article of value is awarded for that boxer’s participation or victory, and who has never received any purse of cash or other article of value for that boxer’s participation or victory in a match or contest, which is greater than the maximum amount permitted by the Division, as defined in rule and regulations of the Division.

(2) “Bout” shall mean 1 combative sports match, as defined herein.

(3) “Boxing” shall mean the act, activity, or sport of attack and defense in which a participant delivers blows with that participant’s fists, especially according to rules requiring the use of boxing gloves and limiting legal blows to those striking above the waist and on the front or sides of the opponent.

(4) “Boxing match” shall mean a single boxing bout wherein participants use their best efforts to prevail through knockout, technical knockout, judges’ decision or any other manner of determining victory which are consistent with the rules governing boxing and authorized by the rules and regulations of the Division.

(5) “Combative fighting” shall include, but not be limited to such terms as “toughman fighting”, “toughwoman fighting”, “badman fighting”, “extreme fighting”, and all such similar terms or names, and shall mean any unsanctioned combative sports or wrestling match, contest or exhibition between 2 or more participants and where members of the public are selected from the audience to participate with or without protective headgear, who use their hands, with or without gloves, or their feet, or both, and who compete for a financial prize or any item of pecuniary value, and which match, contest, tournament, championship or exhibition is not recognized or sanctioned by any international, national or regional professional sanctioning organization recognized by the Director.

(6) “Combative sports” shall include all professional boxing and mixed martial arts and all amateur boxing and mixed martial arts.

(7) “Combative sports entertainment”, included but not limited to “celebrity boxing”, “entertainment boxing” and all such similar terms or names shall mean a display of skill for the purpose of entertaining an audience, consisting of choreographed or simulated combat in which techniques commonly used in combative sports are employed by participants. The participants do not exert their best effort and the winner is determined prior to the match.

(8) “Contest” shall mean a bout or group of bouts involving contestants competing in a professional or amateur combative sports or permitted combative sports entertainment event.

(9) “Contestant” shall mean a person who competes in any licensed combative sports event or permitted combative sports entertainment event.

(10) “Council” shall mean the Combative Sports Advisory Council.

(11) “Director” shall mean the Director of the Division of Professional Regulation of the Department of State.

(12) “Division” shall mean the Division of Professional Regulation of the Department of State.

(13) “Event” shall mean an organized series of contests and/or individual matches presented as a single occasion.

(14) “Mixed martial arts” shall mean combative discipline in which a combination of controls, takedowns, submissions and striking techniques are employed by trained practitioners.

(15) “Professional” shall mean a person who engages in a match or contest where a purse of cash or other article of value is awarded for that person’s participation or victory which is greater than the maximum amount permitted by the Division to be awarded to an amateur, as defined in the Division’s rule and regulations.

(16) “Professional boxing” shall mean a boxing match as herein defined, which is sanctioned by a professional boxing association recognized by the Director, such as, but not limited to, the World Boxing Association or the World Boxing Conference of the North American Boxing Association, and for which the boxers are compensated financially.

(17) “Promoter” shall mean any person, regardless of job title, who arranges, advertises, produces, stages or conducts a combative sports or combative sports entertainment event.

(18) “Secretary” means the Secretary of State or designee.

76 Del. Laws, c. 413, §  2;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1;  77 Del. Laws, c. 438, §§  6-14;