Taylor Starling lands a punch on Britain Hart during a bout at the Buffalo Chip Campground in Sturgis during the 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. (Courtesy of Sturgis Buffalo Chip)
The South Dakota Athletic Commission wants lawmakers to give its members the authority to oversee bare-knuckle boxing in light of a Sturgis Motorcycle Rally event last month.
The commission was established in 2014 to oversee boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts events. Promoters follow rules on insurance, medical staff and safety, and must pay a fee to the commission to fund its regulatory operations.
None of the combat sport categories listed in the law can hold events in South Dakota without sanctioning by the commission and adherence to its rules.
But the law doesn’t cover all combat sports.
Attorney general: No authority without gloves
Last year, commissioners heard from an organization that aimed to hold a slap-boxing event in South Dakota. But an attorney general’s opinion on the matter, issued in August 2023 , said under the language of the law that created it, the commission only has authority over fights in which fighters wear gloves and protective gear.