Wait, you need a license for that? Hawaii strictly regulates MMA events

by Jonathan Helton, Grassroot Institute, September, 2026

Are you ready to rumble? 

Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White is, and he has pitched the idea of hosting a UFC event in Hawaii at the New Aloha Stadium — whenever it opens.

But the UFC cannot hold a mixed-martial-arts event in Hawaii without obtaining a state license.

That’s because the 2007 Hawaiʻi Legislature passed Act 279 to regulate the then-growing industry for MMA fights and events.

The law goes even further though: It also requires almost everyone who will be involved in the event to obtain a license from the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. That entails filling out an application and paying a fee between $123 and $1,085, depending on the type of license sought. DCCA’s website requests that all licenses be submitted “at least two months prior to the date of the event.”

Contestants must also pass various physical examinations, and referees and judges must have taken an eye examination within the previous six months. 

In total, these licenses apply to contestants, physicians, referees, judges, managers and seconds — more commonly known as trainers. Even timekeepers were considered for licensing under a 2006 proposal that failed to pass. 

But the idea that all support staff associated with an event need a license seems to rest on shaky ground — at least according to the state Office of the Auditor, which the Legislature asked to weigh in after the 2006 bill was tabled. 

The auditor stated that the legislation “propose[d] to license judges, matchmakers, and timekeepers. There is no evidence that their licensing would contribute to protecting the health, safety, or welfare of the contestants or the public.”

Additionally, the auditor noted that, “Currently, promoters select the judges, and it is in the promoters’ interests to ensure fair decisions. The role of judges is important but their responsibility is to determine the outcome of a contest and is unrelated to protecting the fighters or the public.”

Regarding the proposal to regulate timekeepers, the auditor opined that “The licensing of timekeepers is not necessary to protect the health and safety of fighters. The timekeeper merely needs to know how to handle a stopwatch.” 

Despite these admonitions, the Legislature decided to require licenses for judges, managers and seconds anyway. 

Today, according to DCCA data, there are just two licensed MMA judges in the state of Hawaii. Additionally, one licensed judge lives on the mainland and two fall into the category of “foreign and unknown.” A mere three seconds are licensed — two on Oahu and one on Maui. There are zero licensed managers. 

So for the UFC or any other organization that wants to host an event in Hawaii, licenses are a must and licensed persons are scant. That means extra administrative costs.  

State law provides that DCCA can “exempt an applicant for a manager, referee, judge, or second license from taking [an] examination or evaluation, if the applicant holds a valid manager, referee, judge, or second license in another jurisdiction with comparable mixed martial arts regulations.” 

It is not apparent from DCCA’s website, however, how someone would go about requesting an exemption. 

Furthermore, the Association of Boxing Commissions already offers certifications and training seminars for both referees and judges, reducing the need for state-specific regulation.

From a limited-government perspective, redundant licenses such as these are an unnecessary burden for local businesses and residents. 

If state leaders are intent on attracting more professional fighting events to Hawaii — and some lawmakers appear to be — it would be worth revisiting the two-decade-old licensing scheme that currently applies to the sport.