When the lights dim and the last bell sounds, a harsh reality confronts many MMA fighters. The fame and paydays that once defined their careers often vanish, leaving quiet financial struggles behind. Now, in California, a new proposal aims to change that. Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) has introduced Bill 2130, created to support retired and veteran fighters who often struggle once their careers end. The measure has already earned strong support from former UFC champion Ronda Rousey.

“I’ve been so fortunate,” said Rousey in an interview with BoxingScene. “It seems wrong to just take and take… I’m in the fortunate position to speak up and bring attention to these things and make sure people don’t forget about the fighters while they’re fighting…

I feel like that’s one of the reasons I’ve had so much success, and fortunate enough to be raised by someone who taught me not to have a ‘F*ck you, I’ve got mine’ attitude. I feel like if everyone had less of that and gave back, the world would be a little bit of a better place. So I’m trying to do what I was raised to do.”

For context, this is an upgraded version of AB 1136, which particularly created a Mixed Martial Arts Retirement Benefit Fund. It would provide specified fighters a pension financed by ticket sales, souvenirs, and sports paraphernalia. However, the revised bill would directly go on to bolster MMA Fighters’ and Boxers’ pension funds.

Now, this brings up a question about how. And that would come with a collaboration with referees and external sponsors. As such, it would permit the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) to feature sponsor logos on the uniforms of referees and officials at boxing and mixed martial arts events. Through this, they would direct the majority of that income to the funds.

To be precise, the revised bill also notes that the Boxer’s Pension Fund and the Mixed Martial Arts Retirement Benefit Fund will receive seventy-five percent of the sponsorship income. Meanwhile, the California State Athletic Commission will allocate the remaining twenty-five percent for referee training and commission operations.

To announce the bill, Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), California State Athletic Commission Executive Officer Andy Foster, Ronda Rousey, and longtime UFC referee Herb Dean held an event. Rousey, being a veteran MMA fighter herself, reflected on the benefits this bill would bring.

Next week, the Assembly’s Business and Professions Committee and the Arts and Sports Entertainment Committee will receive California Bill 2130. Governor Gavin Newsom may take time to approve the bill, but once he does, it will take effect on January 1, 2027.

Surely, this is a good move for the welfare of the veteran fighters. But why is it so important? To answer that, Rousey has shared her two cents there as well.

Ronda Rousey highlights the significance of California Bill 2130

Ronda Rousey has been part of the combat sports community for over a decade now. Through these years, Rousey may have come across many cases where fighters often drain their financial resources after retirement.

Take Mark Coleman, the first UFC heavyweight champion, as an example. Coleman faced severe post-retirement struggles. Years of physical toll left him “wrecked and broke,” to the point that he had to launch a GoFundMe campaign to pay for a necessary hip replacement surgery, among other health complications.

So, the California Bill 2130 is an attempt to mitigate such potholes in the community. And Rousey highlighted how this development could be a game-changer.

“You have a very short shelf [life] in this sport. It’s very hard, very intense on your body, and the amount of strain you [endure] is more or the same as the amount you’d put on yourself in a 40- to 50-year career behind a desk. It’s condensed into a shorter amount of time, and the marks and effects on your body mean you might not be able to go into a different career…

It should be considered a smart career path, and not a gamble to try and be a fighter – and there should be a viable path forward for people who want to try it for a living. Not everyone is going to make it, not everyone is going to be a champion, and not every champion is going to get paid the way I do. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be able to make a living or afford retirement or their medical expense.”

Alongside Ronda Rousey, fighters Josh Emmett and Urijah Faber have thrown their support behind the bill, and its backing continues to grow with each round of revisions.