Amir Khan leads new fighters union calling for better standards in boxing

Amir Khan is heading up a caller fighters national calling for amended standards for boxers and mixed martial artists – pinch the erstwhile world champion saying: “There has to beryllium an organisation that’s supra everything.”

January will spot the motorboat of the Global Fighters’ Union (GFU), of which Khan is simply a co-founder, arsenic the organisation bids to travel successful the footsteps of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).

Boxing and MMA stay 2 of the only sports without due national representation, an rumor the GFU intends to tackle going forward.

“There has to beryllium an organisation that’s supra everything, that we each person to study to if there’s an rumor successful immoderate situation,” said Khan, 38, connected Tuesday (10 December). “We’ve each had issues: successful training, earlier fights, aft fights, astatine weigh-ins, connected contracts, successful retirement.

“We can’t move to promoters aliases boards of controls for truthful galore issues, truthful to beryllium capable to move to the GFU for thief – and get it from group who person been location and done it, not conscionable betwixt the ropes but successful waste and acquisition unions, successful politics, successful law, successful the media and successful acquisition – will beryllium a massive, affirmative alteration for everyone successful our sport.”

Former boxing champion Paul Smith, different co-founder of the GFU, added: “We’ve spent 2024 laying the groundwork for the GFU to go a recognised waste and acquisition union, and we will motorboat it officially 1 twelvemonth aft we announced our plans to build it.

“Through 2024, our team, building and targets person each been established, and we will commencement the process of alteration successful combat sports pinch a database of year-one actions to beryllium published shortly. It’s the correct clip for a caller organisation dedicated to improving the business of combat sports astatine each levels to emerge, and we are grateful for each the support which has sewage america to this point.”

A property merchandise read: “The GFU’s ngo is clear: to create a unified sound for everyone participating successful combat sports astatine each levels and abilities, fighting for fighters, advocating for basal rights, and raising the standards passim the sport. Through corporate bargaining pinch broadcasters, promoters and different stakeholders, the GFU seeks to found a blueprint for fairness and sustainability successful the industry.

“Fighters often look unsocial vulnerabilities, from the absence of modular workplace benefits for illustration security and pensions, to constricted entree to ineligible and wellness support. The GFU intends to alteration this landscape, making it a privilege to unafraid protections and benefits that align pinch those seen successful different industries. The GFU intends to transmission broadcaster gross into transformative initiatives that uphold the principles of ‘Fair Fight’ for each athletes. This includes securing adjacent and transparent contracts, ensuring minimum salary guarantees, and advocating for equitable gross sharing.

“Funds will besides support combatant safety, pinch investments successful aesculapian evaluations, precocious protective measures, and broad wellness and wellness programs, including intelligence wellness support and rehabilitation. Additionally, the Union will usage these resources to combat workplace discrimination, protect fighters’ image rights, and supply post-career modulation support done acquisition and profession improvement opportunities.”

The property merchandise made aggregate references to the PFA, saying: “[We are] urging broadcasters to emulate the exemplary established betwixt the PFA and shot leagues. This woody sees gross from broadcast agreements money subordinate welfare, grass-roots development, education, and organization initiatives.

“The collaborations pioneered by the PFA person proven captious to improving conditions crossed football. The GFU believes – pinch the aforesaid level of support – it tin person a melodramatic effect connected improving the world of combat sports astatine each levels and crossed each disciplines.”