Former undisputed heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has warned that proposed changes to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act could undermine fighter protections and shift power back to promoters and corporations.

The comments follow the introduction of the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, a proposed legislative overhaul supported by several major promoters. The revisions would allow promoters to play a greater role in rankings, title decisions, and matchmaking, powers that are currently limited under the existing Ali Act.

“The loudest voices pushing for this rewrite aren’t boxers but the promoters of mixed martial arts, the people who made ‘business first, fighters last’ a mega-sport,” said Holyfield. He cited the pay disparity between combat sports as evidence, noting that mixed martial arts athletes typically receive about 20 percent of event revenue, compared to roughly 80 percent for boxers under current regulations.

Holyfield expressed concern that the revisions would blur the lines between promoters and sanctioning bodies, creating a closed-league model similar to that of MMA organisations. “This new law is exactly what the original Ali Act was written to stop,” he said.

If passed, the proposed legislation could consolidate control within a few major promotional entities, reducing transparency, lowering fighter pay floors, and restricting athletes’ ability to negotiate independently. Critics fear it would dismantle the safeguards that have defined modern boxing for over two decades.

The issue is now moving through Congressional discussions, with boxing’s governing bodies and athletes closely monitoring the outcome. The original 2000 Ali Act introduced crucial financial disclosure requirements and anti-monopoly rules aimed at protecting fighters, safeguards Holyfield argues are at risk if the new bill becomes law.