Amir Khan’s union the GFA hires £500-an-hour silk to probe fighters’ rights

The Global Fighters' Association (GFA), Amir Khan's trade union for combat sports, has engaged leading barrister Jonathan Caplan KC to investigate the rights and conditions of fighters in boxing and MMA. The union aims to raise £500,000 through crowdfunding to certify as a union and conduct a three-month inquiry into fighter safety, governance, and treatment in combat sports.

Caplan, who charges over £500 per hour, is renowned for his expertise in health and safety and regulatory justice inquiries. He will produce a report recommending changes to provide fighters with the same protections and rights as other athletes. GFA Chair-designate Simon Bazalgette highlighted that professional sports like rugby, football, and horse racing have improved in participants' welfare, but combat sports remain without professional representation, leading to limited protection, no minimum health and safety standards, and no independent pension scheme or insurance floor.

The GFA, established in 2022 by Khan and Paul Smith, aims to address concerns over fighters' lack of protections against financial and health risks. This move comes amid efforts to amend the Ali Act in the US, which currently serves as the sole piece of legislation offering combat sports participants some workplace protections. GFA Acting General Secretary Paul Maloney emphasized that if the US' Ali Act is weakened, similar situations could arise in other sports lacking independent fighter advocacy, hence the GFA's establishment.