According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, New Jersey will give female bouts the option to participate in fights that will have 3 minute rounds.
“It was tradition. We were in lockstep with everyone else,” Larry Hazzard, commissioner of the NJSACB, told ESPN. “Everyone has done two-minute rounds, but the important consideration here is that we don’t know of any definitive reasons why women should be limited to two-minute rounds and men fight three minutes. There is nothing we’ve seen that showed us that the extra minute is any different.”
“Upon consultation with our medical staff, review of our past MMA, kickboxing and Muay Thai matches involving females, and consultation with female contestants, we feel that it is time to provide this option,” Hazzard said of the three-minute rounds for women.
“This agency has not required shorter round times for females in the sport of MMA, kickboxing or Muay Thai, and now the sport of professional boxing will be treated just the same as these other combat sports,” Hazzard said. “We do not feel that there is conclusive medical evidence to show that females must compete at a shorter round length time than their male counterparts. There are females in all of the previously listed combat sports that are very talented, well trained and extremely skilled.
“The use of two-minute rounds will continue to be an allowable option for female contestants, in bouts where the contestants and/or promoter still desire this limitation.”
“With decisions like this we — the administrative staff — don’t make these decisions without consultation with our ringside physicians that we rely upon for this type of advice,” he said. “And they are in concert with us.”
