Unless otherwise indicated, the regulations in this subtitle pertaining to the sport of boxing shall apply to the sport of Professional Muay Thai. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated and, unless otherwise indicated, the regulations in this subtitle pertaining to the sport of boxing shall apply to the sport of Professional Muay Thai. Terms Defined. “Commission” means the State Athletic Commission of Maryland. “Contest” means any Muay Thai: Competition; Match; Performance; or Show. “Contestant” means a Muay Thai fighter who participates against an opponent in a contest. Manager. “Manager” means a person who, under contract, agreement, or other arrangement, undertakes to control or administer, directly or indirectly, a Muay Thai contest-related matter on behalf of a contestant. “Manager” includes, but is not limited to: A booking agent; and An advisor. “Muay Thai” means a competition in which contestants use interdisciplinary forms of fighting, including striking with the hands, feet, knees, or elbows. “Official record” means the cumulative results of Muay Thai contests, sanctioned by a regulatory agency, in which a contestant has participated. “Promoter” means an individual, partnership, corporation, club, association or other organization that gives, holds, or otherwise conducts a Muay Thai contest within the State. “Regulatory agency” means a commission, board, or other entity of a state, commonwealth, territory, or country, created by law or executive order, which regulates Muay Thai contests. “Second” means an individual who assists a Muay Thai contestant during a contest. The Commission recognizes the following weights and classes in Professional Muay Thai: Mini-Flyweight up to and including 105 pounds Light-Flyweight over 105 to 108 pounds; Flyweight over 108 to 112 pounds; Super-Flyweight over 112 to 115 pounds; Bantamweight over 115 to 118 pounds; Super-Bantamweight over 118 to 122 pounds; Featherweight over 122 to 126 pounds; Super-Featherweight over 126 to 130 pounds; Lightweight over 130 to 135 pounds; Super Lightweight over 135 to 140 pounds ; Welterweight over 140 to 147 pounds; Super-Welterweight over 147 to 154 pounds; Middleweight over 154 to 160 pounds; Super Middleweight over 160 to 168 pounds; Light Heavyweight over 168 to 175 pounds; Cruiserweight over 175 to 200 pounds; Heavyweight over 200 to 225 pounds; and Super Heavyweight over 225 pounds If a Muay Thai contestant’s weight is greater than the specified weight in the promoter-contestant contract, the contest may not take place without special permission of the Commission. General. Each Muay Thai contestant shall use the equipment, and in the manner, specified in this regulation. Bandage. For all weight classes, bandages shall be: A maximum of one roll (no more than 2 inches wide and 20 yards in length) of white, soft, cloth gauze is permitted per hand; A maximum of one roll (no more than 2 inches wide and 10 feet in length) of white athletic tape is permitted per hand, which shall: Be placed directly on each hand for protection near the wrist; Cross the back of the hand twice but may not extend within three-fourths of an inch of the knuckles when the hand is clenched to make a fist; Placed between the fingers; and Not be allowed to cover the knuckles. Placed on a Muay Thai contestant’s hands in the dressing room in the presence of the chief second of the Muay Thai contestant’s opponent; and Be inspected and approved by the Commission prior to the gloves being placed on the hands of the Muay Thai contestant. Gloves. Gloves worn by each Muay Thai contestant during the contest shall: Be open-fingered; Conform to specifications as determined by the Commission; Weigh 8 ounces from weight classes Mini-Flyweight to Super-Welterweight; and Weigh 10 ounces from weight classes Middleweight to Super-Heavyweight. A mouth guard shall be approved by the Commission. Groin protection shall be approved by the Commission. Rules for Shorts/trunks Worn in Competition. Fighters shall wear shorts approved by the Commission; Rules for male and female fighters are the same. The hem of trunks shall not extend below the mid-thigh; Long pants or leggings are prohibited. Compression shorts may be worn under the approved fight trunks, but they may not extend down the leg below the bottom of the trunks. Male fighters shall not wear any form of clothing on their upper body. Clothing Rules for Female Fighters. Female fighters shall wear short sleeved (above the elbow) or sleeveless form fitting rash guard and or sports bra. No loose-fitting tops shall be allowed. The use of breast protectors is optional for female fighters as determined by the Commission. Female fighters shall follow the same requirements for bottom coverings as male fighters, minus the requirement for groin protection. No clothing worn in the ring shall have exposed Velcro, clasps, pockets, zippers, or other items that may be harmful to the fighter or their opponent. Fighters shall not wear shoes in the cage or ring. When deemed necessary by the referee, or Commission, all fighters shall have their hair secured in a manner that does not interfere with the vision and safety of either fighter. No object can be worn to secure the fighter’s hair which may cause injury to their opponent. The wearing of jewelry will be strictly prohibited during all contests. Fighters may wear an inscribed cloth, an amulet, or an inscribed charm around the upper arm or strung around the waist, but neatly wrapped and covered with cloth. Wrapping the ankles or legs with pieces of cloth is prohibited. If during the contest, the Pra Jiad (arm band) loosens or moves in a way that may be harmful, or a distraction, it may be removed at the discretion of the referee. Cosmetics Body cosmetics are any product applied to the body for cleansing, beautifying, or altering appearance and shall be prohibited during all contests. Facial cosmetics are products used improve the appearance of the face, and. the use of such products shall be at the discretion of the Commission and/or referee. Protective Garments. Other than the fighter’s hands, as previously listed, there will be no taping, covering, or protective gear of any kind on the upper body, which includes but is not limited to: Joint sleeves; Padding; and Any form of brace or body gauze/tape. Ankle joint sleeves: A fighter may use one soft neoprene type sleeves to cover each ankle joint; and Approved sleeves may not have padding, Velcro, plastic, metal, ties, or any other material considered to be unsafe or that may create an unfair advantage. Tape and gauze, or any materials other than the approved sleeves, are not permitted on the lower body. The allowable length and color of sleeves shall be determined by the Commission. A Muay Thai contestant shall have properly trimmed fingernails and toenails. A Muay Thai contest shall be held in a ring or in a fenced area. A ring used for a Muay Thai contest shall meet the following requirements. The ring may not be smaller than 20 feet square and may not be larger than 32 feet square within the ropes. The ring floor shall: Extend at least 18 inches beyond the ropes; Be padded with Ensolite or another similar closed-cell foam, with at least a 1-inch layer of foam padding, which shall extend beyond the ring ropes and over the edge of the platform; Have a top covering of canvas, duck, or similar material that: Does not tend to gather in lumps or ridges; and Is tightly stretched and laced to the ring platform; and Be free of any obstruction or object, including a triangular border; The ring platform: May not be more than 4 feet above the floor of the building; and Shall have suitable steps for the use of the Muay Thai contestant; The ring posts: Shall be made of metal; May not be more than 3 inches in diameter, extending from the floor of the building to a minimum height of 58 inches above the ring floor; Shall be at least 18 inches away from the ring ropes; and Shall be properly padded in a manner approved by the Commission. The ring ropes: Shall be five in number; May not be less than 1 inch in diameter; Shall be wrapped in soft material; and Shall be at least 12 inches above the ring floor. A fenced area used for a contest of mixed martial arts shall meet the following requirements: The fenced area shall be circular or have at least four equal sides. The fenced area may not be smaller than 20 feet wide and may not be larger than 32 feet wide in diameter. The floor of the fenced area shall: Be padded with Ensolite or another similar closed-cell foam, with at least a 1-inch layer of foam padding; and Have a top covering of canvas, duck, or similar material that: . Does not tend to gather in lumps or ridges; and The platform of the fenced area: May not be more than 4 feet above the floor of the building; and Shall have suitable steps for the use of the Muay Thai contestants. The fence posts of the fenced area shall be: Made of metal, not more than 6 inches in diameter, extending from the floor of the building to between 5 and 7 feet above the floor of the fenced area; and Properly padded in a manner approved by the Commission. The fencing used to enclose the fenced area shall be made of a material that will prevent a Muay Thai contestant from falling out of, or breaking through, the fenced area onto the floor of the building or onto the spectators. Any metal portion of the fenced area shall be covered and padded in a manner approved by the Commission and may not be abrasive to the Muay Thai contestant. The fenced area shall have two entrances. There may not be any obstruction on any part of the fence surrounding the area where Muay Thai Contestant are to be competing. Each round shall be 3 minutes in duration, with a 1 minute rest period between rounds. Bouts shall ordinarily be scheduled for either three or five rounds. When a tournament and/or another format is approved, the total number of rounds allowed to be contested in a day shall be determined by the Commission. At the discretion of the Commission, bouts will begin after the completion of any pre-fight rituals, in accordance with Thai traditions. The referee is the sole arbiter of a bout. The referee and/or the ringside physician are the only individuals authorized to stop the contest, as determined by the Commission. The referee shall confirm with the fighter that the mouthpiece is inserted and shall confirm with male fighters that a groin protector is inserted before the start of the contest. In the event of a knockdown the referee shall send the standing fighter to a neutral corner and administer a mandatory eight count to the downed fighter. When a fighter is knocked through the ropes and off the platform of the ring and onto a table or the floor by a legal blow or blows, the fighter will receive a mandatory 18 count and must be standing before the count of 20. There is no standing eight count. A fighter who has been knocked down cannot be saved by the bell in any round, including the final round. Judges shall consider damage, domination, and duration when evaluating the relative merits of each fighter’s performance in each round. Towards that end they shall use the following prioritized criteria to establish their score. A fighter who has an advantage in the number or quality of knockdowns in a round shall never lose that round. If there is no advantage in knockdowns, the fighter with a clear advantage in cumulative damage shall win the round. If there is not a clear advantage in cumulative damage, the fighter with the greater number and/or variety of clean scoring Muay Thai techniques shall win the round. If the criteria in §A of this regulation fails to distinguish either fighter, the round may be awarded to the fighter who was more successful in applying either aggressiveness, control or effective defense in their efforts to win the round. All bouts will be evaluated and scored by a minimum of three judges. The 10 Point Must System will be the standard system for scoring a bout. Under the 10 Point Must Scoring System, ten points must be awarded to the winner of the round. The fighter who has lost the round may be awarded nine or less points depending on the margin of advantage. In the very rare case that neither fighter has shown even a marginal advantage, a 10-10 round may be awarded. Partial or incomplete rounds shall be scored. If no significant action has occurred, the round shall be scored as 10-10. This is at the discretion of the judges. Any time the referee penalizes either fighter, then the appropriate points shall be deducted when the scorekeeper calculates the final score including partial rounds. The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized by the judges when scoring a round: An extremely rare 10-10 round is not a score to be used as an excuse by a judge that cannot assess the differences in the action of a round. It should only be used to score an incomplete round where nothing occurred in the round. A round is to be scored as a 10-9 round when there is a slight or clear advantage in overall action favoring one fighter, but not an overwhelming advantage. A round is to be scored as a 10-8 round when there is an overwhelming advantage without a knockdown, or a fighter won the round and scored a knockdown. A round is to be scored as a 10-7 round when a fighter won the round and scored two knockdowns. A round is to be scored as a 10-6 round when a fighter won the round and scored three knockdowns. The following strikes are permitted during a contest: Punches; Kicks; Knees; and Elbows. The following acts are prohibited: Head butts; Groin strikes; Thumbing or eye gouging; Biting; Spiting at the opponent; Hair pulling; Attacks to the throat; Striking your opponent while grounded; Strikes directed to the back of the head or the spine; Tripping or sweeping an opponent; Hip, shoulder, or leg throws; Grasping the opponent’s lower back while also forcing an opponent's spine to hyperextend; Intentionally falling on a downed opponent, pressing elbow or knee upon the opponent; Wrestling, back or arm locks or any similar judo or wrestling hold; Attempting to pile-drive an opponent's head into the canvas; Catching an opponent's kick and pushing an opponent for more than one step in any direction without attempting to deliver an attacking technique; If a fighter’s leg is caught while kicking, the opponent may not intentionally ground themselves; Striking a downed fighter or fighter entangled in the ropes; Failure to obey the referee’s commands; Striking on a break; Striking after a bell; Holding the ropes/cage or using the ropes/cage while striking or clinching; Holding the opponent’s shorts; Timidity or causing intentional delays in the action; Unsportsmanlike behavior including use of abusive language and/or gestures; and Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee. Time Considerations for Fouls. Low Blow. A fighter who has been struck with a low blow as called by the referee, is allowed up to 5 minutes to recover from the foul, as long as, in the ringside physician’s opinion, the fighter may possibly continue on in the contest. If the fighter states that they can continue before the 5 minutes of time have expired, the referee shall restart the fight as soon as practical. If the fighter goes over the 5 minutes time allotment, the fight cannot be restarted and the contest must come to an end with the outcome determined by how the low blow occurred the round, and time in which the fight was stopped. Eye Poke. A fighter, who has received an eye poke as called by the referee, is allowed up to 5 minutes to recover from the foul as long as the ringside physician confirms the fighter may possibly continue in the contest once recovered. If the fighter states that they can see and wishes to continue before the 5 minutes of time have expired, and confirmed by the ringside physician, the referee shall restart the fight as soon as practical. If the fighter goes over the 5 minutes time allotment, the fight cannot be restarted and the contest must come to an end with the outcome determined by how the eye poke occurred, the round, and time in which the fight was stopped. Intentional Fouls. If an intentional foul causes an injury, and the injury is severe enough to terminate the bout immediately, the fighter causing the injury shall lose by disqualification. If an intentional foul causes an injury and the bout is allowed to continue, the referee shall notify the authorities and deduct two points from the fighter who caused the foul. Point deductions for intentional fouls will be mandatory. If an injury caused by an intentional foul results in the contest being stopped in any round after half of the scheduled rounds have been completed, by either another legal or illegal strike, the judges will score the incomplete round and: If the injured fighter is ahead on the scorecards, he shall be declared the winner by a Technical Decision; or If the injured fighter is behind or even on the scorecards, the contest shall be declared a Technical Draw. If a fighter injures themselves while attempting to intentionally foul their opponent, but is able to continue fighting, the referee shall take no action and treat the injury as if produced by a fair blow. If the referee determined the fighter who injured themselves is unable to continue, that fighter will lose by Technical Knockout/Knockout. Accidental Fouls. If an accidental foul causes an injury severe enough for the referee to terminate the bout immediately, the bout will result in either a No Contest or Disqualification if stopped before: A completed 2 rounds of a scheduled 3 round bout; or A completed 3 rounds of a scheduled 5 round bout. If an accidental foul causes an injury severe enough for the referee to terminate the bout, the bout will result in a Technical Decision awarded to the fighter who is ahead on the score cards at the time the bout is stopped immediately, after: A completed 2 rounds of a scheduled 3 round bout; or A completed 3 rounds of a scheduled 5 round bout. If a fighter, during the course of a round, visibly loses control of bodily function (vomit, urine, feces), the fight shall be stopped by the referee and the fighter shall lose the contest by a Technical Knockout (TKO) due to Medical Stoppage. In the event a loss of bodily function occurs in the rest period between rounds, the ringside physician shall be called in to evaluate if the fighter can continue. If the fighter is not cleared by the ringside physician to continue, that fighter shall lose by a Technical Knockout (TKO) due to Medical Stoppage If fecal matter becomes apparent at any time, the contest shall be halted by the referee, and the offending fighter shall lose by a Technical Knockout (TKO) due to Medical Stoppage. The winner of the match may be decided in the following ways: Points Decision. Unanimous Decision—when all three judges score the bout for the same fighter; Split Decision—when two judges score the bout for one fighter and one judge scores the bout for the opponent; Majority Decision—when two judges score the bout for one fighter and one judge scores the bout a draw; Technical Decision—when a bout is prematurely stopped due to injury from an accidental foul and a fighter is leading on the score cards. Draws occur when: Unanimous Draw—when all three judges score the bout a draw; Majority Draw—when two judges score the bout a draw; Split Draw—when one judge scores the bout for one fighter, one judge scores the bout for the opponent, and one judge scores the bout a draw; Technical Draw—when an injury is sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul and the bout is allowed to continue, then later the injury requires stoppage from either a legal or illegal strike to the affected area; and Draw—when both fighters go down at the same time, and neither can resume the fight within the referee’s ten count. Knockouts occur when a fighter is incapable of resuming the fight within the referee’s ten-count due to legal strikes or the referee stops the contest because a fighter cannot effectively defend themselves. Technical Knockouts occur when: Referee Stoppage occurs when a referee terminates a contest if: The referee determines a fighter shows no will to or is incapable of resuming the fight due to a legal technique; The referee determines the fighter is not effectively defending themselves; The fighter does not leave their corner to take part in the fight following the sounding of the bell; or The referee is of the opinion that one fighter is outmatched by the opponent and continuing the match would jeopardize the fighter’s health and safety; A fighter or their corner indicates to the referee or regulatory representative they no longer wish to continue the contest. Medical Stoppage occurs when a ringside physician terminates a contest if: The bout is terminated for medical reasons due to injury resulting from a legal technique. The bout is terminated on the advice of the ringside physician. There is a loss of control of bodily function. Disqualification occurs when an injury sustained during the bout as a result of an intentional foul is severe enough to terminate the bout, multiple fouls have been assessed, interference from a fighter’s corner, and/or there is a flagrant disregard for the rules and/or referee’s commands. No Decision/No Contest occurs when: When a bout is prematurely stopped due to an accidental injury and a sufficient number of rounds have not been completed to render a decision via the scorecards. If the referee decides both fighters must be disqualified. Business Regulations Article, §§4-205, 4-301, and 4-303, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: September 29, 2025 (52:19 Md. R. 956)