California State Athletic Commission

The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) is a California state regulatory agency operating within the California Department of Consumer Affairs, headquartered in Sacramento. The commission licenses competitors and promoters and supervises amateur and professional boxing, amateur and professional kickboxing, and professional mixed martial arts (MMA) across California, safeguarding competitor safety and the integrity of events. Its administration is led by Executive Officer Andy Foster, with a board of commissioners (chairman: Peter Villegas) directing its work. The commission has introduced regulations such as rules on pre-fight weight cutting. In September 2026, CSAC found itself at the center of a case at the intersection of combat sports and physical AI: after the REK organization staged the first human-vs-remote-controlled-humanoid bout (EngineAI T800) in San Francisco on September 18, the commission, in a letter dated September 23, ordered REK to cease organizing, promoting and advertising human boxing and MMA matches without its approval and the proper licenses.