Tom Molloy, Executive Director of the Florida Athletic Commission, which governs boxing and mixed martial arts, said Friday that amateur mixed martial arts will become fully sanctioned this week.

Molloy spearheaded the effort to add the amendment to the Pugilist law that Gov. Charlie Crist signed off on recently.

Rumors had been floating around the past few weeks that the International Fight League's Friday card at the Mohegan Sun (Conn.) would be the league's last show. However, earlier this week the IFL confirmed its next event, the Aug. 15 IFL Summer Throwdown in New Jersey and announced it is in the process of developing a hexagon-shaped mixed martial arts ring for future IFL competitions. The new ring, created in conjunction with Throwdown Industries, will be unveiled at the Aug. 15 card at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The fight card for that event will be announced next month. Dubbed "The Hex," the six-sided surface will be 24 feet across (27 feet 8 ½ inches end-to-end) and will be enclosed by five ropes. The use of The Hex will be more viewer-friendly for fans in attendance as well as the television audience. The hexagonal surface also allows strategic benefits for the fighters. The prototype is being built in Las Vegas.