“Mutual Combat” Law in Nevada – 3 Key Things to Know

Consensual fights in Nevada are not crimes if they occur within the scope of a lawful activity. Common examples include:

• Martial arts or boxing training in regulated environments such as gyms or dojos;
• Military training, such as at Nellis AFB; or
• Licensed UFC or WWE wrestling matches.

Otherwise, mutual combat usually gives rise to criminal charges even if both parties willingly entered the fight.

As I discuss in detail below, there are three things you should know about mutual combat law in Nevada:

1. Offering or agreeing to fight is a crime;
2. You face murder charges if your opponent dies; and
3. There are several ways to fight the charges.

1. Offering or Agreeing to Fight is a Crime

NRS 200.450 prohibits challenging another person to a fight or accepting the challenge to fight. It makes no difference if the fight even occurs.

If no deadly weapons are involved, violating NRS 200.450 is gross misdemeanor, carrying:

• Up to 364 days in jail and/or
• Up to $2,000 in fines.

If a deadly weapon is involved, challenging to fight is a category B felony, carrying:

• 1 to 6 years in Nevada State Prison and
• Up to $5,000 in fines.¹

I have seen cases where prosecutors agreed to reduce a “challenges to fight” charge down to “breach of peace.” This typically happens when the fight was more “spur of the moment” rather than pre-planned.

Breach of peace is only a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail and/or $1,000 in fines, though it is rare for the judge to impose any jail.²

Battery Charges

If a fight does occur, you may also face battery charges under NRS 200.481. As the following table shows, penalties turn on the severity of the case.³

Battery Conviction	Penalties in Nevada
You did not use a deadly weapon	If the victim sustained substantial bodily harm or was strangled, battery is a category C felony:  1 to 5 years in prison and up to $10,000. Otherwise, battery is a misdemeanor:  Up to 6 months in jail and/or up to $1,000.
Battery with a deadly weapon	Category B felony:  At least 2 years in prison and up to $10,000. If the victim sustained substantial bodily harm or was strangled, the maximum prison sentence is 15 years. Otherwise, it is 10 years.
If you were a prisoner, probationer, parolee, or person in lawful custody	Category B felony:  If you did not use a deadly weapon, the prison term is 1 to 6 years. If you did use a deadly weapon, the minimum prison term is 2 years; if the victim sustained substantial bodily harm or was strangled, the maximum term is 15 years. Otherwise, the maximum term is 10 years.

The prison term for any felony conviction involving mutual combat can be as much as doubled if it was gang-related. Common examples of consensual gang fights are “rumbles.”⁴

2. You Face Murder Charges if Your Opponent Dies

In Nevada, mutual combat or “duels” that result in your opponent dying of their wounds will lead to first-degree murder charges. This is a category A felony carrying either:

• Death penalty (only if the aggravating circumstances outweigh the mitigating circumstances); or
• Life in prison with or without the possibility of parole after 20 years; or
• 50 years in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years.⁵

The sentence will increase by one to 20 years if the victim was at least 60 years old or if the fight was gang-related.⁶

3. There Are Several Ways to Fight the Charges

Here at Las Vegas Defense Group, I have represented literally thousands of people involved in altercations that turned physical. In my experience, the following four defenses have proven very effective with prosecutors, judges, and juries at getting these charges reduced or dismissed.

1. You never offered or agreed to a fight whether in writing, verbally, or through a messenger.
2. Your opponent consented, and you were participating in lawful training for karate, judo, boxing, etc.
3. You were falsely accused by someone trying to get you into trouble – perhaps they even self-inflicted their own wounds.
4. Your assailant began the fight without your consent, and you fought back with reasonable and proportional force appropriate for the context. (Learn more about self-defense and defense of others in Nevada.)

The most valuable evidence in these cases includes eyewitness accounts, video surveillance footage, and medical records.

Additional Reading

For more in-depth information, refer to these scholarly articles:

• Aggravated Battery – The Fist or Teeth as a Dangerous Weapon – Louisiana Law Review.
• What’s Reasonable: Self-Defense and Mistake in Criminal and Tort Law – Lewis & Clark Law Review.
• Defending Battered Women’s Self-Defense Claims – Oregon Law Review.
• Assault and Battery – Injury Sustained in Prize Fight – Consent as a Bar to Civil Liability – Vanderbilt Law Review.

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Legal References