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Report: New York vote for MMA legislation expected in May

By Zach Arnold | April 26, 2009

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From Rochester’s Democrat and Chronicle:

Ultimate Fighting Championship representative Julie Wood expects that a proposed bill to lift the ban on MMA competitions in New York state will be put to a vote in the state Assembly’s Tourism, Arts and Sports Development Committee at the end of this month or in early May.

If the bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Steve Englebright, D-Setauket, Suffolk County, and Assemblyman Jonathan Bing, D-Manhattan, clears the committee, it would mark the first step in the process of legalizing MMA.

The bill would then go to the whole Assembly for a vote, while a companion bill would have to go through the same process in the state Senate. The governor would then have to approve it.

For all the complaints of “East Coast media bias” thrown at various TV networks in the States, once MMA starts gaining steam in New York, Boston, and Toronto (when Ontario legislation eventually passes), then the media outlets will cover it full-bore. A combination of more national companies in MMA combined with an emphasis on the East Coast will equate into big bucks and big-time exposure.

Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

10 Responses to “Report: New York vote for MMA legislation expected in May”

  1. Fluyid says:

    “A combination of more national companies in MMA combined with an emphasis on the East Coast will equate into big bucks and big-time exposure.”

    I think that this is a very interesting discussion point.

    My own opinion is that MMA is as big as it’s going to get in the U.S. I think that it’s pretty damned big right now, and I don’t really think that it can get much bigger.

    On the other hand, I just gave blood a couple of hours ago and I’m still light-headed.

  2. klown says:

    Fluyid,

    How can MMA have reached its limit when it is still not legalized or regulated in so many states (and Canadian provinces)?

    At the very least, there will expansion as MMA gets regulated in more places before the expansion plateaus.

  3. JStein says:

    Great news, Zach.

    I want to see the UFC in Madison Square Garden, for the symbolism, but I also think it’s significant that the sport is starting to work its way into what I consider a fairly liberal culture which has (perhaps ironically) been fairly conservative in accepting the sport.

    Still, I think you’re right that the industry will get huge fairly quickly if New York sanctions it, and that will help growth in other east coast markets (MA, PA, etc).

  4. 45 Huddle says:

    More catchweights for Strikeforce. Diaz vs. Smith at 179 lbs. Why even have weight classes at this point?

    I can’t believe they (Strikeforce) is allowing Scott Smith to fight so quickly after his last fight. I don’t care what an athletic commission says, Smith took a lot of heavy shots in that fight and shouldn’t be back in competition so quickly.

  5. robthom says:

    “… I also think it’s significant that the sport is starting to work its way into what I consider a fairly liberal culture which has (perhaps ironically) been fairly conservative in accepting the sport.”

    Do we really want the liberals getting involved in MMA?!

    We’ll end up with the Ultimate Compassionate Diversity Championship featuring a black woman lawyer vs. a gay native american in a wheelchair for the open weight belt.
    (because separate weight classes would be so anti-inclusive and discriminatory).

  6. klown says:

    I’m pretty excited about the Strikeforce card. I always enjoy Diaz, Rogers will finally be tested, and other interesting fighters are on the card.

    Robthom wins the prize for dumb, irrelevant comment of the day. The adjectives “liberal” and “conservative” weren’t used above in the political sense, but thanks anyway for sharing your highly intelligent views.

  7. Zack says:

    “Do we really want the liberals getting involved in MMA?!”

    Yes….fuck liberals. It’s the republicans like McCain who have always protected this sport. Hopefully the liberals don’t ruin it.

  8. robthom says:

    Meh, I dont care for either of them. I consider myself a moderate.
    Maybe even a libertarian.

    The conservatives dont like MMA unless they’re making money off of it.
    And the liberals dont like it (and they never will) because its violent.
    Although they might tolerate it if they can make some money of it.

    And “klown” gets 2 awards:
    1. For exemplifying the liberal sense of humor.
    And
    2. For huffiest emotion fueled ignorance of plain english.

  9. William Holmes says:

    I wonder how close the vote will be this time around…and if it truly splits on party lines.

  10. Matthew Caraballo says:

    I feel that MMA has come a long way. To me its like boxing. If they have a ban on MMA why not boxing too. There are rarely bad injury’s in the sport now. Come on i don’t see Rampage Putting something on his wraps to seriously hurt some like a boxer just recently did. Do know how much money the UFC racks in in Las vegas when they fight. I didn’t like UFC before but now that it has become more organized and that there are weight classes i love it. Give it a chance in NYC. I’m dying to go to MSG to see UFC. So lets Lift this ban People. Come on I can see it now UFC MSG in Jan.(for my birthday). We see more Injury’s in football,boxing(where there is blood), baseball,Etc. So lets do it people. Bring MMA TO NYC.

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