Seems like the stigma surrounding mixed martial arts continues in New York, and despite the strong lobbying efforts from both the UFC and independent MMA organizations, it will be some time before The Big Apple sees a mixed martial arts event. The New York Daily News is reporting that Assembly Democrats have stripped approval for MMA from an upcoming budget bill:
The push to legalize ultimate fighting in New York is on the ropes. Assembly Democrats stripped approval for the wildly popular violent sport from a budget bill that lawmakers will take up as soon as today. Gov. Paterson sought to legalize mixed martial arts, saying fights could pull in more than $2 million in tax revenue for the cash-strapped state. “The majority of voices who spoke about this issue in our conference were not supportive of approving it as part of the budget,” said Assemblyman Steven Englebright (D-L.I.), a fight fan. Englebright said it’s a long shot the Assembly will revisit the issue.
Dana White and the UFC have been doing a great job cleaning up the “reputation” of mixed martial arts, and it’s only a matter of time before it’s recognized as a legitimate sport but it seems like old-timers and ultra conservatives are running things in New York and so we wait for approval. For now.