Author: UFC News

“Haters beware: Nick Pace is a lover and a fighter who knows how to play the game.

“Getting ready to make his third appearance in the Octagon, Pace (Twitter: @NickPaceMMA) – a member of the Tiger Schulmann’s Fight Team – is ready to prove he belongs in the stable.”

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NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 15, 2011- The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a group of plaintiffs including fighters, fans, trainers and others involved with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) announced today that they have filed a lawsuit against New York State officials challenging the constitutionality of the state law banning live professional MMA events and associated activities (the “Ban”).  The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, challenges the Ban for violating numerous provisions of the United States Constitution, including the First Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause.  Specifically, the lawsuit alleges the Ban infringes upon the rights of the fighters who want to publicly exhibit their skills as professionals and express themselves before a live audience, the rights of fans who would like to experience live professional MMA events, and the rights of those who train, publicize or otherwise advance MMA in New York.  Plaintiffs point to the following as evidence of the irrational, unconstitutional nature of the Ban:

•    The Ban was originally imposed in 1997, at a time when MMA was unregulated and prohibited in many other states.  Today, MMA is a highly-regulated, broadly popular sport, which experts and supporting safety data verify is as safe as or safer than many sports and activities that are legal in New York, including boxing, football and rodeo.

•    MMA is widely available on television in New York, and many New Yorkers lawfully train and spar in MMA.

•    Live professional MMA can take place in virtually every state except New York.
 
•    The individual martial arts that comprise MMA, including kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, judo, boxing and wrestling, are legal and performed live regularly in New York – it is only their combination, performed live by professionals, that is banned in New York.

“MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. and one of the most popular in the world,” said Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman and CEO of Zuffa LLC, owner of the UFC.  “When we acquired the UFC, we went to great lengths to invite regulation and adopt substantial safety measures.  MMA is now as safe as or even safer than many other sports and activities sanctioned in New York like boxing, for example, because it allows fighters to honorably tap out and involves far fewer hits. All the disciplines that go into mixed martial arts are performed live in New York; it is only their combination that is illegal.  Denying fighters the chance to exhibit their training and skills before a live audience and denying thousands of New Yorkers the ability to watch their favorite fighters perform live is not only an injustice to them, but to the local markets that would reap tremendous economic benefits from hosting competitions. We believe the ban should be eliminated, and look forward to fighting live in New York.”

“It is unfortunate that we were forced to take the step of filing a lawsuit to overturn this senseless law, but the ban on live professional MMA infringes on the rights of countless New Yorkers,” said Barry Friedman, a constitutional law professor at New York University School of Law and co-counsel with Morrison & Foerster LLP for the Plaintiffs.  “Despite sincere legislative efforts, the ban remains in place based on a flawed assessment of the sport’s supposedly ’violent message.’  This rationale is a patent violation of the First Amendment. In live events, fighters showcase their talents, communicate their convictions, show respect for their opponents and the art and tradition of MMA, and convey the importance of discipline, training and hard work.  They also entertain their fans.  Not only does the law prohibit live events, but as it is written it purports to ban other speech including media broadcasts and coverage of professional MMA.  It is ironic that New York — in many ways the home of free expression, the global media, and the art world — would deny someone his or her fundamental freedom of expression. The Ban is contrary to what New York is all about. There is no legal basis for this unconstitutional ban to persist.”

“Performing MMA live in front of a crowd is an unrivaled experience and allows me to speak to my fans,” said Plaintiff and UFC competitor Brian Stann. “I was attracted to MMA during my time in the Marine Corps, after I returned from my first deployment to Iraq in 2005 and was looking for a path that allowed me to stay motivated, and inspire others, particularly fellow veterans.  MMA is a brotherhood that demands respect for your fellow fighters and rewards mental discipline and skill.  It has given countless veterans a way to rehabilitate and connect with other military veterans and I am grateful every day for the ability to compete and inspire my fans.”

 

UFC president Dana White announced the winners of the event’s bonuses, valued at $65,000 each. Junior dos Santos won Knockout of the Night for his 64-second finish of previously-undefeated Cain Velasquez. Ricardo Lamas earned Submission of the Night for his second-round arm traingle win over Cub Swanson, who had repeatedly threatened Lamas with chokes of his own throughout the fight.

Clay Guida and Benson Henderson handily won Fight of the Night honors for their three-round instant classic. The win secured a title shot for Henderson against lightweight king Frankie Edgar.  White confirmed at the press conference that this bout would take place in Japan on February 26.

UFC on FOX winners Dos Santos, Henderson, Dustin Poirier, Lamas, and Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Cacares attended the press conference; as did Velasquez and Guida.

Video highlights from the following fighters are linked below:
Dos Santos and Velasquez
Henderson and Guida

UFC on FOX MAIN EVENT: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 9 pm ET/6 pm PT:
Watch live on Fox and Fox Deportes

UFC on FOX PRELIMS streaming live & free
4:45 pm ET/1:45 pm PT
Facebook.com/UFC
FoxSports.com

Selected prelims also air live and free at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT on Fox Deportes (Spanish broadcast)

See the full fight card

More UFC on FOX programming:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11

7 pm ET/4 pm PT UFC Velasquez vs. dos Santos Weigh-In LIVE on FUEL TV and UFC.com
7 pm ET/4 pm PT Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride (Part 3) on Fox Deportes:

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12

3 pm ET/noon PT Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride (Parts 1, 2, 3) on Fox Deportes
5:30 pm ET/2:30 pm PT UFC Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Weigh-In Replay on FUEL TV
6 pm ET/3 pm PT UFC Lo Mejor: Lesnar vs. Velasquez on Fox Deportes
6 pm ET/3 pm PT UFC Primetime on FUEL TV

Prefight Special LIVE at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT
Watch live on FUEL TV
Jay Glazer, Kenny Florian and special guests are live on FUEL TV for a
breakdown on the UFC, fighter profiles and expert analysis, as well as
celebrities from the red carpet arriving at UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs.
dos Santos.

Postfight Special LIVE at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT
Watch live on FUEL TV
Join
Jay Glazer and Kenny Florian Live on FUEL TV for a complete breakdown
of the biggest event in UFC history after Heavyweight Champion, Cain
Velasquez, and top contender, Junior dos Santos, go head-to-head on FOX.

Find FUEL TV

“This week, if you want to watch the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez bout, you have to shell out $54.99.

“Compare that to UFC heavyweight battle the same night: thanks to Fox,
you can see Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos fight for free”

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“In the beginning, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was like a brawl at a carnival, the mismatched combatants entering an octagonal cage to go at it until there was a “knockout, surrender, doctor’s intervention or death.” The very first match pitted a 415-pound sumo wrestler against a Dutch kickboxer who zestfully launched his foot into the bigger man’s face. The blow left two teeth embedded in the attacker’s foot, with a third flying into the crowd.”

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