Professional mixed martial arts (MMA) was today legalized in New York, needing just the signature of Governor Andrew Cuomo — supporter of the legislation — to pave the way for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and other promotions to begin staging events throughout the “Empire State” in 2016 and beyond.
UFC continued its victory lap just one hour after the final vote — an overwhelming 113-25 in New York’s State Assembly — with a conference call that featured top executives, including Chairman and CEO, Lorenzo Fertitta; UFC Executive Vice President and COO, Lawrence Epstein; and UFC Senior Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Marc Ratner. Former Middleweight champion Chris Weidman — who was among the loudest voices in addition to Jon Jones and Ronda Rousey — also participated on the call, which you can hear back in its entirety in the video player above.
For complete details on the historic news click here. And to read the official statement from UFC and positive reactions from several fighters on the roster click here and here.