New York is poised to become the 50th and final state to legalize professional mixed martial arts, as the state Assembly voted Tuesday in favor of the motion following the state Senate’s decision to pass it for an eighth consecutive time.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship, no doubt MMA‘s largest organization, welcomed the news:
The state Senate previously voted in favor of MMA’s legalization in February, but it never came to vote under the Assembly until Tuesday. Momentum started to build for the measure, though, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for the sport to be legalized in his state budget, according to Mike McAndrew of Syracuse.com.
Assemblyman Dan Stec explained why it took so long for the Assembly to pass the bill, per Ayla Ferrone of News10.com: “Here’s a bill that has tremendous amount of support in that chamber but has been blocked from coming to a vote for several years because the speaker didn’t like it.”
The bill now heads to Gov. Cuomo to be signed into law. ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto suggested Cuomo’s signature “should be a formality,” citing the inclusion of professional MMA revenue in this year’s state budget.
Prior to the official vote, UFC vice president of global business development and government relations Michael J. Britt released a statement thanking those who helped make it possible:
We want to thank Speaker (Carl) Heastie and of course we also need to thank Majority Leader (Joseph) Morelle, who has worked tirelessly to educate his colleagues and build support on both sides of the aisle, but particularly among Assembly Democrats. Our thanks, as well, go to those legislators in both houses and both parties who have supported this effort over the years.
Getting the sport legalized in New York has long been among the UFC’s main goals, and it even attempted to gain a preliminary injunction against the ban in January so an event could be held at Madison Square Garden in April. While a federal judge denied the promotion’s efforts, the UFC appears poised to finally get its wish in the form of a show at MSG, although it remains uncertain when it will come to fruition.
The Assembly’s decision to legalize MMA opens up the premier media market in the United States to the UFC and other companies, and it figures to add even more to the sport’s evergrowing popularity.
Much like boxing, MMA will have the opportunity to stage supercards at venues like Madison Square Garden or the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, which will significantly help to provide a big-fight feel.
New York had resisted the legalization of MMA for nearly two decades despite its entry into the mainstream, but with both sides standing to benefit in a big way from a financial perspective, the time was finally right for the ban to be lifted.
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