UFC Fights an Increasingly Complex Battle to Legalize MMA in New York

The news conferences, celebrity fighters and other public posturings are still there. Now more than ever, though, the move to legalize mixed martial arts in New York—the only state in which pro MMA fights are against the law—has become an i…

The news conferences, celebrity fighters and other public posturings are still there. Now more than ever, though, the move to legalize mixed martial arts in New York—the only state in which pro MMA fights are against the law—has become an intricate tangle of legal and political wrangling. 

Though a deal, for now, remains elusive, a confluence of events could bring legalization closer than ever, according to those who have closely followed the situation.

In each of the past six years, the New York State Senate has passed a legalization bill, only to watch it die in the Assembly half of the legislature. 

On Tuesday, this year’s version of the bill comes out of committee, with votes to follow soon, according to Matt Bove of Buffalo ABC affiliate WKBW. That’s why the UFC has scheduled public events Tuesday featuring luminaries like former middleweight champ Chris Weidman to help raise awareness and curry favor for legalization, as captured by the UFC and WTEN reporter Ayla Ferrone on Twitter:

Fresh political support for MMA legalization has proponents more optimistic than they’ve been in some time. Last year, Carl Heastie (D) replaced disgraced former lawmaker Sheldon Silver as speaker of the Assembly. Heastie is a vocal supporter of MMA legalization, while Silver and his remaining legislation allies are staunch opponents. 

Even with Heastie‘s support, the state was unable to pass a legalization bill last year, and Heastie vowed that the debate would return in 2016.

This month, an even more influential voice lent itself to the cause of legalization when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo entered the fray. According to MMA reporter Jim Genia of the MMA Journalist, which has closely tracked the legalization efforts, Cuomo‘s support is a coup for supporters: 

But Albany is not the only front in this year’s legalization battle. Despite pro MMA being against the law, last year UFC officials scheduled an event for April 23 at Madison Square Garden, and at the same asked a federal judge for a preliminary injunction, essentially an exception to the state law. However, on Monday a federal judge denied that request, per Fightland’s Josh Rosenblatt, which puts the MSG event on ice.

Although it’s certainly a defeat, UFC leaders may have sacrificed a battle to win a larger war, according to Genia, because it could bolster the UFC’s legal standing in the state:

If you’ll recall, “standing” is the legal tenet that a party must be sufficiently injured by something – in this case, the law banning pro MMA – to be able to get relief from the court. By paying the folks at Madison Square Garden a deposit and officially announcing an event, and then having the show canceled because of the threat of Unconstitutionally vague application of the law, it’s presumed the UFC now has the standing needed for their lawsuit to survive.

The “lawsuit” in question has nothing to do with the UFC’s planned New York event or the preliminary injunction. Rather, it’s the suit UFC parent company Zuffa is bringing against the state, which claims that the law banning MMA in New York is so vague and poorly written that “neither ordinary persons nor state officials are able to say with any certainty what it permits and what it prohibits.”

That lawsuit is pending, and the new standing brought about by the judge’s decision Monday could give Zuffa leaders more legal leverage. It may, in turn, provide more leverage to proponents of the legalization bill, who can now point to a major looming lawsuit as another reason to legalize the sport.

Everyone involved has seen this movie before, and it is anyone’s guess how it will play out. However, there is more optimism this year thanks to Zuffa‘s multifaceted efforts. Lawmakers are tentatively expected to take a final vote in March, as Genia noted: 

 

Scott Harris writes about MMA for Bleacher Report. For more, follow Scott on Twitter. 

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