Following the ousting of disgraced former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver for accepting illegitimate funds, it was largely believed to be a formality that mixed martial arts (MMA) would finally be legalized in the Empire State, the only one still left in the United States that to not allow pro MMA bouts. However, the UFC
Following the ousting of disgraced former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver for accepting illegitimate funds, it was largely believed to be a formality that mixed martial arts (MMA) would finally be legalized in the Empire State, the only one still left in the United States that to not allow pro MMA bouts.
However, the UFC had met significant resistance nonetheless, and that was mainly in the form of the issue actually being brought up to vote. It is believed that it will be brought to a vote — where it’s expected to be overwhelmingly approved — but that didn’t stop some of the NY Assembly members from taking some absolutely ridiculous stances on the sport today.
That was never more evident than when former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, who has been heavily instrumental into MMA’s legalization efforts in his home state, posted a deserved response to a previous tweet by NewsDay Sports’s Mark La Monica describing the scene where Assembly member Daniel O’Donnell called MMA “gay porn with a different ending”:
“Whoooooaaaa…says here this thing is a ‘Rousimar Palhares’. We’re already legally dead.”
Yesterday, while you were making terrible Star Wars jokes and/or mourning the death of MCA, lawmakers in “The Green Mountain State” were busy passing a bill to regulate the sport of mixed martial arts. Vermont is now the 46th state in the United States to regulate our sport.
My initial reaction to this news was probably the same as yours: “That’s nice.” Our second reactions were probably also pretty similiar: Damn, New York. You let the state known for its organic-granola crunching, Birkenstock wearing hippies regulate MMA before you did. Get your shit together. For real this time.
“Vermont’s legislation of the sport of MMA is further evidence of the continued growth and success of our sport in this country,” said UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta. “We are pleased that fans in Vermont will now have the opportunity to watch a live UFC event in their own backyard, and look forward to making that happen.”
“Whoooooaaaa…says here this thing is a ‘Rousimar Palhares‘. We’re already legally dead.”
Yesterday, while you were making terrible Star Wars jokes and/or mourning the death of MCA, lawmakers in “The Green Mountain State” were busy passing a bill to regulate the sport of mixed martial arts. Vermont is now the 46th state in the United States to regulate our sport.
My initial reaction to this news was probably the same as yours: Vermont isn’t exactly the biggest state in the union, but it’s always great to see a state start regulating MMA. Our second reactions were probably also pretty similiar: Damn, New York. You let the state known for its organic-granola crunching, Birkenstock wearing hippies regulate MMA before you did. Get your shit together. For real this time.
“Vermont’s legislation of the sport of MMA is further evidence of the continued growth and success of our sport in this country,” said UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta. “We are pleased that fans in Vermont will now have the opportunity to watch a live UFC event in their own backyard, and look forward to making that happen.”
You have to appreciate the optimism, but where exactly will a live UFC event be held in the state of Vermont? Vermont’s most prestigious professional sports team is a Single A baseball team called the Vermont Lake Monsters. Vermont’s biggest stadium, Centennial Field, holds 5,000 people. It’s largest indoor arena, Gutterson Fieldhouse, barely holds 4,000 people. Even the smallest, least interesting UFC cards should expect more than 4,000 people.
I’m personally thinking that Bellator is far more likely to visit Vermont before the UFC does, but I’ve been wrong before.
Of the 48 states with the necessary regulatory bodies to oversee mixed martial arts (I’m not surprised, Alaska and Montana, but I am still very disappointed), only New York and Connecticut do not currently regulate MMA. You’re back on the clock, New York. Try not to screw up this time.
This time, the parent company of the UFC and Strikeforce has resorted to a lawsuit filed today in New York U.S. district court against New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. According to The Wall Street Journal, the plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that the ban of MMA in New York violates the First Amendment, which states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The portion of the amendment that Zuffa is focusing on is the “freedom of speech” part, which also covers freedom of expression. Because one of the three words in the term “mixed martial arts” is “arts,” Zuffa lawyers will attempt to argue that the sport is a form of artistic expression, and as such, should not be criminalized in the state.
This time, the parent company of the UFC and Strikeforce has resorted to a lawsuit filed today in New York U.S. district court against New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. According to The Wall Street Journal, the plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that the ban of MMA in New York violates the First Amendment, which states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The portion of the amendment that Zuffa is focusing on is the “freedom of speech” part, which also covers freedom of expression. Because one of the three words in the term “mixed martial arts” is “arts,” Zuffa lawyers will attempt to argue that the sport is a form of artistic expression, and as such, should not be criminalized in the state.
“Live professional MMA is clearly intended and understood as public entertainment and, as such, is expressive activity protected by the First Amendment,” the lawsuit states.“As is true of ballet, music, or theater, for an audience, attending a live MMA event is an experience that cannot be replicated on a screen.”
The suit was co-signed by Jon Jones, Gina Carano, Frankie Edgar, Matt Hamill and Brian Stann, who according to court documents “have suffered, and will continue to suffer, irreparable harm” due to the MMA ban in New York.
The case could set a landmark precedent if judgment sides with the plaintiffs as it will be the first successful First Amendment case involving a professional athlete. The floodgates for similar suits could open if the case is ruled in Zuffa’s favor. By rights, other pros like basketball, baseball and football players could arguably sue their respective leagues during lockouts that such practices prevent them from earning a living and cause “irreparable harm and suffering.”
Barry Friedman, a professor at New York University School of Law who is representing Zuffa and its fighters says that the law doesn’t necessarily need to cover all athletes.
“This is the first time to my knowledge that a professional athlete is claiming a First Amendment right to communicate with fans in a live event,” said Friedman.”The courts needn’t declare all sports protected by the First Amendment, because MMA — which, as the name suggests, draws on a mosaic of different fighting styles — is special. It’s martial artistry,” he said. “The nature of martial arts is a lot like dancing.”
I take it he’s never watched a football or basketball game. Tell Michael Jordan and Jerry Rice that they weren’t as graceful as an MMA fighter when they played. Other than that, the lawsuit looks pretty interesting.
(The face of an angel. PicProps: Boston Globe)
One of the more hilarious (and largely overlooked) aspects of the UFC’s response to the recent Chael Sonnen steroid fiasco was that whenever anybody asked Dana White about drug testing in MMA he basi…
One of the more hilarious (and largely overlooked) aspects of the UFC’s response to the recent Chael Sonnen steroid fiasco was that whenever anybody asked Dana White about drug testing in MMA he basically threw his hands up and said the company couldn’t have anything to do with it, because “The Government” is in charge of that. For example, when White discussed the topic with Ariel Helwani before UFC 119 he took on a wide-eyed reverence that was so un-Dana it was clear he was just sticking to the company-approved talking points: “Everybody has this belief that, ‘Oh, Dana White has the commissions in (his pocket).’ Listen, the commission doesn’t give a shit what I think — what I think, what I say, nothing,” White said. “You’re dealing with the government, OK? That’s like thinking Dana White can tell the IRS what to do. It’s never gonna happen.”
Now, either DW is the only millionaire businessman in America who thinks “The Government” is doing a great job regulating his industry … or he’s bullshitting us. Obviously, his equating state athletic commissions with the IRS is laughable, but the assertion that a billion dollar company like the UFC couldn’t possibly get involved with “The Government” is also pretty clearly not true. In fact, according to reports out this week, Zuffa, LLC would very much like to take an active role in helping New York state pick its next governor, and this is certainly not the first time the UFC has dipped into its pockets to help sway “The Government” to its way of thinking.
