On Tuesday, the state assembly of New York unanimously voted in favor of the legalization of mixed martial arts. The move effectively ends the last remaining statewide ban on the sports of mixed martial arts in the U.S.
According to Reuters, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has already said he would support such measure, which the state Senate previously approved. The assembly passed the bill by an 113-25 vote after more than three hours of debate between lawmakers, with aggressive statements coming from both supporters and opponents of the legislation.
The combat sports features wrestling, submitting your opponents to the ground, kicking and punching that could leave any fighter bloodied and sometimes unconscious. Danny O' Donnell, an openly gay Democrat and part of the assembly, compared mixed martial arts to "gay porn." Danny, who is also the brother of actress Rosie O' Donnell, added that the sport might be susceptible to corruption.
Many promoters, fighters, and venue officials are taking advantage of the bill's success and are now gearing up to market the combat sports in New York since it was outlawed in 1997. The Wall Street Journal reported that a spokesman from Madison Square Garden said that MSG will have the opportunity to host the first-ever UFC event by the end of 2016.
The current Unified Rules set which governs mixed martial arts was adopted in New Jersey in 2001 and then followed thereafter by Nevada, says MMA Fighting. In 2001, when UFC current owner Zuffa bought the company, the UFC adopted the sanctions made by the athletic commission as the means of removing the sport's lawless stigma.
According to a study conducted in 2013, the combat sport is expected to earn $135 million per year for the state's coffers. The sponsors of the bill said that the stadiums all throughout New York would surely benefit.
