Assembly moves ahead toward mixed martial arts legalization

Thankfully, common sense was the victor on the day and the bill was passed by a majority of 113 “Yes” votes to just 25 “No” votes. The state Senate has passed bills legalizing MMA for seven straight years, but Assembly members have not been allowed by the speaker to vote on the matter.

“We know so much more now than we did even five years ago about brain injuries”, Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy, D-Albany, who voted against the legislation, said after the meeting.

Of course, Governor Andrew Cuomo still has to officially sign off on the bill, but it’s safe to assume he will, as he has always been an advocate to legalize MMA in NYC. Given the time it takes to finalize the bill, they are looking at November of this year to hold an event at Madison Square Garden.

That event, which turned out to be UFC 197 featuring the rematch between light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and NY native Jon Jones, was subsequently reassigned to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The result ends a long battle fought by the the sport’s leading promotion, UFC, to legalize MMA in NY.

“They’re committed to doing shows in New York”, Cuomo said of the UFC. A law banning the sport in the Empire State was enacted in 1997 in the midst of an anti-MMA media hysteria during the sport’s initial surge in popularity. Under previous law, NY state officials did not oversee amateur MMA, which meant there were no safety guidelines such as pre-fight physical examinations or ambulances and physicians on site.

“I told people when I got elected speaker I wasn’t going to unduly influence legislation“, he said, noting he removed himself as a sponsor of the mixed martial arts legislation after his election. “It is a spectacle of violence”.

The Senate has passed the bill in each of the last seven years.

NY is the last state to prohibit the sport, which critics call too violent and like football and boxing prone to causing concussions and head injuries. However, it looks like NY has finally joined the rest of the nation in accepting MMA into its sports culture. In fact, most competitive sports – from pole vaulting to race-car driving – carry a degree of risk.

“It will place firm controls on MMA, its participants and promoters that ensure the protection of fighters and fans”.

Michael Whyland, a spokesman for Heastie, said in an email that the floor vote is expected to take place on Tuesday. He also argued that there are more serious injuries in competitive cheerleading.