Legalize Ultimate Fighting to Help the Economy, Gov. Says

Gov. Paterson is pushing to legalize ultimate fighting in New York, claiming the unrestrained mixed-martial arts events will make a quick buck for the state's troubled economy. If he gets his wish, the cage fighting exhibitions, which have been banned in the area since 1997, could take place not only in upstate arenas but in Madison Square Garden.

The controversy over the Brazilian-inspired fighting championships began when John McCain called the blood sport "repugnant" thirteen years ago. The practice was banned in 36 states, including NY, and some reforms were adopted. The UFC introduced weight classes and gloves and made kicks to a downed opponent, hair pulling, fish-hooking, headbutting, and groin strikes illegal. The championship also dropped its "There Are No Rules!" tagline.

Now proponents claim that the PG-13 version of the ultimate fighting is appropriate and necessary. "A study done in 2008 by the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization estimated one event would generate $11.5 million in economic activity in New York City and $5.2 million in Buffalo. Ultimate Fighting Championship estimates there could be two or three events a year in New York," according to the NY Daily News. Paterson is slated to propose the legalization in his January 19 budget announcement.

Still, not everyone is ready to get in the ring. Assemblyman Bob Reilly opposes the legalization but would accept it if gladiators made an effort to fight fair. He told the Times Unions he's "considering introducing a compromise bill that would legalize the sport while requiring it to be less violent, perhaps by making it illegal for a fighter to hit an opponent when he's down and limiting the use of elbows."

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By Sabrina Jaszi in News on January 11, 2010 1:05 PM

Comments [rss]

Submerged BK

It certainly does not help that the reporting here is using biased and completely incorrect terminology to describe this event.

"NO HOLDS BARRED" is entirely a misnomer as atheltic commissions use what is referred to as the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Which includes, no groin strikes, no eye gouging, no kneeing or kicking the head of a downed opponent, no biting, etc.

Using "Ultimate Fighting" as the sport's name is garish and a ploy to create an aura of jock-ish stupidity around a sport that is actually correctly referred to as MIXED MARTIAL ARTS.

The Olympics have Wrestling and Boxing, Judo and Tae Kwan Do - when does it become horrific when they are combined? Where is the line that scares people? As there's no outcry every four years when the Olympics occur. What is the real horror in this sport?

To the reporter - I'm sure this is just something you had to dash off to turn in, but you need some serious bias adjustment to neutral and fact checking before you write about Mixed Martial Arts again.

really!?!?

1) I said WATCH, not follow. I have also watched pool tournaments, juggling tournaments, dodgeball tournaments, competitive eating tournaments, and once a cake building contest. I would never claim to follow any of those "sports", just as i never claimed to follow UFC.

2) I don't really understand what you are trying to say about the Indian Reservation, but UFC fights are aired on Spike TV, a cable channel, the same as any other cable channel. I don't pay extra for it and i can watch in my own home.

really!?!?

UFC rocks!

This ban is pointless for the simple fact that the fights are shown on TV so it isn't really banned. Until I read this I didn't know that the ban existed, and I'm sure most people who watch the sport are also unaware. I would venture to guess that most people in general are unaware of the ban.

Oh, and don't get rid of the elbows, thats the best part.

Kreo

You follow the sport but did not know the ban existed? When was last time you attended or watched a PPV of a fight night in the Garden? Right, never - they ban it in NYS. You have to drive to an Indian reservation to watch a half legal card in NYS.

hungryghoast

i know many MMA fans and it is about wanting technique (as well as gut and tenacity and, of course, a measure of violence inherent to this sort of competition). The technique is there, you just need to develop an eye for it.

Shinobi Shaw

Look at what was popular in the downtrodden years of Rome? The coliseum!

Just lift the ban and let it be.

nibnycgrrl

If the fighter on the ground is not intelligently defending him/herself against punches, the fight will be stopped. Usually if the puncher has a superior position, i.e. full mount, it's pretty much a done deal and you can expect a referee stoppage soon. However the fighter on the bottom also has a number of escapes, submissions (i.e. chokes, armbars, triangles) or can sweep to the superior position. To say you don't enjoy watching someone in the floor get punched in the face tells me you are judging the sport without much knowledge of it. And frankly, if its just that you don't enjoy it, don't watch it, it's that simple.

hungryghoast

Yes, they are not the same, but you're wrong in saying that MMA is "not sporting." Someone might say the same thing about boxing (or other sports) if they're unfamiliar with it. I would say that you just don't know what you're looking at.

Rocknrope

I would love to put Patterson in a triangle choke.

ganghiscon

Mixed martial arts, not "ultimate fighting."

longacre

The UFC is the only MMA organization that makes money.

Carpetfresh

It's absolutely ridiculous to maintain the ban. Who is it supposed to protect? The fighters still get to fight, the promoters make money, the bars charge to watch the PPV, the fans just end up dumping the money at the bars, into PPV or traveling to other states (hello, New Jersey). The UFC event in NJ in March sold out in less than an hour. This ban does nothing but hurt New Yorkers by depriving them of a completely legitimate source of revenue. Stupid, grandstanding lawmakers with nothing better to do.

Kreo

Do you watch boxing? Football? Do you realize boxing is more violent and had many more deaths? Do you realize football is more damaging to the athlete? You play any sports yourself besides bowling?

Rocknrope

Do you realize that he was saying something in support of MMA?

GOP

Football and Boxing are more violent than MMA.

NannyState

NYS is all circus and no bread.

jza1218

What's the big deal? Boxing is legal. Might as well legalize this and bring in some money to the economy. Maybe even convince UFC to establish a greater presence here as well. Film a season of The Ultimate Fighter here or something.

SP

I'm liking this Paterson guy more and more.

whitecastlerock

I think a better idea would be for the state legislature to end the sweet tax breaks for Madison Square Garden. Why not investigate companies that are given huge tax breaks who are not creating jobs they promised to? Try that before legalizing human cockfighting in this state.

aaric

I think it is unfair to call it "human cockfighting". When the UFC first began, it was a spectacle. Now it is a sport and has many rules all to look out for the fighter's safety. Boxing is legal and popular in New York and when you look at the statistics you will see that boxing is also much more dangerous. There is much more injury in boxing than mixed martial arts. Boxers also are at risk for much more long term injuries and have actually died in the ring. MMA does look more dangerous to someone who doesn't know what they are watching but when you think about it, there are many ways to end a MMA fight. Submission, ref stoppage, knock out, points and the fighters have many more points to attack on their opponent. In boxing the matches are much longer and there are 2 points to attack. The head and the body. This is why boxers risk more injury/damage, being punched in the head for 12 rounds a fight for several years can cause a lot of damage. MMA fights are 5 short rounds at the very most and not focused on strikes to the head and body.