UFC gets green light from New York after state lifts 19-year ban on MMA
By Jonathon Moar
Last Updated: 23/03/16 4:11pm
Following a battle that lasted nearly two decades, mixed martial arts has been legalised in the state of New York.
It is a major boost for the UFC, which has been leading the fight to be able to hold events in New York, and has already committed to heading there at least four times each year.
The New York State Assembly voted 113-25 in favour of approving the return of MMA, which was banned in 1997 by then-governor George Pataki.
Back then, MMA was still largely unregulated, and it was not until more rules and safety considerations were brought into effect that many of the 50 states that permit the sport gave it the green light.
Nevada, the state in which the UFC holds the majority of their major events, did not authorise it until 2001.
"This has been a long time coming, and on behalf of our New York UFC, I want to offer heartfelt thanks to those who voted for this bill," said Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC's chairman.
"Through letters and phone calls, rallies and social media, New York's MMA and UFC fans have lent their voices of support. It took a while, but their voices have been heard.
"We look forward to hosting our first New York event in the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, home to so many epic sporting events throughout the decades."
The UFC had attempted to push the issue late last year, when they announced the scheduling of UFC 197 for Madison Square Garden, despite the MMA ban still being in place.
They had also filed for a preliminary court injunction to allow it to take place, although this was ultimately unsuccessful.
The event, which takes place on April 23, was subsequently booked for the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
A number of local fighters will likely feature when the first New York card is held, and one of those could be Chris Weidman.
Weidman, a former UFC middleweight champion from Long Island, says that the news is a "dream come true."
"I've been fighting now for seven years, and missing out on opportunities to fight in front of my family, friends and the fans here in New York," he said.
"Every year you hope and it kept falling through. So for it to finally happen, it's a dream come true for me, and it's a dream come true for all these New York fans."
All that remains is for governor Andrew Cuomo to sign the bill into effect. Cuomo had already included MMA in his proposed state budget for 2016-17, meaning it would be a surprise should he not do so.
