UFC President Dana White Livid New York Fails To Legalize MMA Second Year In A Row
Since its initiation back in the 90s, mixed martial arts (MMA) has grown in both popularity among Americans, especially after Ken Shamrock’s run in the WWE (known as WWF back then). It is also throughout that time MMA gained legitimacy as a viable combat sport.
However, there are some who express some form of disagreement with MMA. Laila Ali, daughter of famed boxer Muhammad Ali, downgraded MMA by saying she could easily dispatch UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in a fight. Jim Glasgow, an attorney from Illinois, is singling out a part of MMA by attempting to ban choke holds in his state.
Despite the aforementioned being excellent examples of how MMA is not accepted in the U.S. today, New York truly takes the prize on the matter for being the only state to keep MMA illegal. According to Bleacher Report, John McCain and other politicians heavily criticized MMA prior to UFC 12 back in 1997. Because of this, the state of New York, the location for that UFC premier venue, denied sanctioning rights for it to take place. Eventually, New York (along with numerous other states) would make MMA illegal.
Jump ahead to the present, and the MMA community finds itself flustered yet again over the fact New York’s bill to legalize MMA is disregarded. It was expected this year would be the year New York decriminalizes MMA as traction increased once the bill passed the state’s Senate weeks ago. However, the state’s Assembly would completely ignore it during their final legislative session for this year.
Multiple MMA figureheads — especially those in UFC — took to social media to express their disdain, reports Fox Sports. Mark La Monica of Newsday Sports posted a tweet on just how ridiculous it is that New York keeps MMA illegal.
Wondering what MMA regulation in North America looks like on a map? (pic via @MarcRatnerUFC) pic.twitter.com/QTNW7LyCDx
— Mark La Monica (@LaMonicaMark) June 25, 2015
MMA is only illegal in one state out of the country, a state that wanted regulations to be incorporated into the sport, which MMA did. No low blows, no punts to the head of a downed opponent, no 12-to-6 elbows, and regulating fights to five-minute rounds are just some of them. But the fact that New York still won’t legalize MMA has caused many to lash out. This definitely includes UFC president Dana White, who was so sure the MMA bill would pass that he booked a date for a UFC event at Madison Square Garden before the Assembly’s final legislation session.
The corruption in NY politics is DISGUSTING!!!!
— Dana White (@danawhite) June 25, 2015
With New York’s Assembly scheduled to adjourn through the end of 2015, MMA will remain illegal in New York until 2016.
[Image via Chris Hondros/Getty]
