Governor Cuomo officially legalizes MMA in NY, UFC books event at MSG

A few weeks ago, it was announced that the New York State Assembly voted 113-25 to legalize MMA in New York. All it took to be official was the signature of Governor Andrew Cuomo. It looks like the dream finally became a reality. According to MMAFighting.com, Cuomo put his John Hancock on the bill, officially bringing back MMA to New York. With stars like Ronda Rousey and New Yorker Chris Weidman by Cuomo’s side at a press conference at Madison Square Garden, history was made.

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What a historic moment! New York banned MMA in 1997, and for years advocates of the sport have tried to fight for it. Now that the dotted line is signed, the new law allows MMA to be performed anywhere. It is a very exciting time to be a MMA fan. While the UFC has events primarily in Las Vegas, the new deal could shake things up and allow fighters to get into that New York groove. New York is still the place to be, and years of hard work finally put the sport back where it belongs.

Various sport entities in New York were able to send out a few congratulatory messages to the UFC and MMA world:

httpss://twitter.com/Mets/status/720643291339825152

httpss://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/720639147048837121

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It didn’t take long for upper management at the UFC to already have a venue in mind. UFC co-owner Lorenzo Feritta announced at the press conference that the first official UFC event back in New York will take place on November 12^th at Madison Square Garden. The Mecca will once again create a legendary moment inside its hollowed grounds. In regards to the announcement, Fertitta stated:

“I think it’s going to be an epic moment for the sport and for our company. Obviously, right now all of our focus is on trying to put together the matches for UFC 200, but when we go to New York and we eventually debut at Madison Square Garden, me and Dana (White) and the rest of the team are going to be very focused on delivering for the fans. We’re going to put together the best available matches that we can.”

Fertitta also stated that the UFC will hold another event in upstate New York before the end of the year. The news just keeps on getting better. Its great not just for the UFC, but other MMA companies. There are so many possibilities now. There can now be fights held in local venues besides The Garden. Citi Field, Yankee Stadium and The Barclays Center are just a few examples of new fight areas. Both Shea Stadium (when it was around) and Citi Field have been known to host professional wrestling events, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they could get a packed house in Flushing for a MMA event. Among other events, Yankee Stadium hosts football games, proving that anything is possible.

httpss://twitter.com/MarcRatnerUFC/status/720645593492766720

A new era has officially begun in New York! It would be great if I was able to attend the event at Madison Square Garden, just to witness history in the making. There won’t be anything quite like the atmosphere when it happens. I’m sure the UFC will look to take advantage of the opportunity and put on a show to remember. The MMA world will have a chance to shine once again in the Big Apple!