MMA legal in which states now?

[GeneChing]

The house unanimously approves.

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009
SC legislators approve mixed martial arts contests

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina legislators have approved a bill lifting the state ban on mixed martial arts contests.

The House unanimously approved the bill. It requires another, perfunctory vote before heading to the Senate.

The increasingly popular sport combines elements of karate, judo, jujitsu and kickboxing. State law currently bans the fighting events.
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Legislators say the state is missing out on the tourists and dollars such contests could bring.

Proponents say the sport has evolved from its no-holds-barred past to a regulated sport broadcast on TV.

[Vash]

Gene, thanks for the continuous updates!

What is it looking like from a local perspective in Cali regarding the MMA situation?

[GeneChing]

Indiana considers regulating ultimate fighting
WTHR-TV
updated 2 hours, 9 minutes ago

Kevin Rader/Eyewitness News

Indianapolis - A new fight is shaping up at the Statehouse, and it may be the most popular fight waged during this session.

You would think the budget, government consolidation or the fight for property tax caps might be the biggest battle this legislative session. It turns out ultimate fighting is getting the strongest reactions, though.
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Indiana has horse racing, casinos and racinos and it could very well have another option to make money soon. A bill currently being tossed around in the House could potentially clear the way for ultimate fighting events to be staged in Indiana.

They are known to fill venues as big as Conseco Fieldhouse. Since the state would collect 5 percent of general admission and 5 percent of pay-per-view, it could prove to be profitable for the state as well.

"We actually have more fights and would like to have more throughout the industry so from that standpoint we support this," said Mike Smith, casino lobbyist.

Mixed martial arts events are known to attract large regional crowds who may decide to try their luck at gaming as well.

"We are a sport now. We don't want to be recognized as thugs and goons because we are not," said Chad Wagner, mixed martial arts promoter.

Most agree what the sport needs most is regulation.

"This will give the sanctioning body the teeth and force to make sure a fighter is taken care of. That is the number one concern we have," said John Manley, another mixed martial arts promoter.

A close number two as testimony bore out in committee Wednesday morning is that many of the smaller promoters fear the regulation that attracts the big events like ultimate fighting will destroy small local events that will not be able to meet those requirements.

"There will not be a feeder system for the big shows because you will not have any amateurs. It will be like Florida and California. They will be gone," said one promoter.

"I don't care whether yo are the biggest show or the smallest show when that combatant goes into the ring their safety should be the biggest concern of all of us," said John McCane, Indiana Boxing Commission.

The biggest change would actually come out of the ring, as the State Athletic Commission that governs boxing and all mixed martial arts would be placed under the umbrella of the State Gaming Commission.

Vash, MMA is legal in CA. I reported from the very first event held in the Golden State - see Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie - Cung Le’s MMA Debut in our 2006 July/August issue. It's actually been around longer in the Indian Casinos. There are all these micro-leagues in the Indian casinos - fighters you've never heard of - staging fights on a monthly basis. Speaking very locally, Strikeforce is based here in the Silicon Valley, which is why I attend those fights (plus they have Cung Le and many of his fighters signed).

[GeneChing]

Unanimously approved.

Bill regulating mixed martial arts approved
Star report
Posted: April 8, 2009

Statewide regulation of mixed martial arts received unanimous approved Tuesday in the House of Representatives.

Senate Bill 160, twice amended after Senate approval last month, now goes back to its author, State Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, who is expected to file a motion to concur. This would necessitate a final Senate OK before the bill would go to the governor. If accepted, the rules would go into effect July 1.
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Kruse had revised an initial proposal to include the need for medical personnel at each fight and specific classifications for professional and amateur fighters. He also dropped a crowd number limit for regulation, which had sparked debate between state promoters, fighters and Indiana Boxing Commission members.

MMA fights are expected to be sanctioned by the Indiana Athletic Commission through a new private, non-profit governing federation led by area sport activist John Manley.

[GeneChing]

...regulation and sacntioning.

S.C. panel OKs bill to sanction MMA
Updated 17h 1m ago

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina may as well regulate mixed martial arts contests and collect the money the fights could bring, since state residents already can watch the sport on TV, lawmakers said Wednesday.

"I don't think it's any more dangerous than football," said Sen. Lee Bright, R-Roebuck, noting some of his friends are "huge fans." He said he was shocked during a recent visit to the coast, as lines formed to get into a restaurant broadcasting a contest.

The increasingly popular sport combines elements of karate, judo, jujitsu and kickboxing. South Carolina law currently bans the fighting events. A contest was held at the Marines' training facility at Parris Island last October. But the state had no jurisdiction on the military installation.

The proposal, approved by a Senate panel after no one spoke against it, would lift the ban and put the sport under the regulation of the state Athletic Commission. The measure is set for a vote Thursday in the full Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee. The House approved the bill in February.

The licensing of professional mixed martial artists would include physical exams, blood tests for HIV and other diseases, and drug testing.

Proponents say the sport has evolved from its no-holds-barred past, and South Carolina should share in the profits.

Beyond boosting the local economy through hotel stays, meals and other spending, officials say it would yield 5% of ticket receipts for the state Revenue Department and another 5% for the Athletic Commission.

South Carolina would join 37 other states that have approved mixed martial arts contests since New Jersey officials created formal rules for the sport in 2001, barring biting, eye gouging, head butts, finger bending and other fouls.

Sen. Jake Knotts, who initially proposed the measure last year, said legalizing and regulating the sport would be better than having residents "going in the back woods somewhere and getting hurt." The West Columbia Republican said illegal fights are occurring now.

Michael Mersch, an attorney for a major promoter of the sport, cited a report that said the injury rate in mixed martial arts contests held in Nevada from 2001 to 2004 — about 29 injuries per 100 contestants, with facial cuts the most common, followed by hand injuries — resembled the rate for other combat sports, such as boxing. But a lower knockout rate in mixed martial arts contests suggests a lesser chance of traumatic brain injury, according to the 2006 report from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

"Some of our biggest fans are here," said Mersch, who represents Las Vegas-based Ultimate Fighting Championship. "Citizens can watch it any time they want. The only thing they can't do is see a live event."

Michael Tyler, chairman of the state Athletic Commission, said he gets calls weekly from groups wanting to promote a mixed martial arts event in South Carolina.

"It would be a huge economic impact, monetarily for the state," he said.

[GeneChing]

Bob Reilly needs to be RNCed out.

N.Y. schedules (depressing?) date for MMA deliberation
Thursday, May 21, 2009 | Print Entry
Posted by Jake Rossen

New York is positioning itself to look either very informed or very silly: On June 3, the State Assembly Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports will debate Bill 2009-B, which proposes to regulate mixed martial arts. (Two more committees need to deliberate before the bill hits the assembly floor. Hopefully not while on fire.)

John McCain-incarnate assemblyman Bob Reilly intends to present his indefensible case against regulation in what is sure to be sourced from a fumbling, pockmarked joke of a docket. (Precedent: Reilly's hysterical think-of-the-children rant, recently disseminated and picked apart like a holiday turkey.)

Every generation seems to have its moral-umbrage agenda: rock music, shock radio, comics, video games and now MMA fighting -- which mirrors the distaste for boxing at the turn of the century. The world will never be completely ****genized for everyone's tastes, and I'm not at all interested in the argument that MMA "damages" impressionable youth. Pay-per-views cost $45, and any modern television has channel-blocking features. The state has enough responsibility to own up to without attempting mass child-rearing.

Stop trying to baby-proof the world, Bob.

[冠木侍]

Since the topic of Ny came up....

Newsday.com
New York Moves to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts

BY KATIE STRANG

caitlin.strang@newsday.com

10:43 PM EDT, June 3, 2009
Click here to find out more!

Mixed martial arts supporters just won the first round in a fight to legalize the sport in the state of New York.

The state Assembly's Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development voted 14-6 Wednesday to pass a bill that would enable the state's athletic commission to regulate the sport. The bill will now move to the full Assembly for a vote before the end of the current legislative session.

"It's certainly a step in the right direction," said Assemb. Jonathan Bing (D-Manhattan). "The bill didn't move out of the Tourism Committee last year. This year, it not only passed, but also achieved a larger margin than I expected."

New York has long been a top priority for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, MMA's leading organization, in seeking legalization.

"We look forward to the next step in the regulatory process and a continued dialogue with legislators," Marc Ratner, UFC's vice president of government and regulatory affairs, said in a statement Wednesday. "We remain very excited about the prospect of coming to New York."

The bill's most vocal opponent, Assemb. Bob Reilly (D-Latham), said he was disappointed in the outcome.

"I believe a message could've gone out to people in New York about ending the cycle of violence in our state and building a real economy instead of looking to things like increased gambling revenue or revenue from " Reilly said.

Wednesday's vote, Reilly said, likely indicates the bill will be successful in the full Assembly. "I would anticipate that it will pass in Assembly," Reilly said.

Many MMA fans were likely encouraged by the news, but the bill's progress has also garnered support and enthusiasm from local fighters.

Matt Hamill, a popular fighter who trains in Utica, was thrilled to hear about the sport's most recent coup.

"I see this as a big step," Hamill said. "MMA belongs in New York. The studies have been done and they have proven that MMA is as safe, if not safer, than all other combat sports, and the financial benefit can't be ignored."

If the sport were to be legalized, Madison Square Garden and the Nassau Coliseum are potential venues.

"We've had ultimate fighting in Nassau County for years - it's called the county legislature," said Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi. "More seriously, though, the sport has been gaining popularity throughout the country because of television. I would support it at a venue like the Coliseum primarily in order to stop similar unsanctioned fighting and to help ensure that it's highly regulated for safety."

- With Sid Cassese

Copyright © 2009, Newsday Inc.

[GreenCloudCLF]

Same story as above, different writer.

Potential MMA regulation passes major hurdle in New York state
MMAjunkie.com Staff, MMAjunkie.com
Jun 3, 3:29 pm EDT

Buzz up!1 vote PrintThe fight for mixed-martial-arts regulation in the potentially lucrative New York market cleared a major hurdle today.

The New York State Assembly's Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports today garnered a favorable vote for Bill 2009-B, which would call for the New York State Athletic Commission to regulate MMA.

MMAjunkie.com medical columnist Dr. Johnny Benjamin, who helped state politicians form arguments in favor of the sports and its safety, today confirmed the vote passed with a 14-6 margin.

Eleven votes were needed to pass the bill beyond the committee.

"We've cleared a huge hurdle in getting it [past] our committee," Michael Kim, assistant to New York Assemblyman (and bill supporter) Steven Englebright, stated in an email. "Until today, we had never gotten it [past] our committee."

However, before it heads to the Assembly floor, the bill must first clear New York's Codes Committee, which will inspect the legal details of the bill.

The biggest hurdle, though, was getting the bill out of the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports. Although MMA's most prominent organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, entered the fight with a massive public-awareness campaign, the bill faced heavy opposition, most notably from Assemblyman Bob Reilly.

"MMA is sport with an excellent track record of being proactive when it comes to fighter safety," Dr. Benjamin said. "I'm happy that I could play a small role to help further that message."

The UFC has long desired to hold an event in New York, which lasted hosted a UFC event in 1995, when "UFC 7: The Brawl in Buffalo" took place in front of 9,000 spectators at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.

The state banned MMA two years later.

[GeneChing]

Bummer. I wish they would call it MMA and not ultimate fighting.

Bell rings for ultimate fighting bill
Colonie assemblyman scores unexpected win when measure fails to make floor vote

By PAUL GRONDAHL, Staff writer
First published in print: Wednesday, June 24, 2009

ALBANY -- A bill that would have legalized mixed-martial arts in the state after being banned in 1997 was not reported to the floor for a vote during a flurry of activity in the Assembly chamber as it wrapped up the session around 2 a.m. Tuesday.

That essentially kills the measure for the time being, handing an unexpected victory to Assemblyman Bob Reilly, a Colonie Democrat who is the leading opponent of ultimate fighting in the chamber.

"It surprised me," said Reilly, who spoke passionately against the bill in committee earlier this month, but was on the losing end of a 14-6 vote that advanced the legislation.

The $1 billion sport that allows kicking, punching and kneeing is legal in 38 states and has resulted in 13 deaths, according to Reilly. Also known as ultimate fighting, proponents said the sport has put in place new safety measures and would pump millions of dollars in tax revenues into the cash-strapped state if legalized.

Supporters expressed optimism that the state Senate would pass a companion bill in their house before sending it to Gov. David Paterson, who hasn't publicly said whether he supports legalization.

Reilly speculated that Speaker Sheldon Silver decided to keep the bill from a floor vote in the Assembly because public opinion remains divided on the sport. "In the same year we canceled the Empire State Games, it wouldn't be good politically to approve Ultimate Fighting," Reilly said.

"This battle isn't over," he added. "I know the lobbyists will be back to push for it, but I feel obligated to continue my opposition and to make it grow."

Paul Grondahl can be reached at 454-5623 or by e-mail at pgrondahl@timesunion.com.

Ultimate fighting stalls in Assembly
by The Post-Standard
Tuesday June 23, 2009, 3:23 PM

Ultimate fighting has suffered an unexpected blow from the state Assembly.

The bill to legalize mixed martial arts prize fights did not make the Assembly's agenda as it ended session Tuesday morning. The lack of action is a victory in the eyes of Assemblyman Bob Reilly, D-Latham, who opposed it.

He said the Assembly has made a statement that mixed martial arts is violent and should not be sanctioned as a sport at a time when the state is cutting the Empire State games and selling animals from the Bronx Zoo.

The Assembly was expected to pass the bill and forward it to the Senate for consideration. Supporters say by lifting the ban, New York will reap millions of dollars in tax revenues, spur economic growth and belatedly recognize an industry that now dwarfs boxing. Opponents say the tax money won't be worth the violent impact on society of contests they consider barbaric.

It is possible that the Assembly will vote on the bill if it is called into a special session later this year, but Reilly said he will continue to fight it.

[Raipizo]

never knew mma was illegal in any states yeah i wouldn't call it ultimate fighting..

[lkfmdc]

I really hate when so called "journalists" don't do any research

In 15 years of MMA in the US, only one person has died in a sanctioned competition, not 13

[taai gihk yahn]

evidently this whole thing is not so much about MMA, but rather the train-wreck cluster-fu(k way that the NY State Assembly conducted its business that day - senators meeting secretly, taking over the senate chamber, all kinds of elbowing and machinating that pretty much ends up embarrassing everyone...

[CFT]

I really hate when so called "journalists" don't do any research

In 15 years of MMA in the US, only one person has died in a sanctioned competition, not 13

Actually it was Assemblyman Bob Reilly who claimed this figure, though if the journalist had "gone the extra mile" he should have checked that out since it is one of the key arguments against.

He also said:

He said the Assembly has made a statement that mixed martial arts is violent and should not be sanctioned as a sport at a time when the state is cutting the Empire State games and selling animals from the Bronx Zoo.

Really what has this got to do with anything? You don't get state aid to run MMA events do you? Surely it is a purely commercial enterprise like boxing?

[lkfmdc]

Really what has this got to do with anything? You don't get state aid to run MMA events do you? Surely it is a purely commercial enterprise like boxing?

The reality is, if people run MMA in the state, the state will MAKE MONEY... that's the reason the thing moved forward at this point in time!

I can't get into it on a public forum, I was involved in some of this and know some of the players... a bill that was supposed to help more traditional martial arts and kickboxing got stabbed in the back by money and corruption, Albany is a huge septic tank, and "politics" up there is like organized crime, it's a shame our state is run by these crooks

[Chief_Suicide]

http://content.usatoday.com/communit.../05/66483151/1

Map of current states at where MMA regulation stands. Article too.