MMA. Photo courtesy of thenailbiter.com
By Eric Bonholtzer
Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is one of the fastest growing sports, earning millions each year and having a plethora of fans worldwide clamoring to watch each match. Yet, despite the success of the sport, there is still a grueling fight going on for mainstream acceptance. That battle is now being carried to the legislature, as some states refuse to license the sport, forcing fans to cross state lines if they want to attend an MMA event. While boxing is sanctioned across the nation, some states are reluctant to allow MMA events within their borders. Among the few states still holding out on granting approval are New York, Massachusetts, Michigan Maryland, South Carolina, and West Virginia, with the legislative assembly currently in session in North Dakota with the outcome of MMA licensing to be decided shortly.
Many MMA enthusiasts in America are disappointed that fans in London and Dublin have an easier time attending an Ultimate Fighting Championship event than those in Detroit or Boston, when the “Land of the Free and Home of the Brave” is the birthplace of the UFC. However, while MMA is not legally sanctioned in several states, proponents of the sport are taking the fight out of the cage and straight to the legislature to fix that. Pennsylvania is one of the latest states to come on board the MMA train, as lobbyists have been pushing for the legalization of the sport for years now, and in February, the state approved MMA regulation. Given the green light, the UFC wasted no time and held an event there shortly afterward. But the process of getting sanctioning for the sport was long and arduous, taking more than 19 months in Pennsylvania alone, as voters had to first pass draft regulations allowing MMA events in the state. They did so in July 2007, and the rest of the complex legal process involved getting approval by the House and Senate Committees, the office of attorney general and the Independent Regulatory Review Commission. These entities had to decide on all matters regarding MMA including how the events would happen and who was eligible to compete. While this kind of legislative debate is beneficial, as it ensures the safety of both participants and spectators, the chief concern of MMA proponents is the debate surrounding the dangers of the sport, and they work diligently to combat this stereotype.
Nowhere is this battle for understanding more prevalent than in New York, where despite a history of intense lobbying, MMA is still nowhere near sanctioning, and the primary reason seems to be the stigma attached to the sport. One of the most staunch opponents to sanctioning is New York assemblyman Bob Reilly who, despite a love of football and boxing, is avidly opposed to legalizing MMA, often referring to it as harmful to society and comparing the sport to dog fighting. However, his opposition is quick to point out that Madison Square Garden routinely holds boxing events, a sport that has had more than its share of in-the-ring injuries and deaths, while MMA’s most serious injuries are fractures or lacerations. Despite these arguments, there is still a tough road ahead for the UFC in the states that continue to rally against sanctioning. But the UFC is tenacious, being very active in the legislatures in New York, Massachusetts, and other holdout states, and if there is anything that the UFC knows, it’s how to put up a good fight.
