Massachusetts Approves Bill S 998, Regulating Mixed Martial Arts in the Bay State

By James Han   On November 30th 2009, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed Bill S 998 into law, making Massachusetts the 42nd state to regulate the sport of mixed martial arts (“MMA”). The Massachusetts Senate passed a draft 35-1, with State Senator Marian Walsh dissenting. Senator Walsh cites the proposed committee’s lack of MMA experience as her main concern. The Bill then moved quickly through the House Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling, which approved a modified