By Carla Varriale, Esq. and James Han
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (the “UFC”), with the support of Madison Square Garden Sports, held a press conference on January 14, 2011 and renewed its commitment to legalizing the sport of mixed martial arts (“MMA”) in New York. If the ban on MMA is lifted, the UFC will bring MMA bouts to Madison Square Garden and other New York venues. However, legislators must first allow the state’s Athletic Commission to sanction and to regulate the sport. The January 14 press conference demonstrates the strong public relations and lobbying efforts by the UFC. The press conference featured New York Assemblyman Dean Murray and Madison Square Garden Sports President Scott O’Neal. Both men highlighted the viability of the sport as a potential revenue generator for the state and its putative place in mainstream sports.
New York is one of only a handful of states that prohibit MMA. There have been no sanctioned MMA events held in New York since MMA was banned in 1997. In 1995, the UFC held its first event in Buffalo, New York. “UFC VII” drew a crowd of 10,000 and was broadcast on Pay-Per-View. However, New York’s Athletic Commission had no jurisdiction over the sport because its control over singular sports, such as boxing, did not apply to MMA because MMA combines elements of boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and kickboxing. Thereafter, Senator Roy Goodman emerged as a staunch opponent of MMA, lobbying his fellow senators to ban the sport. Amidst a strong push to ban the sport, Governor Pataki signed a bill into effect on February 7, 1997 banning MMA bouts in New York. MMA was on the verge of sanctioning in 2008, but concerns voiced the Committee on Tourism, Arts and Sports Development, delayed its passage. The recent efforts to lift the ban were hobbled by a series of unsuccessful bills in the legislature. New York’s present fiscal woes, however, may kindle a renewed interest in the sport–and its potential economic benefits.
Proponents of sanctioning the sport have observed that MMA bouts held at the neighboring Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and similar venues that are accessible from New York have siphoned away fans, and much-needed revenue at a time when the state’s budget is in a choke hold of its own. The potential revenue, which the UFC and MMA supporters estimate could be in the range of tens of millions of dollars per year, would be a welcome panacea, given New York’s already battered budget. Consequently, the sport, once described as “barbaric” because it permits punching, kicking and choke holds, may be having its moment. The recent press conference was a step forward to making the prospect of sanctioned MMA bouts in New York more attractive to both legislators and taxpayers.
Carla Varriale is a partner at Havkins Rosenfeld Ritzert and Varriale, LLP (“HRRV”) in New York. Her practice focuses on the representation of sports and recreational venues. She can be reached at carla.varriale@hrrvlaw.com. James Han is an intern in HRRV’s Sports Recreation and Entertainment practice group and he is a candidate for a Master of Science Degree in Sports Management at Columbia University’s School of Continuing Education. He can be reached at james.han@hrrvlaw.com.
