According to MMAWeekly, it appears as though MMA will have to wait at least another year before gaining access to the world’s largest sporting stage:
The New York State Assembly’s 2009 session expired Tuesday at 2 a.m., stranding bill 2009-B, the House version of MMA legislation, in the Ways and Means Committee. It will not be seen by the Governor David Patterson in 2009, dashing any hopes of its passage this year.
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The bill will now have to go back through the process in 2010, and even if it does pass next year, the soonest the UFC, or any other promotion, would be able to hold an event in New York would be late in the year or early 2011.
“Essentially, we just ran out of time,” said a representative from the office of Assemblyman Steve Englebrecht, who sponsored the bill in the House.
Payout Opinion:
In recent weeks we’ve talked at length about the legalization process and it’s disappointing to see the state’s assembly session end without the passage of bill 2009-B.
However, I choose not to view this as a setback, but rather an opportunity. The bill has a good shot of passing next year, especially if the MMA community can effectively use the next six months to really drive its message home and educate the decision makers of the NY House and State Assemblies, respectively.
It’s frustrating, sure, but MMA is continuing to make solid progress the globe over; and, while MMA in New York or Ontario would help that progress, its absence in those areas hasn’t hurt the sport.
Patience is a virtue! It’s going to take time, but we’ll get there.
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