Mike Chiappetta of MMAFanhouse is reporting that the Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill supporting the legalization of mixed martial arts on Wednesday.
Sanctioned mixed martial arts fights are one short step from becoming legal in Massachusetts after a bill on the sport sailed through the state’s House of Representatives in a 144-10 vote Wednesday afternoon.
The state senate passed the bill 34-1 in July, leaving a signature from Gov. Deval Patrick as the only roadblock from passing it in to law. That is expected to be a formality.
The UFC has all but promised to bring an event to the Bay State — specifically Boston — shortly after sanctioning; UFC President Dana White lived in the city for much of his youth and has spoken enthusiastically about staging an event there, even mentioning the possibility of using the fabled Fenway Park as a venue.
Payout Perspective:
Massachusetts, and more specifically Boston, is an important piece to the MMA puzzle, because it represents another strong sports and media hub to host and help spread acceptance of the sport.
Mass is one of the three key regions within North America that remain unsanctioned for mixed martial arts – hopefully if and when Massachusetts comes on board, New York and Ontario won’t be far behind.
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