#ufcatmsg

[armbarnation]

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 14: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is joined by (from left) @UFC fighters @ChrisWeidmanUFC and @Ronda Rousey, UFC CEO @LorenzoFertitta, Madison Square Garden President James Dolan, Senator Joe Griffo and Assemblyman Joseph Morelle as he signs a bill to legalize Mixed Martial Arts fighting in the state during a ceremony at Madison Square Garden on April 14, 2016 in New York City. #ArmbarNation #UFCatMSG (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Zuffa LLC)

[bennydajet-universe]

Why today is a great day for MMA --- UFC v. NY State

Mixed Martial Arts is legal in every state and province in North America except one, New York. There has been a lengthy and ugly battle waged between MMA and NY for decades. The UFC, MMA’s largest promotion, has spearheaded and funded the endeavor from the beginning. The most significant moment in this entire confrontation will come tonight at 11:59 PM, when NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver resigns after 40 years of service.

Silver, the roadblock to MMA legalization was arrested last month by the FBI in NYC. The indictment accused Silver of using “the power and influence of his official position to obtain for himself millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks masked as a legitimate income earned as a private lawyer.” Additionally, he was accused of obtaining $4 million in lawyer referral fees ”solely through the corrupt use of his official position,” according to the indictment. On Friday Silver officially submitted his letter of resignation, which says he will step down as speaker Monday at 11:59 p.m. ending the second-longest leadership tenure in the chambers history.

Why is this so significant? For a bill to become law in NY it has to pass a vote in Senate and Assembly, which Silver presided over. In 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 the Senate passed a bill to legalize MMA but Silver wouldn’t allow a vote in the Assembly, effectively blocking the bill from becoming law. To add insult to injury, many people including CEO of the UFC, Lorenzo Fertitta, believe if Silver would allow the bill to hit the Assembly floor, it has the votes necessary to make it law. (Note that Amateur MMA is legal in NY, a situation that confuses everyone.)

While Silver does not personally approve of MMA, many believe his union affiliations with The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 of Las Vegas were the real reasons behind his bill blockage. This union has had a long time vendetta against UFC co-owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta. The Fertittas own Station Casinos in Las Vegas, which are not unionized.  The culinary workers have gone to astonishing length to pressure them into allowing workers to unionize.

Which has NOTHING to do with MMA in NY! In light of Silvers recent allegations and the popularity of the MMA bill in the Senate and Assembly, it’s reasonable to hypothesize he could have used his position of power to serve the interests of the Las Vegas culinary unions.  I personally think that is exactly what was going on, Silver set the price of MMA legalization: The UFC must bow to the culinary union in Vegas. Dirty politics at its finest…or maybe I should just say *politics at its finest.

The good news is Silver is leaving…very soon. With his departure MMA will surely be legalized in 2015 or 2016, and with it an injection of economic activity for the state. In 2014 the UFC unveiled an independent study detailing the fiscal benefits of MMA in NY. The report was put together by HR&A Advisors, Inc. Here is what they came up with:

MMA would generate $135 million in economic activity annually for the state through UFC events ($34 million), other MMA events ($34 million) and training centers/gyms ($67 million)

 Let’s hope that interim Assembly Speaker is Joseph Morelle is the front-runner to succeed Silver, as he sponsored the bill to legalize MMA in 2014. The long, corrupt reign of Sheldon "Shelly" Silver is over, bring on #UFCatMSG.