New Blood And Hard Times Bring The UFC Closer To New York
Madison Square Garden
It looks like the floundering U.S. economy is actually good for some things. A new ESPN.com article reports that the UFC is poised for yet another run at legalizing MMA in New York, with dollars and cents being at the forefront of the persuasive argument:
“The UFC also commissioned an independent economic impact study that showed a UFC event would generate $11.5 million for the city. [Dana] White said “We’re thrilled about the prospect of bringing our sport to New York and hope that legislators will recognize the tremendous economic opportunity it represents.”
“…Meanwhile, Gov. Paterson is cutting programs and paychecks to address a $15 billion deficit in the state budget, and New York mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered $1.4 billion in budget cuts last month. Ignoring the income MMA and the UFC could bring to the state and city would seem fiscally irresponsible.”
The article also reminds us that Melvina Lathan, a former boxing judge who was recently elected new chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission, is “a proponent of MMA and supports its legalization in New York.”
So there is hope yet for a groundbreaking Madison Square Garden UFC event in 2009, but it won’t come that easy. The bill for mixed martial arts legalization (No. S02858) must be approved by the New York Senate and state house before Governor David Paterson can sign on the dotted line. The legislative session begins once again tomorrow, January 7th, in Albany.
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Eh, whatever, I want the UFC to do an event in NC that the public can attend… I really don’t care about NY… no offense to those that live there.
What’s wrong with Texas? Just because they beat Ohio State, or because they are responsible for over 50% of the US GDP?
hey shut up man!
texas didnt win that game we lost it
I typical Tressel fashion… Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Not as long as he’s coaching.
If an event comes to NYC it should be UFC 100 on July 4th. That would be the greatest event EVER!!!
EVA!!!!!!
im da gwetest fawter eva!!! eva!!!…hahaha! phil baroni!
msg and the ufc is a match made in heaven. ive neva been to the garden but i can only imagine how sick a ufc would b in that place. and o by the by mid-hudson civic center would b a great place for a fight night.
this is a MMA site not a college football site. quit talkin about bowl games. go to espn.com if yall wanna do that
hey why dont yall be quite you dont have an accent when your typing do you so why do you type “yall”
also i like college football and other sports besides mma so ya…..and also to add to your argument your name isnt jenkins yet for some reason your name on here is jenkins??????..is ur first name leroy lol jk man
its only a matter o time now right on.
The UFC having a market in NY is critical to its growth-it gives the east coast a high end fight destination-c’mon MSG,The $ to be made here by them isn’t a small feet + the mass exposure,if its big here its a global entity,not tht UFC isn’t already but tht saying of “if u can make it here u can make it any where” stands true- Sorry naw sayers but its the truth-There big players($) in NYC,+ANYTHING THTS ANYTHING TAKES PLACE AT THE GARDEN
The Garden sucks as a venue, sorry to disappoint you.
i don’t like oklahoma! DOES THAT PISS ANYONE OFF?
Oklahoma not so bueno, I dislike Oklahoma.. been there twice in ‘08 i hate Oklahoma
Ur a fool to say it sucks as a venue- 1st I’m saying it on historic merit-all great events had to be in MSG-2nd unlike a lot of other arenas the garden has remaind intake still-So sorry if u had a bad time there,or u season tics to the Knicks r non refundable,but me and millions of others have enjoyed concerts,circus,boxing,& even the WWE-so the Ufc is desten for it(if & whn NY legalizes it)
are you mobile? or non-native to english?
Gross Domestic Product, it’s a measure of economic productivity.