The New York State Senate voted today to pass bill S. 1707A, which would effectively reverse the ban on the sport of mixed martial arts and put the state’s athletic commission in charge of overseeing both amateur and professional contests. The bill passed by a vote of 42-18. Before the bill becomes law, it must also pass in the State Assembly via the Ways and Means Committee, a much tougher proposition given the opposition.
New York State Senate Votes To Legalize Mixed Martial Arts
This is not the first time a bill attempting to legalize MMA in New York has passed the state Senate. Bill S2165B passed the State Senate in June of 2010 by a vote of 32-26. Previous attempts also failed in 2009 and 2008.
While today’s passage in the Senate is certainly no guarantee the Assembly will follow suit, this is unequivocally a forward step towards the UFC’s and MMA community’s ultimate goal of having legalized mixed martial arts in New York.
More as this story develops.
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