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Grisanti to meet with UFC executive team to discuss MMA in New York

by jmaloni
Tue, Nov 15th 2011 02:10 pm

State Sen. Mark Grisanti will have a meeting to discuss the regulation of mixed martial arts in New York in order to discuss the growing economic development potential the sport has brought to regions around the world. MMA was banned in New York in the 1990s when the sport was known as a no-holds barred exhibition without rules or regulations.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship, the premier MMA league, changed that mindset by establishing one of the strongest set of rules and regulations of any sport, resulting in a proliferation of states regulating the sport. New York is the last state in the country with an explicit statutory ban.

Grisanti says the success of the UFC has brought economic benefits to cities around the country and the globe. An exhibition in Toronto last spring set a record of $11 million in sales with more than 50,000 tickets sold. An independent study done a couple of years ago indicated that Buffalo could reap almost $5 million in benefits from one exhibition. UFC dominates pay-per-view TV and, last weekend, UFC debuted on Fox with its first live show on network television.

The UFC will have its executive team present on Wednesday, Nov. 16, to discuss the potential growth and economic benefits associated with the sport.

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