New York legalized MMA
New York was one of many US states to have banned MMA in the 1990s when it had fewer rules and was little regulation. However, those states gradually began to formally legalise the sport as it began to implement more stringent rule and regulations.
That is all but one state: New York. The state with the Statue of Liberty and Madison Square Garden banned the sport in 1997 and remains the only state where MMA remains illegal, despite repeated attempts to reverse this.
The ‘fight’ to legalise MMA in New York is a top priority of MMA organisations like the UFC, which is of little surprise given the economic might of the state. Madison Square Garden is a well-known stadium and landmark in New York City and an MMA event held there could potentially attract upwards of 20,000 spectators.
That would be a major benefit to MMA organisations and the local economy, which is why a bill to formally legalise the sport is currently set to be voted on in the state’s Assembly for a fifth straight year.
