UFC president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta held a press conference at Madison Square Garden this week to reaffirm their commitment to have mixed martial arts sanctioned in New York.
The timing had a two-fold purpose: First, to put the issue back in the headlines as a new administration takes office in Albany, and, second, to begin promotion of UFC 128, which will be held at the Prudential Center in Newark on March 29. Light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will defend his title against former champ Rashad Evans in the main event.
Tickets for UFC’s third visit to Newark since 2007 are on sale and likely will attract the 17,000 fans and $4 million in gate revenue UFC 111 generated last March at the Prudential Center.
It will be yet another reminder of what New York is missing, which is roughly $23 million annually, according to an independent economic impact study commissioned by the UFC.
If this sounds like a broken record, it should. The UFC has been feverishly trying to get mixed martial arts sanctioned in New York. It thought it might happen in 2008, then again in 2009 and for sure in 2010. But here we go again.
White was armed with his economic impact study and was flanked by New York Assemblyman Dean Murray (R-Suffolk); Scott O’Neil, the President of Madison Square Garden Sports; and UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, who hails from Toms River, N.J. But what the UFC really needs is sanity to reign in the State Assembly.
A primary reason MMA has not become regulated in New York is because the legislature in New York has been a dysfunctional mess. It was part of Governor Paterson’s budget proposal during the last session, but sanctioning was blocked in the Assembly after being passed in the State Senate. The hope is the process will be more successful under new governor Andrew Cuomo.
“This past year, this budget was a mess,” said Murray, who is entering his first full term. “It was emergency extenders. It was hell. It wasn’t a real budget process. To be frank, I’m optimistic that if the governor does include it in his budget this time, I think it just might stick.”
Sure there are a few dissenters who view the sport as too brutal. What they don’t get is regulating MMA in New York ensures the health and safety of the fighters. Forty-four of the 48 states that have athletic commissions are sanctioning MMA, and it is simply ridiculous that New York — where boxing, hockey fights and the WWE are embraced — is not.
Truth is, the UFC does not need New York. It’s one of the fastest growing businesses on the planet, holding events worldwide.
“Can we continue to grow our business without the state of New York? Absolutely,” White said. “But why would we not be in the state of New York when we’re everywhere else in the world. It makes absolutely no sense.”
Still sporting a shiner from his New Year’s Day title defense in Las Vegas, Edgar talked about what it would mean to fight in the Garden.
“I can’t wait until I get to fight here,” he said. “Growing up and being from New Jersey, it’s been a lifelong dream to have a fight here at the Garden.”
➤ MMA star Fedor Emelianenko is looking forward to the eight-man heavyweight tournament put together by Strikeforce and Showtime. Coming off just the second loss of his career, the Russian will face Antonio Silva in the first round of the single-elimination tournament Feb. 12 at the Izod Center at the Meadowlands.
george.willis@nypost.com
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