Jared Smith Photo/File
Landslide vote legitimises MMA in New York
The final state in the union, which happens to contain the city with America's largest population, finally caved this week after more than a decade of lobbying pressure to allow licensed Mixed Martial Arts contests within its jurisdiction.
And with that landmark decision by the New York Assembly, the thin veil of opposition to MMA as a "blood sport", specifically its largest organisation the UFC, has been swept away.
To be very clear, the long, intolerable delay in getting MMA the freedom to be sanctioned by New York's State Athletic Commission had little to do with calls from critics about its violence and the risk of injury.
Boxing, right back to the old "bare knuckle" variety, has been legal in New York - the US's most profitable market for fighting audiences - for the better part of two centuries.
The UFC has negotiated, educated and worked through the legal channels to become sanctioned in far more conservative locales, such as recently in Australia's state of Victoria, and even the predominantly Muslim state of United Arab Emirates - which was over five years ago.
The bad old days when a lawless UFC was declared "human cockfighting" by one-time presidential candidate John McCain have long since gone, as the sport's leaders introduced defined rules and medical practices to "clean up" and legitimise MMA.
UFC's reach around the world, with sanctioned events every few weeks and big cards on PPV every few months, generates billions of dollars and has made international stars of its athletes, which include New Zealanders Mark Hunt, Dan Hooker and James Te Huna - although the latter is likely to be released after his fourth straight loss in Brisbane last weekend.
But the opposition from New York was found less in the church of conscience and instead at the buffet table.
The UFC was purchased, resurrected really, in the early 2000s by wealthy Las Vegas casino owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, who hired their friend to run the organisation - the ambitious and very astute fight promotor Dana White.
For years, the Fertittas were have been in a running battle with the powerful Las Vegas culinary union because they employ non-union staff in their kitchens.
The Las Vegas group is closely tied with Unite Here, a nationwide union which specialises in the hotel, food, laundry, warehouse and casino business.
Is the theme from The Sopranos starting to play in your head?
"The Las Vegas culinary union is what's holding this thing up," White fumed a few years ago.
"If we sold this company tomorrow, we'd be [sanctioned] in New York the next day. It's not even about the sport. It's about New York politics."
For years, the UFC had no hope of getting past the New York Assembly's long-time speaker Sheldon Silver - who steadfastly opposed the MMA bill (A04146A) to the point it could not even get to the "floor" of the assembly to be put to a vote.
Silver had the backing of New York State attorney general Eric Schneiderman, with both gentlemen being very tight with Unite Here.
It was called the "three men in a room" enigma - where Silver and his small group of cronies had over-reaching powers to decide what the other lawmakers in the Assembly could or could not bring forward for voting.
In the end, Silver was caught getting the 30 pieces of his surname.
He was deposed last January after being found guilty by a jury on seven federal corruption charges, namely taking kickbacks from a law firm that specialises in trying to reduce New York real estate tax, while also making US$750,000 from illegal investments through private vehicles.
Obviously a very moral man concerned about the physical dangers to pro athletes.
Even with Silver shown the door, the wheels turned slowly.
A potential vote last June was held back because the Assembly was so backlogged with voting bills to consider that many members, including the MMA supporters, had to go home because of prior commitments.
So, after being delayed another nine months, the fact the Tuesday (Wednesday NZ time) vote was a landslide 113-25 result in favour of MMA (only 76 "yes" were needed), makes you wonder just what all the moral fuss was about.
But I guess certain people needed time to wipe the grease from their palms.