Same story as above, different writer.

Potential MMA regulation passes major hurdle in New York state
MMAjunkie.com Staff, MMAjunkie.com
Jun 3, 3:29 pm EDT

Buzz up!1 vote PrintThe fight for mixed-martial-arts regulation in the potentially lucrative New York market cleared a major hurdle today.

The New York State Assembly's Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports today garnered a favorable vote for Bill 2009-B, which would call for the New York State Athletic Commission to regulate MMA.

MMAjunkie.com medical columnist Dr. Johnny Benjamin, who helped state politicians form arguments in favor of the sports and its safety, today confirmed the vote passed with a 14-6 margin.

Eleven votes were needed to pass the bill beyond the committee.

"We've cleared a huge hurdle in getting it [past] our committee," Michael Kim, assistant to New York Assemblyman (and bill supporter) Steven Englebright, stated in an email. "Until today, we had never gotten it [past] our committee."

However, before it heads to the Assembly floor, the bill must first clear New York's Codes Committee, which will inspect the legal details of the bill.

The biggest hurdle, though, was getting the bill out of the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports. Although MMA's most prominent organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, entered the fight with a massive public-awareness campaign, the bill faced heavy opposition, most notably from Assemblyman Bob Reilly.

"MMA is sport with an excellent track record of being proactive when it comes to fighter safety," Dr. Benjamin said. "I'm happy that I could play a small role to help further that message."

The UFC has long desired to hold an event in New York, which lasted hosted a UFC event in 1995, when "UFC 7: The Brawl in Buffalo" took place in front of 9,000 spectators at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.

The state banned MMA two years later.