I have been saying for quite a while that dependence on lobby money alone will not get us legalized Mixed Martial Arts in New York. Many critics of our coalition have suggested that we simply sit back and let Zuffa's (the UFC) lobby dollars pave the way to legalization. I have been told that speaking out makes no difference. This apathetic viewpoint by many New York Mixed Martial Arts fans has been discouraging. However, there have been many others who have joined the fight and have made a commitment to get off their couches, move away from their televisions to ACT and try to make a difference in the battle for New York MMA. This is encouraging!
Today, we sadly learned that filling the wallets of our politicians won't necessarily get us what we want. Despite the best efforts by Zuffa to pad the pockets of our newly elected Governor Cuomo, today we learned that Cuomo appears to have no intention of supporting our sport at this time. Not only is MMA notably missing from his budget, but he proposes eliminating the salary of the Chair of the Athletic Commission. This would not only seriously threaten MMA in NY, but all combat sports.
Good friend of the Coalition to Legalize MMA in NY, Justin Klein, comments on the situation here:
A Bad Day for Mixed Martial Arts in New York
Listen to No Holds Barred with Eddie Goldman as he discusses the severity of this new turn of events!
Here is what the Fight Nerd has to say on the subject:
MMA Absent from New Yrok Governor's New Budget - All Combat Sports in Trouble!
Jim Genia's Blog on the subject
Suddenly, our February 8th rally in lower Manhattan has become much more critical.
Rally details here
Now more than ever, we need to let our legislators know that we want MMA in NY. Be there on February 8th to show your support!
Stephen Koepfer
Founder, Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York
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