UFC co-Chair & CEO Lorenzo Fertitta at a news conference Thursday at MSG "laid out an economic study focused on two things politicians find irresistible: job creation and tax revenues," as he tried to garner support for legalizing MMA in New York, according to Tim Smith of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Fertitta appeared along with two New York Assembly members, a state senator and UFC light heavyweight champion Chris Weidman as the UFC is "gearing up for another round" with the assembly in '14 after it has "voted to keep MMA illegal in each of the past six years." Fertitta said, "It's more frustrating than anything because when you look at why we're not allowed here, there's no argument that we're an unsafe sport or it shouldn't be held because of moral grounds. That doesn't exist anymore." Fertitta "trumpeted an independent report prepared for UFC" by consulting firm HR&A Advisors Inc., which states that legalized MMA would generate $135M "in annual economic activity for New York." Fertitta also said that the promotion "would open UFC-owned MMA training centers that would create jobs" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/22). In N.Y., Mitch Abramson writes UFC reps at the press conference "groused aloud why a sport that is legal in 49 states is still banned in New York." MMA supporters maintain that New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is "the sole impediment to the bill" to legalize MMA in the state "because of his union ties and that enough votes exist to go to a vote." Silver's office Thursday "disputed that idea." Silver's press secretary Michael Whyland in an e-mail wrote, "The speaker does not personally approve of MMA. But ultimately it is up to the members and there simply has not been enough support in the Democrat conference to bring it to a vote." But Fertitta said, "We believe we have the votes in the entire assembly" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/22).
HEAVY-HANDED: SPORTS ON EARTH's Tomas Rios wrote the UFC in its treatment of fighters is "employing corporate strategies one would expect in an oligarchy and this is perceived to be success by both the UFC and many of its fans." One of the "few good things to be said for the UFC on its 20th anniversary is that it has finally hit the steel ceiling of its own creation." This conception of the business "won't grow into any sort of mainstream force because not enough of the public is willing to celebrate the testosterone-drunk fiasco that the UFC packages around the sport it only somewhat sells." The UFC has "miscalculated just how far outright inhumanity can take them." Rios: "Twenty years from now, it would be nice to talk about how the UFC finally grew the hell up" (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 11/20).
