Officials and fighters from UFC were in Albany yesterday “to meet with legislators to discuss the long-stalled professional MMA legalization effort in New York,” according to Matthew Hamilton of the Albany TIMES UNION. Bills have “passed the Republican-controlled state Senate in recent years but have been stalled in the Democratic-dominated Assembly due primarily to opposition from former Speaker Sheldon Silver, who was arrested last month on federal corruption charges.” The new speaker, Carl Heastie, has “sponsored bills to legalize MMA -- suggesting to advocates that they now have an opportunity to make MMA a state-sanctioned professional sport.” There are “signs that the Assembly will take action this session.” Majority Leader Joe Morelle “sent a memo to fellow members two weeks ago prodding them to sign on to his legalization bill.” State Rep. Angelo Santabarbara “has been whipping up support for Morelle's bill and said more than 60 legislators are on board, with another 15 to 20 open to legalization.” If a legalization bill passes the Legislature, advocates are “hopeful Gov. Andrew Cuomo will sign it.” UFC co-Chair & CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said that officials from his organization have “spoken to the governor, and Cuomo has not indicated that he is opposed to MMA.” Fertitta said that a fight at MSG “would be one of the biggest events that arena has ever hosted” (Albany TIMES UNION, 3/4).
