Supporters of MMA "have again lost the fight to legalize the sport in New York," as the state Assembly was "set to end the legislative session Thursday night without taking up the bill," according to Kenneth Lovett of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. New York "remains the only state in the nation that still does not sanction the sport." Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, the bill’s main sponsor, "believed he had enough Democratic votes to bring the bill to the floor." But Morelle said that a number of supporters "were not in Albany" on Thursday, the last day of the legislative session, "dooming the bill’s chances." UFC VP/Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner said he was "very very disappointed." Ratner: "This is the closest we've ever been" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/26). FOXSPORTS.com's Damon Martin reported despite "having the votes when the final voting session began, the MMA bill never made it before the assembly to officially pass the order and legalize the sport in New York" (FOXSPORTS.com, 6/25).
YOU'RE COVERED: On Long Island, Mark La Monica notes Morelle "amended legislation last week that included" a $1M minimum insurance policy "for fighters who suffer life-threatening brain injuries stemming from a fight in New York, funded by MMA promoters." This also "would apply to boxing and pro wrestling." The new legislation also "established clear guidelines as to what constitutes professional MMA -- as opposed to amateur MMA, which has been legal and unregulated in New York for years" (NEWSDAY, 6/26).
