Incumbent New York State Assemblyman Bob Reilly, who has long been the most vocal adversary to the legalizion of pro MMA in the Empire State, is currently in a hotly-contested battle for re-election. But just how relevant is his re-election to the cause of repealing the State's ban on the sport? Not relevant at all. As a member of the Tourism, Arts and Sports Development Committee, Reilly had the juice to derail things in 2008, but when it came time to debate the issue in 2009 and 2010, he got his ass kicked (i.e., out-voted). A Senate coup and a lame-duck governor were the only reasons the legalization bills fizzled these past two years, and thanks to newly-elected governor Andrew Coumo - who took a $75,000 campaign donation from the folks at Zuffa - the smart money is on those stumbling blocks never being encountered again. So when is pro MMA getting legalized here and when is the UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator and ROC coming to Madison Square Garden? Who knows. But what is known that whether it does or does not happen, Bob Reilly's post as Chief Hater of the Assembly matters not at all. After all, it hasn't mattered for a while now.
