If you were at the UFC's Madison Square Garden presser a few weeks ago, you heard loud and clear how Dana White and company were banking on New York State Governor Andrew Coumo including a bill to legalize MMA in his 2011-2012 budget proposal. Well, that budget is out today (go here: http://publications.budget.state.ny.us/eBudget1112/fy1112littlebook/BriefingBook.pdf ), and the bad news is that there's no mention of our lovely sport anywhere in there. What does this mean? Basically, it means that if an MMA bill is getting passed this year, it's not sneaking in via the budget and it's getting passed the old fashioned way by going through the State Senate and Assembly - and getting voted on by a lot of people who think these kind of fights are to the death. And that mode hasn't worked so well in the past few years. However, on the plus side, it will be somewhat interesting to watch Lorenzo Fertita send his "boys" over to Governor Coumo's office to get back that $74,000 Zuffa donated to his election campaign. Hijinks! (On a side note, the budget proposal also calls for the elimination of the salary for the Chair of the State Athletic Commission. Rut-roh.)
