tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24677113021860819042024-02-28T03:51:41.365-05:00The MMA JournalistBecause There's A Fistfight Going On Somewhere In New York Right Now, And You Should Know About ItJim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.comBlogger5540125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-73007799606004096662016-11-16T23:25:00.001-05:002016-11-16T23:25:34.846-05:00UFC 205, And The Evidence of Things UnseenNEW YORK<br />
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On November 2, 2013, Dagestani boxer Magomed Abdulsalamov fought before a cheering crowd at Madison Square Garden. He fought his heart out, fought to the final bell, fought until his brain was bleeding. But the New York State Athletic Commission – tasked to protect him and every other professional pugilist who laces up the gloves in the state – ignored his plight. Then came the coma and the stroke, the $100 million lawsuit and the investigation by the Inspector General. Ask my eight-year-old daughter about the “Butterfly Effect” and she’ll spin a yarn about time travel, and how one event can send out ripples that irrevocably change the future. On Saturday, November 12, 2016, the UFC came to Madison Square Garden for the first time, came to New York for the first time since the 1997 ban on pro mixed martial arts. They had to pay over $40,000 to insure the fighters, an amount heretofore unheard of in combat sports, and they had to work with an athletic commission that had never before sanctioned fights in an octagon-shaped cage.<br />
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Abdulsalamov never saw that butterfly land on him on that night three years ago. But it did. And New York would never be the same.<br />
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Khabib Nurmagomedov could be the UFC’s lightweight champ one day, has certainly been making a case for it, and his penchant for throwing nearly everyone to the canvas and beating them bloody made him the perfect candidate for what the UFC knew needed to be a violent, thrill-packed card. So he came to the Big Apple early in the week and made a beeline for his friend Abdulsalamov, visiting his countryman like he does every time he comes to New York. “I know him when I was a small kid,” Nurmagomedov tells me. “We trained together a couple years.”<br />
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While Abdulsalamov slept his slumber of blood clots and loss of motor skills, the boxing world could not have foreseen the calamity it would bring to it, or maybe it could. Maybe the writing was on the wall with how much progress the UFC was making each successive year in getting the ban lifted. Maybe they could sense something brewing with the subpoenas, depositions and state investigators dropping by to ask questions, and is it true New York State Athletic Commission Chairwoman Melvina Latham accepted a gift of jewelry from a promoter? Was a Commission inspector really more concerned with collecting fighters’ wraps to sell on e-Bay than with the boxer who was fainting over and over again in the locker room with blood trickling out of his ears? It’s possible that the boxing world – the collective promoters, managers, trainers et al. – could see the change that was coming. But whether they did or didn’t is irrelevant.<br />
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In March of this year Abdulsalamov was no longer sleeping but he was forever a changed man, and the bill finally passed that would legalize mixed martial arts. Contained within was the crushing straight left of a million-dollar brain injury insurance requirement that would in theory help future Abdulsalamovs, or at least protect the State from its own negligence. It would also make promoting fights prohibitively expensive for all but the deepest of pockets. The shakeups at the Athletic Commission came next, the firings and resignations and reassignments, and suddenly there loomed the big question: When the UFC comes to town for their massive show at MSG, would the Commission be up to the task of making sure the fighters were safe?<br />
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“I think about this a little bit,” says Nurmagomedov about the Commission protecting him. “But if God wants it to happen, everything happens. Nobody knows what happens next minute. That’s why I stay focused.”<br />
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The New York Department of State (DOS) runs the Commission, and with Governor Andrew Cuomo’s MMA Bill-signing photo op at MSG in April and promises of hiring experts to get the job done, there was hope that the DOS would make things work. But the firing of Commission Executive Director David Berlin led to a New York Times story on the unreleased Inspector General’s report, and suddenly more heads rolled, with Chairman Tom Hoover exiting in disgrace and an overseeing DOS Deputy Secretary switched out for someone with more clout. An MMA Coordinator was hired – Kim Sumbler, formerly of the Seneca Nation of Indians Athletic Commission – and rules and regulations were codified. Meanwhile, all pro boxing ceased to exist, the promoters singing in unison about how the insurance requirements had killed them. Take a step back and squint your eyes, and it almost looked as if the New York State had purposely traded in its ten-ounce gloves for the ones that weighed less than half that, the kind of fingerless gloves that allow for both knockouts and rear naked chokes.<br />
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When the news breaks early in the UFC 205 fight week that Rashad Evans has been removed from the card by the Commission, there’s more speculation than facts. The Commission won’t comment – can’t comment, thanks to its privacy policy and the rumor that they’re forbidden to speak to the media – and only until Evans addresses the matter do we learn that it was an irregularity with his MRI and that he’ll soon be rebooked for an upcoming UFC event in another jurisdiction.<br />
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“Why won’t the New York commission let him fight but another commission will?” is the common refrain, followed by, “Is the medical issue really that bad?” And yet no one can hear the flutter of those butterfly wings from three years ago, and see how, because of Abdulsalamov, this Commission’s willingness to take any kind of risk lies somewhere between zero and “no freakin’ way”. Of course an irregular MRI means Evans is off the card. Of course. It’s likely that there were even discussions within the Commission to consider bad omens and superstitions as disqualifiers.<br />
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When Friday comes, so too comes the weigh-ins, which take place in an official capacity early in the day (the ceremonial ones will take place in MSG’s arena before a crowd of over 15,000 later on). It’s at the early weigh-ins that we learn of the Athletic Commission’s requirements that fighters be within certain pound limits of each other. On a card where everyone makes weight, this would never be an issue, but the Fates have something else in store for UFC 205.<br />
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Fighting at welterweight like he’s been doing lately, Donald Cerrone makes weight and the result is recorded. His opponent, Kelvin Gastelum, has had a bad cut and won’t be anywhere near there, and doesn’t even bother to step on the scale. The word is he’s around 178 pounds. In another jurisdiction, it’s possible that “Cowboy” could have agreed to accept the fight despite the disparity. Not here, though. No difference greater than five pounds is the word handed down from the Commission, words uttered aloud too late. Because if Cerrone had known of that maximum differential, a UFC handler could’ve told him to hurriedly scarf down a cheeseburger or two in the back, with the goal to get him up to 173 pounds before his weight was made official.<br />
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A similar situation plays out with Thiago Alves and Jim Miller, with the Brazilian too heavy for lightweight. But by this time everyone is aware of the new rule, and Miller is told to stop cutting weight and put some back on. He does, and Alves versus Miller is saved.<br />
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Between pulling Evans from the card and the weigh-ins debacle, it’s obvious these uncharted waters upon which the Commission sails might prove too treacherous to navigate, that by the time the main event is done, Commission and DOS brass alike may very well find themselves shipwrecked on the jagged rocks that sank them in that Abdulsalamov bout three years ago. When Bruce Buffer is handed the card with the official decision in the Tyron Woodley/Stephen Thompson fight, a card that reads “split decision” when the scores mean “majority draw”, it’s not hard to imagine the sounds of snapping timbers and breached hull. The only thing that needs to happen now is for a fighter to get injured and for the Commission to fail them, and the ship will go down…<br />
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Back at UFC 34 in Las Vegas, it was possible for a credentialed journalist to go backstage and visit the locker rooms, to poke his nose in the grinding gears of the machine as it hummed, and look on as doctors stitched fighters up or, in the worse cases, as doctors helped strap the fighters to gurneys so the ambulance could take them away. But that access disappeared years ago. Nowadays, to divine what goes on beyond the press room and the assigned seats, one must analyze the evidence of things unseen.<br />
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For UFC 205, the evidence comes in the Commission’s choice of referees. Instead of connected know-nothings who got their assignment because they were tight with the Commission Chairman, veteran officials John McCarthy, Dan Miragliotta and Keith Peterson rule the cage (when Frankie Edgar accidentally takes a finger to the eye, Peterson pauses the bout and has a doctor check him, despite Edgar’s insistence that he’s fine).<br />
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The evidence comes when Dr. Sherry Wulkan appears in the Octagon, Wulkan so experienced and skilled that she runs the show for the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board as its medical chief.<br />
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The evidence comes in the choice of judges, in the number of fighters sent to the hospital for more extensive post-fight care and in the suspensions handed down to the injured, like Chris Weidman, who took a knee to the eye and wore his grotesque wound like a half a Halloween mask at the press conference afterwards.<br />
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Ultimately, the evidence comes in the complete and utter lack of athletes succumbing to brain bleeds, falling prey to comas and strokes and ruining combat sports in New York forevermore.<br />
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A pessimist might say that the Commission had help in the form of UFC executive Marc Ratner, who ran the Nevada State Athletic Commission in a past life, and who remains the backbone of the UFC’s sanctioning apparatus for when they run shows in jurisdictions that lack sanctioning bodies of their own. A pessimist might say that the New York State Athletic Commission leaned heavily on the wisdom of Mohegan Tribe commission director Mike Mazzulli, and that of course the New York Commission sought help, otherwise they would’ve all been fired.<br />
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But not even the dangling Sword of Damocles ensures decisions that lead to the best outcomes, and for a commission that very nearly let a boxer die three years ago because of the grossest of negligence, an event that ends with its fighters unharmed (relatively speaking) can only be considered a success. It doesn’t matter that the New York Commission got help – it matters that they asked for and accepted it.<br />
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After the legions of Irish had finished their celebratory rampage through the streets of Manhattan, and the Octagon was disassembled and stowed for travel to its next destination, I asked around about how the Commission had done. “Marvelously” was the consensus between two different high-ranking sources (who shall remain anonymous).<br />
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What happened to Abdulsalamov can only be described as tragic, and it’s very likely that the Powers That Be in New York would be happy to never see another boxing card in the state now that they’ve tested the splendor and tax revenue that is a Conor McGregor-headlined UFC event at Madison Square Garden. But what truly matters is that UFC 205 went down in the history books for all the right reasons, reasons that have nothing to do with institutional incompetence and corruption.<br />
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There were no butterflies on Saturday night. And when it comes to New York and the sanctioning of mixed martial arts – and the inaugural performance of a commission determined not to repeat the mistakes that mar its past – there are perhaps none in our future.<br />
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After almost 20 years of nothing, you can't ask for more.<br />
<br />Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-41206214046282344182016-11-13T02:06:00.001-05:002016-11-13T02:06:39.490-05:00The McGregor Fans Celebrating Outside MSG<iframe src="http://ift.tt/2fIO5nS" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br />
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Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-47920258807390150452016-11-12T19:32:00.001-05:002016-11-12T19:32:46.734-05:00UFC 205: Press Life<iframe src="http://ift.tt/2fI7epX" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br />
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Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-23578842259675076442016-11-12T11:42:00.002-05:002016-11-12T11:42:20.356-05:00UFC 205 Predictions by CV SportsNEW YORK<br />
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I'm all about spreading the love, so here's something CV Sports sent me.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c2YqapFIrNo" width="560"></iframe>Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-68199902651968232932016-11-11T17:01:00.001-05:002016-11-11T17:01:30.313-05:00Weigh-Ins - An Hour Before the Madness<iframe src="http://ift.tt/2eLcsiJ" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br />
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Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-31191967951128327742016-11-11T09:23:00.001-05:002016-11-11T09:23:12.359-05:00Eddie and Conor Scuffled With a Chair, Because of Course They DidNEW YORK<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n70vBf7wfZ0" width="560"></iframe>Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-7166831383183243432016-11-10T15:48:00.001-05:002016-11-10T15:48:03.411-05:00New York Gets the Fight It Deserves<iframe src="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMpMJM9BEbe/embed" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br />
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Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-45569613969951392262016-11-10T15:29:00.001-05:002016-11-10T15:29:53.094-05:00Conor McGregor Gets Both Belts<iframe src="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMpKDnmhmkz/embed" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br />
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Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-49880880601760299222016-11-10T12:01:00.001-05:002016-11-10T12:01:05.994-05:00Times Square Billboard, Baby<iframe src="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMoyLGGB53i/embed" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br />
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Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-13180349562999402162016-11-09T15:35:00.001-05:002016-11-09T15:35:05.954-05:00Khabib Nurmagomedov Talks Injured Boxer Abdulsalamov and Athletic CommissionNEW YORK<br />
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Turns out UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov grew up with Russian boxer Magomed Abdulsalamov, who suffered brain damage a couple years ago after a bout at Madison Square Garden that saw the New York State Athletic Commission drop the ball in giving him postfight care. Abdulsalamov's plight, and the NYSAC's inaction, are the reason why there's a $1 million brain injury insurance coverage requirement in New York.Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-34915855869104848482016-11-09T15:27:00.002-05:002016-11-09T15:27:38.155-05:00A Look Inside the UFC 205 Media Day SetupNEW YORK<br />
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UFC 205 media day. Where men are men and girls are a welcome relief.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-u6nKFhd2Lc" width="560"></iframe>Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-3664822178617794402016-11-09T12:40:00.001-05:002016-11-09T12:40:15.374-05:00Some Irish Dude...<iframe src="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMmR2haBki7/embed" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br />
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Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-41112791400947261532016-11-09T12:04:00.001-05:002016-11-09T12:04:50.776-05:00Wonderboy Practicing His Katas<iframe src="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMmNzlohMMC/embed" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br />
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Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-66370378647115331852016-11-09T10:57:00.001-05:002016-11-09T10:57:51.077-05:00Champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk Hitting the Mitts<iframe src="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMmGI0rh_39/embed" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br />
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Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-10604367876854593102016-11-09T10:48:00.001-05:002016-11-09T10:48:56.006-05:00Champ Eddie Alvarez Showing the Fans Some Love<iframe src="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMmFHvghRxk/embed" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br />
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Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-31914999323708354162016-11-09T09:56:00.001-05:002016-11-09T09:56:50.829-05:00The Most Beautiful Thing In The World<iframe src="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMl_KIaBPiF/embed" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br />
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Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-82477429694047583352016-11-07T19:25:00.005-05:002016-11-07T19:25:47.980-05:00Check Out This Sweet UFC 205 FanzineNEW YORK<br />
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<a href="https://champions.co/fanzine/ufc-205" target="_blank">Champions Fanzine</a>. That's what's up. Oh, and look who wrote the first story in it...Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-69516278821900810982016-11-06T08:00:00.000-05:002016-11-06T08:00:04.366-05:00The Definitive UFC 205 in NYC Fight Week Itinerary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The UFC in New York City! UFC 205, breaking ground at Madison Square Garden! Dogs and cats, living together - Mass hysteria! Yes, folks, the very thing we've been waiting 20 years for is finally happening, and just like in days of yore when the circus came to town, the week leading up to this momentous, magnificent occasion will be jam-packed with activities and gatherings guaranteed to whet the appetite of any - and every - fight fan. So of course, as I am wont to do, I've compiled a list of the daily goings-on leading up to the epic UFC at MSG itself.<br />
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Not listed are the afterparties - and there will surely be plenty of them - but I'm an old, boring man who will be seeking the comforts of his bed after a post-UFC 205 press conference that likely won't end until 3am, so whatevs. Also not listed: all the fighter-led seminars at local gyms on Monday, Nov. 14, and there are a few of those.<br />
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<b>Wednesday, Nov. 9</b><br />
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<li>UFC 205 open workouts at MSG, starting at 9:30am. On hand will be Conor McGregor, Eddie Alvarez and the rest of the main card's championship bout participants. This event is free to the public, although I think you have to get tickets.</li>
<li>Nick Diaz no-gi seminar at the Renzo Gracie affiliate in Jersey City </li>
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<b>Thursday, Nov. 10</b><br />
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<li>UFC 205 press conference at the MSG Theater. This one is free and open to the public as well (you just need to have a ticket), and with McGregor there, it will be a good opportunity to get nailed by a thrown water bottle.</li>
<li>HEADRUSH apparel is opening up a pop-up store down in Nolita (171 Elizabeth Street), and on hand will be Dustin Poirier and Tecia Torres. </li>
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<b>Friday, Nov. 11</b><br />
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<li>UFC 205 weigh-ins at MSG starting at 6pm. This is open to the public as well, and requires tickets (see Ticketmaster).</li>
<li>HEADRUSH's Nolita popup, with Arianny Celeste and Brittany Palmer. </li>
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<li>Nick and Nate Diaz with Joe Schilling meet-and-greet, at Stout NYC (133 West 33rd Street). This kicks off at 7pm. </li>
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<ul>
<li>SiriusXM RUSH's UFC 205 Party (Legends Bar & Grill, 6 West 33rd Street), from 4:30 to 9pm. The <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-oLog6NLp1SxYc5SmqLC6G_xvoy4zJ7q5cjH6LA0H60yj9g/viewform?c=0&w=1" target="_blank">website</a> says something about a gift bag, which, hey, free stuff!</li>
<li>FloCombat's meet-and-greet Beer Authority (300 West 40th Street), at 8pm. </li>
</ul>
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<b>Saturday, Nov. 12</b><br />
<ul>
<li>UFC 205 at MSG, starting at 6pm. I don't need to explain this one, do I?</li>
</ul>
I know I called this list "definitive", but that was hyperbole. There are bound to be more events popping off, as well as industry parties and such that plebs like you and I can't get into. Still, the UFC will be at MSG - how awesome is that?Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-38875717292138033682016-10-11T12:07:00.001-04:002016-10-11T12:07:39.664-04:00UFC 205 Poster Is All That and Then SomeNEW YORK<br />
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<br />Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-37382387106283389552016-09-01T23:36:00.001-04:002016-09-01T23:36:04.839-04:00It's September 1 - The Following Things Are Now Illegal in New YorkNEW YORK<br />
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September 1 is upon us, and with it comes the dawn of a new age in New York combative sports. That's right, folks, the legislative bill Governor Andrew Cuomo signed back in April - you remember, the one lifting the 1997 ban on professional MMA bouts - officially takes effect today. So what does that mean?<br />
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Obviously, it means there will soon be UFC events at Madison Square Garden (and at the Times Union Center in Albany), as well as WSOFs, ROCs, CFFCs and others making at least one or two appearances in the Empire State. It also means a lot of continued fretting about the new million-dollar brain injury insurance policy requirement, and lamenting by the boxing industry. But perhaps most important, it means there are a bunch of things suddenly made illegal by the new law.<br />
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Because I'm all about keeping my beloved New York brethren informed, I've made a list of things that will violate either the law or the brand-spanking new rules and regulations the New York State Athletic Commission voted into existence just yesterday. Do these things at your peril!<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Organize, promote or participate in an amateur MMA event not sanctioned by the Athletic Commission or an approved third-party organization - </u></b>The 1997 Combative Sports Law had a sweet loophole in it that allowed for unsanctioned combative sporting events as long as the competitors were unpaid amateurs. But that loophole is gone now. In its place we have a new definition of combative sport that reads: <i>"'Combative sport' means any unarmed bout, contest, competition, match, or exhibition undertaken to entertain an audience, wherein the participants primarily grapple or wrestle, or deliver blows of any kind to, or use force in any way to manipulate, the body of another participant, and wherein the outcome and score depend entirely on such activities."</i> Notice how there's no mention of the words "professional" or "amateur" in there? That's because the phrase "combative sport" is now all encompassing. To further hammer this home, the new statute says this: <i>"The conduct of combative sports outside of the supervision of the commission or an authorized sanctioning entity is prohibited."</i> Bottom line: Every combative sporting event in New York State must be sanctioned by the Athletic Commission or a third-party organization authorized by the Commission. Violating this law is a Class A misdemeanor, and can result in a $10,000 fine and a suspension. Yikes!</li>
<li><u><b>Act as a sanctioning organization without getting a license from the Athletic Commission to do so -</b></u> As per the new Commission <a href="http://www.dos.ny.gov/athletic/pdfs/9-1-16%20rule%20text%20%20final.pdf">rules and regulations</a>, <i>"No sanctioning entity shall engage, directly or indirectly, in the oversight, conduct or authorization of any combative sport match or exhibition in this State unless it shall have first procured the appropriate license and authorization from the Commission."</i> In other words, you cannot self-sanction your event, and you cannot have the XYZ Association or Joe's Cut-Rate Sanctioning oversee your show if they haven't gone through the Commission's application process and gotten approval. Here's the <a href="http://www.dos.ny.gov/forms/athletic/en/Sanctioning%20Entity.pdf">application for prospective third-party sanctioning organizations</a>, but before you click that link, just know that the application fee is $1,000, you're going to need bonds for $10,000 and $20,000, and there's hella insurance coverage you're going to have to get before the Commission gives you their stamp of approval.</li>
<li><u><b>Hold an event without first giving the Athletic Commission ten days notice -</b></u> Assuming you're an approved sanctioning entity, you have to notify the Commission of any fight shows ten days in advance. There's even a form to fill out, which you can <a href="http://www.dos.ny.gov/forms/athletic/en/10%20Day%20Sanctioing.pdf">find here</a>. As per the Commission's rules and regulations, <i>"No such matches or exhibitions may be held until such notice is filed with the Commission."</i></li>
<li><b><u>Fight in an amateur MMA bout without getting a Mixed Martial Arts National Identification Card -</u></b> You know how amateur boxers have that cute little book that gets stamped when they fight? MMA fighters get an ID card now - yay! Here's the <a href="http://www.dos.ny.gov/forms/athletic/en/National%20Application.pdf">application for that one</a>.</li>
</ul>
So many new rules and regulations to follow, so many guidelines that must be adhered to - what has New York State become?<br />
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Less lawless. That's for sure.Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-72743895686326501752016-08-15T12:07:00.000-04:002016-08-15T12:07:29.999-04:00Columbia University Symposium on MMA in New York Tomorrow NightNEW YORK<br />
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We're forging into the great unknown with the new Combative Sports Law lifting the ban on pro MMA and the New York State Athletic Commission in upheaval. What does the future hold? Sure, the UFC and the World Series of Fighting are coming to the Big Apple, but what about the regional-level promotions? And what of the multitude of amateur shows?<br />
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These questions - plus plenty more - will be tackled tomorrow night at a symposium at Columbia University. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sports-management-mixed-martial-arts-mma-symposium-registration-26825926067?aff=efbnreg">The details are here</a>, but the gist of it is that I'm moderating this discussion, and the panel includes the UFC's hired lobbying gun David Weinraub, former NYSAC executive director David Berlin, and a bunch of other people with keen insight on MMA in New York.<br />
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Come on by. Don't be shy.<br />
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<br />Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-84109328322127123692016-07-26T06:59:00.003-04:002016-07-26T06:59:21.405-04:00Aggressive Combat Championship 16 PosterNEW YORK<br />
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<br />Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-13003320204169468252016-06-28T11:27:00.002-04:002016-06-28T11:27:41.922-04:00TNT Fight Series PosterNEW YORK<br />
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<br />Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-3899624750808568802016-06-25T11:18:00.000-04:002016-06-25T11:19:52.396-04:00Five Reasons Why You Should Care About Aggressive Combat Championships 15NEW YORK<br />
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Tonight's going to be a busy night in New York City, and a big part of that flurry of activity is because of Aggressive Combat Championships 15, which will take over the Queens Theater in Flushing Meadows Park. Why should you care about this event? Well, I've got five good reasons!<br />
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<ul>
<li>Destiny Quinones - She's had her ups and down in the cage, but Quinones has become a staple in the Big Apple scene, and has carved out a name for herself as a tough fighter and hard scrapper.</li>
<li>Steve Inoshima -Although his realm is striking, Inoshima has been bringing the heat and intensity for a long time. Almost always, that translates into excitement.</li>
<li>Dami Powerson - As his name implies, this dude's got power, which he's used to smoke more than a few opponents. Powerson was awarded the belt when his last opponent bailed, so tonight's bout should see him prove the doubters wrong once and for all.</li>
<li>Jillian DeCoursey - DeCoursey is currently the best female fighter in all the Five Boroughs - maybe even all of New York State. She alone justifies the price of admission.</li>
<li>Take a look at this card and note how many top NYC gyms are being represented. That's a badass fight card!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbOU_Vjg3JY7QljAiuGwLkdIxY7ewAabMdEJNXv21jUJDPfDqjyDnw6lY1H4BdgdN3KYqBc8e2jIKGelQSs3N4CjKKp8m4FvmTS5Z9k4R-WKUfWhdGlyxeIMU50P1BRRPgV10y3UXrqY/s1600/ACC+15+bout+sheet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbOU_Vjg3JY7QljAiuGwLkdIxY7ewAabMdEJNXv21jUJDPfDqjyDnw6lY1H4BdgdN3KYqBc8e2jIKGelQSs3N4CjKKp8m4FvmTS5Z9k4R-WKUfWhdGlyxeIMU50P1BRRPgV10y3UXrqY/s640/ACC+15+bout+sheet.png" width="546" /></a></li>
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Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467711302186081904.post-77005108304274341492016-06-06T14:18:00.001-04:002016-06-06T14:18:23.113-04:00Lock Down Poster<b>NEW YORK</b><br />
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<br />Jim Geniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353993336021805497noreply@blogger.com0