Legislative Leanings: Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz on MMA

NEW YORK

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz on the MMA bill:

I have serious concerns about the impact of a sport such as Mixed Martial Arts on the mental and physical health of participants, particularly at a time when we are just beginning to understand the long-term effects of sports-related injuries like concussions. However, as with any other bill that crosses my desk during the legislative session, I will carefully consider the merits of a proposal to legalize the sport.

Zuffa to Battle New York in Court on March 5, And What It Means

NEW YORK

The tide of battle may have shifted on the legislative side of Zuffa's campaign to get MMA sanctioned here in New York, but the judicial angle still rages with the intensity of a bloody border conflict, and the next volley of Constitutional artillery is slated to be exchanged on March 5. What exactly is going down then?

Victory: Road to MSG Poster

NEW YORK

Friday Night Fights Poster

NEW YORK

Legislative Leanings: Assemblyman Richard Gottfried on MMA

NEW YORK

Assemblyman Richard Gottfried on MMA in New York:

To answer your questions, Assembly Member Gottfried is opposed to lifting the ban on MMA. He has not reviewed the question of MMA at non-professional events, and has no position on it at this time.

Asylum Fight League 48 Poster

NEW JERSEY

Legislative Leanings: Assemblyman Robin Schimminger on MMA

NEW YORK

Assemblyman Robin Schimmer of Kenmore, N.Y. on MMA:

The mixed martial arts legislation has not been addressed in any committee of which I am a member of or on the Assembly floor. I am not an MMA enthusiast and am not inclined to support the legislation should it come before me for a vote.

Legislative Leanings: Assemblyman Michael Benedetto on MMA

NEW YORK

Thanks to Speaker Sheldon Silver resigning over corruption charges and Assemblyman Carl Heastie - an MMA supporter - taking his place, the bill that would lift the ban on professional MMA in New York has some legislative traction. Now, for the first time in years, we can start playing the politics game and begin counting who in the Assembly would likely vote "yes". But who, beyond the 2015 MMA bill's 53 sponsors, would give their thumbs up?

To answer that, The MMA Journalist has reached out to every Assembly member whose name isn't attached to the bill and asked for their stance on the matter. Not everyone has responded, and I don't expect them all to, but I will post the responses of those that do here.

First up: Assemblyman Michael Benedetto from the Bronx.

New York Fight Exchange 6 Poster

NEW YORK

Pressure is Building for Amateur MMA Oversight in New York

NEW YORK

New York's amateur MMA scene is completely unregulated by the state, but maybe for not much longer. According to a report by the Niagara Falls Reporter, a local kickboxing champ named A.J. Verel has asked the legislature to step in and create a commission that oversee all things to do with amateur fighting.

Tapology Tackles New York MMA Fighter Rankings

NEW YORK

Fighter rankings are a tough nut to crack, as no matter what you do, someone is going to get offended because they're not ranked high enough (or at all) and they now want to punch you in the face the next time they see you. Which is why I respect the effort the folks at Tapology put into their rankings of the New York amateur (and pro, such as it is) MMA scene. Granted, Tapology's methods seem to be purely statistical in nature (i.e., based solely on win/loss record and not on subjective things like strength of competition and overall bout performance), but it took work to amass the data and crunch it, so props to them.

Check the rankings out here.

Saturday Night Fights Poster

NEW YORK

At CFFC 45, An MMA Pioneer Comes Home

NEW JERSEY

Yuichirou Tsuchida was a tall, stoic karate champ whose sensei father thought it’d be a good idea if his son was tested in an MMA bout. So in November of 2005, the two flew from their home in Japan to Atlantic City, N.J., and soon Tsuchida was standing proudly in a ring erected in the arena at the Trump Taj Mahal. Then the referee said “Go!” and for the next 31 seconds, the karate man got the shit beat out of him. Violently. Furiously. Convincingly. And when it was all over – courtesy of a referee who didn’t want to become an accessory to murder – all Tsuchida could do was wonder just who it was who had so soundly thrashed him.

It was Joe Agostini.

New York Fight Exchange 6 Poster

NEW YORK

How Keen on MMA is Sheldon Silver's Likely Successor?

NEW YORK

There's been a lot of discussion about Assemblyman Carl Heastie and the likelihood of him replacing Sheldon Silver as Speaker of the New York State Assembly, and thankfully, MMA keeps coming up as a salient point. But just how keen on the sport is Heastie? Here's the Gotham Gazette with a little insight:

Things Are Still Looking Good for MMA in New York

NEW YORK

Thanks to a federal corruption probe forcing longtime New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to tender his resignation today, the legislative house where the MMA bill dies year after year is in flux in terms of who will be named his successor. Last week, the race to replace Speaker Silver seemed to be between Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, Assemblyman Keith Wright, Assemblyman Carl Heastie and Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, with all but Nolan having supported MMA regulation in the past.

Now, that's all changed.

Must-Read Article on What Life Is Really Like for a Regional Fighter

NEW JERSEY

The Press of Atlantic City has been devoting some digital ink to the goings on within the Garden State's cages for some time now, and there are occasions when they really nail it. This is one such instance. The article is called "The Struggles of a South Jersey Mixed Martial Arts Fighter," and it does a great job digging below the surface of what life is like for some of the region's more notable fighters.

Go ahead and try to tell me this lede isn't some seriously compelling stuff:

Take It To The Top 6 Poster

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Out for Blood Poster

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Pro MMA Will Come to New York This Year - Here's Why

NEW YORK

It's been a long and arduous trek to get the ban on professional MMA lifted in New York, but it looks like the end of the road is near. Here's why: