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

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Pressure is Building for Amateur MMA Oversight in New York

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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

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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

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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

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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:

Rest in Peace Bryan Vetell

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Bryan Vetell, a giant of a man who made his mark on the local MMA scene from 2004 to 2008, passed away last night at age 36.

As a skilled Greco-Roman wrestler weighing over 300 pounds (of solid muscle), Bryan was a force in the International Fight League, and racked up wins in Yamma Pit Fighting and Extreme Challenge when they came to New Jersey. But his most memorable bout was his first, which saw him take on fight veteran Kaream Ellington in the Underground Combat League in a clash reminiscent of what went on in Japan's PRIDE FC.

Bryan pretty much trained everywhere, and touched a lot of people in his short time on this planet.

Rest in peace, Bryan. You will be missed.

Combat at the Capitale Poster

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Speaker Sheldon Silver to Step Down

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Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who was arrested by federal authorities on corruption charges last week, will be stepping down from his post while he fights the charges. As per the New York Daily News:

Embattled Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has agreed to step aside from his powerful perch while he faces federal corruption charges, the Daily News has learned.

A source with direct knowledge of the deal says the chamber will be run jointly by five veteran Assembly Democrats — Majority Leader Joseph Morelle (D-Rochester), Herman "Denny" Farrell (D-Manhattan), Joseph Lentol (D-Brooklyn), Cathy Nolan (D-Queens) and Carl Heastie (D-Bronx).

"It's done," the source said.

This sudden and dramatic turn of events is likely very good news for the MMA in New York effort, as four of the five names mentioned who will be stepping in to run the legislative show are supporters of the sport. In fact, Majority Leader Morelle was the sponsor of last year's MMA bill.

In terms of a timetable for getting an MMA bill done, it's hard to pin down when that could be - suffice to say that the session ends in June, and an MMA bill would be a low legislative priority compared to other issues. Regardless, with Speaker Silver out of the picture and four pro MMA Assemblyman helping run the show, it's safe to say that things are certainly looking up.

Ring of Combat 50 Liveblog

NEW JERSEY

Due to a confluence of events, my plan of sitting cageside for tonight's New York Fight Exchange event in Jamaica, Queens is a "no go". However, guess what's on pay-per-view for me to liveblog from the comfort of my own couch? That's right, ROC 50. So sit back and relax as I kick it old school and write about what I see.

NYFE 5 Is Tonight

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Ring of Combat 50 Is Tonight

NEW JERSEY

Here's the line up. Looks like I'm Fighting 9th this Friday. See you guys in Atlantic City. #ROC50

A photo posted by @phillipenover on Jan 21, 2015 at 8:57am PST

New York State Assembly MMA Bill Scorecard

NEW YORK

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is in cuffs, and the possibility of him getting the boot and a replacement being chosen could mean no more impasse when it comes to getting the MMA bill to the floor for a vote. But who would be his successor and would they be in favor of lifting the ban on the sport in New York? At this point, it's impossible to predict who could assume the role of Speaker, as the process could involve some Game of Thrones-esque power grabbing and bloodletting. However, thanks to hindsight, we can tell who in the Assembly supported MMA bills in the past. And here's the list!