Must-Read Article on the Cage Fury Fighting Championships

NEW JERSEY

The Press of Atlantic City has cast its gaze upon the Cage Fury Fighting Championships, and the resulting article paints a pretty in-depth picture on the origins of the New Jersey-based promotion and how far it's come today. The link is here. It's well worth the read.

New York Amateur MMA Fighter Beats Up Cop, Doesn't Like Jail

NEW YORK

Just because you're trained to beat up people doesn't mean you actually should. Such is the case with New York-based amateur MMA fighter James Hilton, who's now in jail for beating up a cop in Schenectady over the weekend.

Here's the Albany Times-Union with the details:

The Perils of Going to Jones Beach, MMA Edition

NEW YORK

Ask any New Yorker and they'll tell you: There are some really good beaches in the state, but of them all, Jones Beach is total butt.

Unlike Fire Island, which you must travel by ferry to get to (thereby making it more exclusive), and the Hamptons, which are so snooty even the sharks wear polo shirts, Jones Beach is the Mos Eisley Spaceport of beaches. It's where the dregs of society go to drink and throw up - and if you're a UFC fighter, it's where you're assailed by yahoos keen on testing your wrestling.

Combat at the Capitale Poster

NEW YORK

Trinity 4 Poster

NEW JERSEY

Ring of Combat/Dead Serious 21 Poster

NEW JERSEY

It Was a Good Week for New York Fighters

NEW YORK

(Yeah, I know Jimmie Rivera lives in New Jersey, but he teaches in New York. Pic courtesy of the UFC's Instagram.)

There was a ton of MMA this week, what with two UFCs, a Titan FC on Fight Pass and a Cage Fury Fighting Championship event in Atlantic City, N.J. For the discerning fan of good scraps, there was a lot to be happy about - and even more so if you were from New York. That's right, New York repped hard. Here's a list of who kicked some ass:

New York Amateur MMA Champ Set to Make Pro Debut

NEW YORK

Cage Fury Fighting Championships 50 is tomorrow in Atlantic City, N.J., and while there are a number of fighters of note competing on the card - like TUF vet Tim Williams, Garden State staple Lester Caslow and rising female scrapper Jenna Serio - one competitor worth keeping an eye on is Jungle Gym standout Paul Grant.

Friday Night Fights Poster

NEW YORK

New York MMA Bill Could Pass As Early As January

NEW YORK

Last week I laid out a timetable on getting the New York MMA bill passed in 2016, and it presupposed that the issue would get addressed after the budget gets done in April. But it seems it could get done sooner.

"There is no reason why the Legislature can’t pass the bill in January or February," says David Weinraub, a lobbyist for the UFC.

Although more contentious issues get handled after the budget, legislation does get passed early on, and working in the MMA bill's favor is the fact that it had more the necessary Democratic "yes" votes needed to trigger a trip to the floor by the time the end of the 2015 session rolled around.

Obviously, this means nothing in regards to getting a UFC into Madison Square Garden this year, but getting the bill passed in January is a lot better than getting the bill passed in June.

A lot better.

Fighters Source Returns With an International Tournament

AWESOME

The above memo says it all: Fighters Source, the International Fight League of amateur MMA, is returning this summer for a tournament that will cull the best amateur fighters in the US and pit them against a team from Brazil in the spring. Since their last tournament was pretty damn awesome, I expect this one to be a killer.

A Simple Plan to Get the New York MMA Bill Passed in 2016

NEW YORK

Sheldon Silver arrested. Carl Heastie, an MMA supporter in the past, named as the new Assembly Speaker. A revamped MMA bill. More Assembly members on board than ever before. All of these things really made it seem like 2015 was going to be the year that New York State lifted its statutory ban on sanctioned mixed martial arts. But alas, it was not to be, and once more the fight will continue on for another year.

This time things will be different though. Because the one good thing about getting your butt kicked round after round is what it teaches you, and years of getting frozen out of the Democratic conference, killed in committees and suffocated by the process have finally taught us how to win. We just need a plan.

And here it is.

Tracking the Elusive BX Fight Club

NEW YORK

A few months back, the Bronx-based underground boxing promotion was canceled at the last minute when the police showed up. The authorities were looking for guest rapper DMX, who had allegedly robbed someone the night before, but the end result was the same: Like a ninja in the night, BX Fight Club disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing only when and where they're least expected.

Seriously, it is pretty much impossible to track where these guys are going to do a show next.

New York Fight Exchange 8 Poster

NEW YORK

The 2015 New York MMA Bill - What Went Wrong, What Went Right

NEW YORK

It's over. Once again, the bill that would have empowered the New York State Athletic Commission to start sanctioning MMA died in the icy tomb known as the State Assembly. This year was supposed to be different, though. Sheldon Silver got the boot as Speaker, and his replacement - Assemblyman Carl Heastie - was someone who'd supported the sport in the past. Plus, we got a revamped version of the bill that touched on and addressed all concerns.

2015 was supposed to be there year.

So what happened? What went wrong? And, more importantly, what went right? Here's a breakdown:

New York MMA Bill Status Update - 6.25.15

NEW YORK

Though it seems very little got done yesterday in terms of legislative movement, the view from within is that today could be the last day of the session. What does that mean for the MMA bill? Here's what we know:

New York MMA Bill Status Update - 6.24.15

NEW YORK

Yesterday the leaders of the Senate and Assembly met with Governor Cuomo to hammer out a compromise on the major issues that were keeping the legislature past their June 17 expiration date. The result: The Big Ugly, which, as of this posting, does not contain the MMA Bill. Okay, now what? Here's what we know:

New York MMA Bill Status Update - 6.23.15

NEW YORK

The legislature reconvenes today after a long weekend off, and the question remains: Since the session was supposed to end last Wednesday and is now in overtime, when will the Assembly get to the MMA bill? Here's what we know:

Aggressive Combat Championship 12 Poster

NEW YORK

New York MMA Bill Status Update - 6.20.15

NEW YORK

The MMA bill wasn't addressed yesterday, but the extension of the 2015 legislative session means that it's going to happen on Tuesday, which is when the Assembly will (presumably) put the finishing touches on all the pressing issues on their agenda. Here's what we know in regards to the bill that would sanction pro MMA in New York: