New York: It's Time!

With the MMA bill failing to come to fruition again in New York State I feel, as a New Yorker, I needed to comment. I grew up from age 1 to 9 years old right outside Rochester, New York. I moved around throughout my life but ended up back right outside Buffalo in 2009.

I love New York State and have always considered it my home no matter where I lived. I have also been an avid combat sports fan since I was very young and fell in love with MMA in 1997 when I started renting UFC and MMA VHS tapes. I saw the potential for this sport back then before it was molded into what we have today.

MMA has been a big part of my life ever since. I have watched every Pride and UFC event. I have gone to many local shows and been to three UFC shows. I have met over 50 UFC and MMA fighters. I love this sport.

I know this bill has not passed due to seedy and disgusting politics. It is sad that we live in a country where that is just accepted. “Yea, well that’s politics”. What if a teacher started giving everyone grades based on how much money each student gave him? He would be fired. Why do we just accept this? It is time to start putting heat on these politicians voted in by the people. Without us they are nothing. Do we pay taxes so they can do these practices? Vote depending on which group pays them more? I think not. We all know, due to the studies that have come out, that MMA would make a ton of money for the state of New York. So, that more than anything else tells us that there is something going on behind closed doors. New York, let’s get it together!

Not allowing fighters to do their jobs at home is shameful. What if someone who is in another profession had to, under the law, work outside their home state? There would be people up in arms. This might be a sport but it is still a profession for men and women all through the state. This is how they make a living. They were gifted with these abilities. Just like a teacher is gifted to teach or a surgeon with steady hands. Why is this a problem? Let these men and women work where they live!

What needs to happen is for the UFC, popular UFC fighters with big names and all of the MMA camps in New York State have to unite and take this to the big media giants. Take it to Fox News! Fox would love to go after the democratic state of New York. If the MMA world wants this then you are not doing enough. Step it up! Yes, it will take money and time but if we all unite and work together then it will happen. We can’t sit on our hands and hope the UFC does it on their own.

As a fan it is not fair that I have to go to a different COUNTRY to have to see my beloved sport. I should be able to see local events down the street from me. I should be able to go to the First Niagara Center and watch a UFC event. Buffalo is begging for this. New York City is begging for this. Jobs will be made, money will be made and lives will be changed for the better.

If this bill is not passed by 2015 then the state of New York has failed us (again), but the MMA community in its complete entirety has failed; myself included. This is something within grasp. Let’s make this happen!