BREAKING NEWS!
Start spreading the news, it’s a historic day for Mixed Martial Arts as the State of New York has finally legalized MMA in the Empire State. Surrounded by Ultimate Fighting headliners Ronda Rousey and NY’s own Chris Weidman, along with Zuffa Chairman / CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo finally signed the bill to officially legalize and regulate professional MMA in New York. Directly following the landmark bill signing and during the milestone ceremony,UFC announced that it will present its first event at The World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 12th, ironically the 23rd anniversary of UFC 1.
The event at MSG is scheduled to be a major pay per view event. If one does the math, that event will be UFC 205.
Fertitta spoke on the watershed bill signing and groundbreaking announcement: “I want to thank Governor Andrew Cuomo, Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, Senator Joe Griffo and the many other leaders in the State of New York for legalizing and regulating the sport of mixed martial arts … Our commitment to bringing incredible live events to New York starts immediately, as we’ve planned a major Pay-Per-View event at Madison Square Garden on November 12. It’s going to be a historic, monumental moment for this sport and our passionate fans when the Octagon finally arrives in New York.”
In addition to the mega-event at MSG on November 12th, another UFC event is slated to take place in Upstate New York before the end of 2016. UFC has also committed to four events per year for the first three years after the passage of the bill. The events will reportedly be held in cities such as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany, as well as Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
