After New York bill is signed, UFC 205 set in Madison Square Garden
Thursday was to be a historic day in the state of New York as Governor Andrew Cuomo scheduled a signing ceremony at Madison Square Garden in the morning to officially put his signature on a bill to legalize professional mixed martial arts competitions in the state.
Ultimate Fighting Championship officials one-upped the politician by using the opportunity to announce the first event at the world’s most famous arena.
UFC 205 will take place at MSG on Nov. 12. The organization also announced a second show would be scheduled elsewhere in the state before the end of the year. UFC officials have promised the first event at MSG will be a major card.
Cuomo officially signed into law a bill to legalize professional mixed martial arts competitions in the state at the ceremony.
UFC officials have pledged four events in the state annually during the next several years once New York, the last state to ban professional events, finally enacts legislation allowing events. Under a loophole in the law, amateur events have taken place in the state.
The ban on professional events had been in place since 1997. The state Senate had passed a bill to overturn the ban on several occasions, but opponents had successfully blocked an Assembly vote for several years.
On March 22, the full Assembly approved the measure 113-25.
UFC officials have spent nearly a decade and several million dollars in lobbying efforts on the law. Several of the organization’s executives were present at the signing ceremony.
The New York State Athletic Commission now has 120 days to establish guidelines in order to ready itself as the regulatory body for events in the state before a card can actually take place.
Bellator MMA has expressed interest in holding an event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj
