Massachusetts clears way for UFC card in Boston

UFC president Dana White has helped make his adopted hometown of Las Vegas into the mixed martial arts capital of the world.

He will now be able to take his organization to his native state.

Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick officially signed mixed martial arts legislation into law on Monday, clearing the way for a UFC card to take place in Boston, likely in early Summer.

“I am so pumped that the UFC is finally coming to Massachusetts,” White said in a release. “I guarantee that we will put on an incredible UFC event for Boston in 2010.”

Getting the state to pass the regulations has been a long-term project of the company.

“We’re all just thrilled here. High fives all around,” said Marc Ratner, the UFC’s vice president of regulatory affairs.

He said while mixed martial arts shows have been going on in Massachusetts and the eight other states where the sport remains unregulated, the legalization makes the athletes safer.

“It’s a great day for not just (the UFC), but for the sport,” he said. “MMA has been done in Massachusetts as it has everywhere else in the country, but now its legal. It’s so important to have insurance and medicals. It’s so important for the fighters and it makes things so much safer.”

The UFC will not stage cards in states where MMA is not regulated.

* PALMS CARD — The UFC will host a card at the Palms on Saturday night, which is the culmination of Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter”

The event, which will be broadcast on Spike (Cable 29), will feature the season championship for the reality show. Kimbo Slice, who was eliminated in the first round, will be in action.

The main event will be a light heavyweight tilt between rising star Jon Jones and Matt Hamill.

* HE’S OUT — Jake Rosholt announced on a Twitter posting on Monday that he had been cut from the UFC’s roster.

“Not a good day. Just found out I got cut by the UFC,” the posting read.

Rosholt was an outstanding collegiate wrestler, but went just 1-2 in his UFC career. He was submitted by Kendall Grove at UFC 106 on Nov. 21 in his last outing.

Rosholt, a Las Vegas resident, earned his lone win in the organization when he submitted Chris Leben on Aug. 29.

At Oklahoma State, the 27-year old was a four-time All-American and three-time national champion.

* BROWNING GETS A WIN — Former UFC welterweight Junie Browning submitted Scott Cornwell in the first round of their bout on an MMA Big Show card in Belterra, Ind. on Saturday night.

It was Browning’s first fight since he was arrested on Oct. 6 in Henderson for allegedly attacking nurses after he was brought to St. Rose Dominican Hospital for an apparent overdose.

He was cut from the UFC the morning after the incident.

Browning did little to clean up his image, reportedly requesting female fans in attendance at his fight to form lines to service him.

A warrant was issued for Browning on Nov. 12 after he failed to appear in court to face charges stemming from the Oct. 6 incident.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.