Professional mixed martial arts is one of the highest grossing arena sports in the country, drawing sell-out crowds and bringing in millions of dollars in ticket and concession sales. One of the fastest growing sports in America, MMA is regulated in 36 states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California and Florida. Legislators in Albany will consider regulating the sport in New York State when the legislative session begins in January.

UFC® is the most heavily regulated of the mixed martial arts leagues. Since 2001, UFC® has employed strenuous rules and regulations to protect its athletes, including medical testing and safety requirements more rigorous than those in professional boxing.

“At a time when the New York economy is in crisis, it would be a mistake for the state to miss out on the considerable revenue that our events would generate. UFC®’s popularity is surging, our fan base is expanding, and our presence is growing. We are eager to bring both the excitement of our new sport as well as its major tax and tourist revenue to New York State,” said Marc Ratner, UFC® Vice President for Government and Regulatory Affairs. “We look forward to being able to meet the tremendous demand that exists for our events in upstate New York as well as New York City.”

“Our events have brought millions of dollars in tax and tourist revenue to nearly every city we have held an event in – we are constantly breaking arena records for concession sales, merchandise and ticket sales,” said Dana White, UFC® President. “We’re thrilled about the prospect of bringing our sport to New York and hope that legislators will recognize the tremendous economic opportunity it represents.”

“The Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau is very excited about bringing MMA and the UFC® to New York State and the City of Buffalo,” said Richard Geiger, President/CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Each individual event represents thousands of visitors and millions of dollars in economic impact for the city. Hosting world-class events of this magnitude are an important part of showcasing our region while generating dollars for local businesses.”

“In recent years, mixed martial arts has evolved from its beginnings into a more reformed, organized and regulated sport worthy of our review for sanctioning consideration in New York State,” said New York State Senator Joseph A. Griffo. “In the last fifteen years, it has grown into an international phenomenon. It’s long past time to look into officially sanctioning this sport in New York. More than two-thirds of the states commission mixed martial arts matches. There are significant tourist and tax revenue dollars flowing to neighboring states who are hosting these events. We need to immediately examine the potential for the sport to thrive here.”