New York's MMA ban has done little to stop unsanctioned fighting in the Empire State. Young men still gather in secret to test their skills in the most visceral way possible.
But that would change if the sport was legalized, according to a longtime observer of the New York underground scene.
"The promoters want to make the leap into sanctioned, legitimate organizations, and the fighters want to make the leap," said Jim Genia, author of "Raw Combat: The Underground World of Mixed Martial Arts," in an interview today with MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com).
For now, everyone waits. Lawyers representing New York state delayed to January a response to the most direct attack on the ban, a suit filed in November by lawyers representing UFC parent company Zuffa LLC. The suit alleges the ban prevents freedom of expression and is unconstitutional.
Efforts by the industry-leading promotion and grassroots groups have been unsuccessful in getting lawmakers to vote on bills that would legalize the sport. It's unknown whether another round of pro-MMA legislation will be presented when the New York state legislation reconvenes in two weeks.
Opponents of legalization believe the lawsuit won't change anything.
"We're on solid grounds as far as our laws and regulations," said Bob Reilly, a Democrat representing the 109th district of the New York state assembly.
Meanwhile, the underground thrives. An average of 10 to 12 unsanctioned events take place in New York City and upstate New York each year, said Genia, whose book intimately details the world of unsanctioned fighting in the state. Some events draw several hundred spectators to watch fights that vary in rule sets.
The most well-known underground promotion, Underground Combat League, is seven years old and held an event earlier this month in the Bronx that featured eight grappling matches and five MMA fights. Early events featured a mismash of trained fighters looking to gain experience and brawlers with a taste for violence. But Genia said the level of talent has risen with the sport's popularity.
"There have been very few guys off the street with just one fight," he said. "There's been a lot of guys looking to sharpen their skills to make the leap to sanctioned fighting."
Also improved is the quality of the spartan production, which is operated by martial artist Peter Storm.
"He's got assistants now," Genia said.
Still, the promotion is as secretive as ever. Invites to events are sent by text message a few hours before they commence, which makes it impossible for them to be regulated or shut down. Storm is adamant that the fights are amateur contests and are legal. In October, the New York State Athletic Commission asked the state's attorney general to investigate another unsanctioned show that took place upstate.
UCL events feature a referee, and competitors agree to a rule set beforehand, which often mirrors that of the now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships. They do not always have a medical professional on standby. Genia, however, said that post-fight medical care is his biggest concern.
"I'm a firm believer that the sport is inherently safe in the fact that there's a referee that can stop the fight at any time, and people can tap out," he said. "I think those are two good safeguards against injury. But there have been a couple of injuries where I was worried about the medical care, post-fight, of the competitors, and those were both eye injuries."
Fighters who compete in the UCL are required to undergo medical testing reserved for pro fighters in New Jersey's amateur program. One MMA promotion in the state, Ring of Combat, bars fighters with unsanctioned events on their resume. Nevertheless, talent continues to emerge from promotions such as the UCL. Current UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar fought his first fight there.
If MMA is legalized, however, that pipeline will be cut off. Genia said it doesn't make economic sense for promoters and fighters to stay underground.
"I think they're all going to go legit," he said. "There's no real money to be made in an underground fight scene. Promoters know that because there's only a finite number of people that can buy tickets because they can't advertise. There's really a feel of what kind of money they can make.
"I definitely think the scene will fizzle out. I've seen it happen in New Jersey, Massachusetts (and) in Pennsylvania. It's going to happen in New York."
But that would change if the sport was legalized, according to a longtime observer of the New York underground scene.
"The promoters want to make the leap into sanctioned, legitimate organizations, and the fighters want to make the leap," said Jim Genia, author of "Raw Combat: The Underground World of Mixed Martial Arts," in an interview today with MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com).
For now, everyone waits. Lawyers representing New York state delayed to January a response to the most direct attack on the ban, a suit filed in November by lawyers representing UFC parent company Zuffa LLC. The suit alleges the ban prevents freedom of expression and is unconstitutional.
Efforts by the industry-leading promotion and grassroots groups have been unsuccessful in getting lawmakers to vote on bills that would legalize the sport. It's unknown whether another round of pro-MMA legislation will be presented when the New York state legislation reconvenes in two weeks.
Opponents of legalization believe the lawsuit won't change anything.
"We're on solid grounds as far as our laws and regulations," said Bob Reilly, a Democrat representing the 109th district of the New York state assembly.
Meanwhile, the underground thrives. An average of 10 to 12 unsanctioned events take place in New York City and upstate New York each year, said Genia, whose book intimately details the world of unsanctioned fighting in the state. Some events draw several hundred spectators to watch fights that vary in rule sets.
The most well-known underground promotion, Underground Combat League, is seven years old and held an event earlier this month in the Bronx that featured eight grappling matches and five MMA fights. Early events featured a mismash of trained fighters looking to gain experience and brawlers with a taste for violence. But Genia said the level of talent has risen with the sport's popularity.
"There have been very few guys off the street with just one fight," he said. "There's been a lot of guys looking to sharpen their skills to make the leap to sanctioned fighting."
Also improved is the quality of the spartan production, which is operated by martial artist Peter Storm.
"He's got assistants now," Genia said.
Still, the promotion is as secretive as ever. Invites to events are sent by text message a few hours before they commence, which makes it impossible for them to be regulated or shut down. Storm is adamant that the fights are amateur contests and are legal. In October, the New York State Athletic Commission asked the state's attorney general to investigate another unsanctioned show that took place upstate.
UCL events feature a referee, and competitors agree to a rule set beforehand, which often mirrors that of the now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships. They do not always have a medical professional on standby. Genia, however, said that post-fight medical care is his biggest concern.
"I'm a firm believer that the sport is inherently safe in the fact that there's a referee that can stop the fight at any time, and people can tap out," he said. "I think those are two good safeguards against injury. But there have been a couple of injuries where I was worried about the medical care, post-fight, of the competitors, and those were both eye injuries."
Fighters who compete in the UCL are required to undergo medical testing reserved for pro fighters in New Jersey's amateur program. One MMA promotion in the state, Ring of Combat, bars fighters with unsanctioned events on their resume. Nevertheless, talent continues to emerge from promotions such as the UCL. Current UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar fought his first fight there.
If MMA is legalized, however, that pipeline will be cut off. Genia said it doesn't make economic sense for promoters and fighters to stay underground.
"I think they're all going to go legit," he said. "There's no real money to be made in an underground fight scene. Promoters know that because there's only a finite number of people that can buy tickets because they can't advertise. There's really a feel of what kind of money they can make.
"I definitely think the scene will fizzle out. I've seen it happen in New Jersey, Massachusetts (and) in Pennsylvania. It's going to happen in New York."
