With overwhelming votes in favor of the move, West Virginia is now the 45th U.S. state to regulate mixed martial arts.
After it recently passed the West Virginia legislation, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin recently signed the bill into effect.
Only three state athletic commissions (New York, Connecticut and Vermont) currently don't regulate MMA, and two states (Alaska and Wyoming) lack regulatory bodies to do so.
"We've worked hard to get this sport regulated all over the world, particularly in the United States," UFC President Dana White stated. "I'm really excited to see the sport regulated in West Virginia and look forward to one day bringing a UFC event there."
As part of today's release, UFC officials revealed no timetable for an event in the state, which has the nation's 37th largest population with 1.9 million West Virginians. Potential UFC host cites include Charleston and Huntington.