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Last month, after a mostly idiotic debate, the New York State Assembly passed a bill regulating and legalizing professional mixed martial arts. New York was the last state of the union to welcome the sport, and the UFC had spent years lobbying for legislation so that they, and other MMA events, could one day hold events there.This morning, Governor Cuomo followed up on his promise to sign the bill—the last stop before it became law. The ceremony was held at the historic Madison Square Garden, and Governor Cuomo was joined by Ronda Rousey, Strong Island's Chris Weidman, and the UFC's Lorenzo Feritta for the final moment.
Shortly after the signing, the UFC announced that its first event at MSG would be on November 12th. Apart from this card being a huge deal for everyone, the date holds additional significance, as it will be the 23rd anniversary of UFC 1.No bouts have been announced yet, but expect the card to be full of New York's best. Let's just hope the athletic commission gets everything together in time!