Who Wins When Mixed Martial Arts Becomes Legal

By
Ilya Marritz
WNYC News | Mar 28, 2016

Now that the New York legislature has voted to legalize professional mixed martial arts, new business opportunities could open up.

Mixed martial arts, or MMA, looks like a hybrid of boxing and jiu jitsu. Making professional MMA legal could give a small boost to gyms that teach it and bars that show matches.

But the real winner is UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship, a privately-held Las Vegas company that's the leading promoter of MMA tournaments.

A study commissioned by UFC in 2013 claims a single event in New York City could generate ticket sales of more than $12 million.

Public records show UFC's parent company, Zuffa, spent millions over the last decade lobbying Albany. 

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Ilya Marritz

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