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- Fighting the Bad Fight: New Article on the NY Regulation FightToday
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The Times Union ran an article today on Assemblyman Bob Reilly's fight to keep MMA from becoming "legalized" in the state of New York.
The juicy bits:
the soft-spoken Democratic lawmaker from Colonie, best known for giving his legislative salary to charity, remains a major impediment to the mixed martial arts industry's intense lobbying to get it legalized in New York state.
Reilly's impassioned remarks in opposition of the sport in a session of the Assembly's Committee on Tourism, Art and Sports Development last spring derailed the legislation, at least temporarily. Reilly said most constituents who have weighed in oppose it.
"I consider it brutal and savage. The lobbying and money behind it has gotten so intense since then that I feel like David against Goliath," Reilly said. "But I won't succumb to pressure."
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Reilly railed against the caged battles once dubbed "human cockfighting." His fellow committee members, some of whom had little knowledge of the sport, voted against reporting out a bill that would have paved the way for making it legal in New York. It is currently sanctioned in 36 states.
"I'll express ignorance of this sport, but after Bob described what a vicious sport it was, it was voted down by everybody on the committee," said Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte, D-Niagara Falls.
- Bloody Elbow Exclusive: Mike "The Hulk" Easton vs. Chase Beebe for UWC Bantamweight ChampionshipToday
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BloodyElbow.com can exclusively confirm that Mid-Atlantic phenom Mike "The Hulk" Easton is set to lock horns with former WEC bantamweight champion Chase Beebe in a bantamweight title clash (the first ever for the UWC!) on February 21st at the George Mason Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Below is the official press release:
UWC - Ultimate Warrior Challenge
MAN “O” WAR
Mike Easton vs. Chase Beebe UWC World Championship Title Fight
Washington, DC - East coast regional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) powerhouse the UWC - Ultimate Warrior Challenge announced today the signing of a fight between H.I.T. Squad's Chase Beebe and Team Lloyd Irvin's Mike "The Hulk" Easton. The bantamweight bout (135lbs) will be the Co Main Event for UWC: MAN “O” WAR, which will take place February 21st, 2009 at the George Mason University Patriot Center Arena in Fairfax, VA. The winner will be crowned the UWC Bantamweight Champion of the world. - UFC Prime Time: BJ Penn vs. GSPToday
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After failing to get the 24/7 concept off the ground for Lesnar/Couture, the UFC is on the ball early for Penn and St. Pierre according to MMA Junkie:
To hype the upcoming mega-fight between Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn that takes place Jan. 31 at UFC 94, Spike TV and the UFC will roll out a three-part preview series beginning Jan. 14.
The shows are modeled after the successful “De La Hoya-Mayweather 24/7″ series on HBO that hyped a super-successful May 2007 boxing match between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. that set a record with 2.4 million pay-per-view buys.
Whereas the UFC let Randy and Brock sell itself due to star power and ESPN coverage, it appears they are going to devote significant resources to hyping and selling this show. It should be interesting to measure the UFC's ability to sell a big fight against what a mainstream press push can do. Then again, they may get both.
- Wanderlei Silva vs Quinton Jackson 3 Video by fedor291Today
- Quote of the Day: Der Spiegel on Dana WhiteToday
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"White, a short, round-headed man wearing a skin-tight shirt and belt with a skull-shaped buckle, is the president of the UFC. He is 39, a former bouncer and a bellhop at a Boston hotel. He was found guilty of assault and, because he refused to pay the fine, wound up in prison. He became a boxing trainer and fled from the Mafia to Las Vegas, where he had grown up, and opened a boxing gym. White now owns a Range Rover, a Ferrari and two Mercedes, but he still has difficulty saying three sentences without the word "fuck" in at least one of them."
-- Maik Grossekathöfer, writer for Germany's largest newspaper Der Spiegel.
And White doesn't like how "Internet goofs" talk about him?
HT: MMA Experts Blog