In Albany, N.Y., politicians even fight about fighting.

New York state lawmakers have refused to legalize mixed martial arts despite widespread and growing popularity worldwide.

Motivated by a nanny state philosophy and a naive understanding of the sport, the New York State Legislature has put common sense aside. The state’s failure to allow the sport exemplifies its out-of-touch relationship with citizens and its unwillingness to adapt to our changing cultural and economic times.

Mixed martial arts is a full-contact combat sport that combines fighting styles like kickboxing and wrestling. The Ultimate Fighting Championship — the sport’s flagship promotion company — is worth an estimated $1 billion, and attracts millions of viewers for each event.

State lawmakers banned the sport in 1997 amid concerns that the sport was too violent. At that time, backyard wrestling and underground cage fighting videos were Internet fodder. Mixed martial arts leagues were going through growing pains, and legislatures were quick to regulate the sport.

In 2012, mixed martial arts is not a violent free-for-all, or “human cockfighting,” as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) once called it. In fact, its safety measures set a gold standard for professional sports. Any athlete who receives a concussion is suspended for three months and must have numerous medical evaluations.

New York and Connecticut are the only states that still ban the sport.

The chief opponent to mixed martial arts in New York is Assemblyman Bob Reilly (D-Colonie, N.Y.). Reilly summarized the sport as “harmful to our society and harmful to our economy.” Reilly is one of several in the Democratic Assembly who has halted votes on lifting the ban, and characterized New York voters as “offended and disgusted by [mixed martial arts].” He said “they see the violence in it.”

Should protecting citizens from simply seeing violence be a key goal of the Democratic Party? These same politicians want to ban certain video games and censor access to the Internet. The government should regulate the safety of contact sports, not dictate which ones are too violent for citizens to see live.

Plus, current legislation doesn’t stop anyone from heading to a sports bar — as I did this past weekend — and watching a “brutal” mixed martial arts event. Fans are watching the sport in huge numbers, but the state isn’t receiving any fiscal bonus.

While New York sits idly in the corner, other states and countries enjoy the economic benefits of this global sensation.

Last year, a UFC event in Toronto made an estimated $40 million local economic impact. Some 55,000 fans lodged in hotels, ate in restaurants and packed the Rogers Centre arena.

Legalizing mixed martial arts is not the silver bullet to fix New York’s economy, but it can’t hurt our post-industrial cities. Currently, New York fights are pushed to neighboring New Jersey and to Native American reservations within the state.

Because of the New York State Legislature, Madison Square Garden — “The World’s Most Famous Arena” — can’t host mixed martial arts events.

Hopefully lawmakers will come to their senses, and New Yorkers can watch world class athletes in person with a cold beer in hand. Or a soda, if those are still legal in Manhattan.

Jared Kraham is a senior political science and broadcast journalism major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at jmkraham@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @JaredKraham.

Published on September 29, 2012 at 7:34 pm