MMA In New York Finally Legalized

At long last, mixed martial arts appears to be legalized in the state of New York.

The assembly in Albany voted to legalize MMA on a bipartisan vote of 113-25. The bill will now move on to Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has said that he'll sign the bill. The New York State Athletic Commission will then be given four months to set and adopt guidelines.

Both the UFC and Bellator are already setting plans to go to New York, which is home to several current and former champions. The UFC will likely debut in New York in November. Bellator issued us the following statement:

"We at Bellator MMA are very much looking forward to hosting an event in the 'Crown Jewel of America,' New York. Two Bellator champions, Liam McGeary and Marcos Galvao call New York home and I know it means a great deal to the both of them, as it does for the entire promotion. We've already been in contact with the great people at the Barclays Center and several other incredible venues, and we can't wait bring our world-class athletes and action-packed shows to an arena in the Empire State soon."

The UFC had major hurdles, including Assembly Speaker Sheldeon Silver, who had long refused the bill come up to vote at the urging of unions who feuded with UFC owners the Fertitta brothers. Silver was jailed on corruption charges last year.

The UFC also issued a statement:

"While there are still additional steps that have to occur before professional MMA becomes a reality in New York, I want to assure our fans that if Governor Cuomo signs the bill into law and the State Athletic Commission puts in place the appropriate regulations, we look forward to hosting our first New York event in the world's most famous arena – Madison Square Garden, home to so many epic sporting events throughout the decades," Fertitta said. "We also look forward to scheduling events in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Albany, and Brooklyn. We are excited."

You can listen to the UFC's conference call audio regarding the announcement above.

damien demento contributed to this article.