Ratner likens MMA in NY to baby’s birth
Marc Ratner: “It was the culmination of a long pregnancy. We finally had the baby. It’s very exciting to be here at The Garden. I’m thrilled.”
Opossums are pregnant for 10-12 days. Humans are pregnant for 259-280 days. African elephants are pregnant for 645 days, or close to two years. That’s child’s play compared to what UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs? Marc Ratner went through to get MMA regulated in New York.
For nine years the UFC went to NY’s capitol Albany to petition for the regulation of mixed martial arts. Ratner took over very nearly from the beginning; he began working for the company in May of 2006.? Five times an MMA bill passed the Senate, but corrupt Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver refused to bring it to a vote. Last January Silver was arrested on corruption charges, and was ultimately convicted and sent to jail.
New Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie is a supporter of the MMA. But the 10th year, the bill again passed the Senate, in multiple versions, but did not get sufficient support in the Assembly.
This week, a decade of Ratner’s efforts came to fruition, and Gov. Mario Cuomo signed the new bill into law during a ceremony at Madison Square Garden, with Ronda Rousey and Chris Weidman in attendance.
In an interview with Luke Thomas for MMA Fighting, Ratner discussed how it feels.
“It was the culmination of a long pregnancy,” said Ratner. “We finally had the baby. It’s very exciting to be here at The Garden. I’m thrilled.”