Will The Bay State Regulate MMA?
If legislation to sanction MMA in Massachusetts passes it could be a blessing or a curse depending on whom you…
If legislation to sanction MMA in Massachusetts passes it could be a blessing or a curse depending on whom you ask. Marc Ratner, vice president of government and regulatory affairs for the UFC, says the state’s biggest venues want to host the MMA standard-bearer, and the accompanying economic benefits are music to the ears of a cash-strapped state government. But some in the local MMA community are leery of entrusting their sport to a commission that once proved little more than a nuisance that took 5% of the gate, especially now that the sport has successfully policed itself for years. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, says Mike Littlefield, a matchmaker and co-promoter for the Massachusetts-based Full Force Productions.
But the economic benefits of holding a large-scale MMA event in Boston are hard to ignore. A UFC-commissioned HR&A Advisors study released in November says one of the promotion’s cards in New York City would create $11.5 million in new spending, and generate more than $500,000 in tax revenue for the state. Ratner expects similar numbers for a Boston event.
The Massachusetts State Boxing Commission sanctioned mixed martial arts events from 2002 until 2005.