Rocky Delorme is an up-and-coming mixed martial arts fighter, training at The Dungeon Gym in Green Bay.

“They’re the ones that are here every day, training four to five hours a day,” The Dungeon Gym manager Ryan Wortner said.

When Rocky and others here compete, there are no mandated rules. That’s because Wisconsin is one of only eight states that don’t regulate mixed martial arts, or MMA.

“If you go to an event, and we’ve been to events where the licensed physician was a dentist, that doesn’t abide to any type of rules,” Wortner said.

Starting Thursday, though, it’s a whole new sport.

State Senator Dave Hansen says a new law which the governor is expected to sign Thursday will bring safety and economic growth to Northeast Wisconsin. It will regulate mixed martial arts.

“We think it’s going to be great for the fighters, great for the fans. It’s a win-win for everybody,” Combat USA promoter Adam Sandoval said.

The legislation, co-authored by Hansen, outlines specific safety and regulatory mandates, such as regular medical exams and license requirements for promoters and fighters.

“So if a person’s record is 2-0, it is 2-0. There’s no chance he was fighting in some underground backyard garage event,” Wortner said.

The UFC, which is like the NFL of mixed martial arts, won’t go to states where it isn’t regulated. This law changes that.

Hansen, a Green Bay Democrat, said, “This will open the door for UFC events to be held in Wisconsin, and in our area at the Resch Center, and very much looking forward to that so it’s a good economic driver.”

It’s a law supported by these fighters, who are training to win fair and square.

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