MMA now legal in Pa.
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission voted unanimously to sanction the combat sport in the state.
By TED CZECH
York Daily Record/Sunday News
Two fighters enter a cage or a ring, years of grueling training behind them, to match their skills and strategy in what some have called the purest form of combat - mixed martial arts.
It won't be long before Pennsylvanians get to see the sport that has skyrocketed in popularity around the country and the world, right in their own backyard, said Greg Sirb, executive director of the state athletic commission.
On Monday, the commission unanimously approved the rules and regulations that it drafted about two years ago.
"Everybody felt real comfortable with the rules," Sirb said of the commission. "We're excited to join the ranks of Ohio and New Jersey to give our kids the chance to display their crafts in Pennsylvania."
The sport, also known as MMA, combines several other combat sports like wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, judo and jiu-jitsu. Its roots can be traced back to pankration, the ancient Greek fighting art, introduced in the Olympic Games in 648 B.C.
More recently, the sport rose to prominence in the United States in 1993, when the Ultimate Fighting Championship held its first pay-per-view tournament. Criticized for its seeming brutality, the sport dropped its "no holds barred" moniker, and established more rules for fighter safety. Now, MMA can be seen on several cable stations, including the UFC's reality show, "The Ultimate Fighter."
Monday's vote was met with enthusiasm by the MMA community in York County.
"I think it's long overdue," said George McGinnis, who runs York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion.
Both McGinnis and his brother, Brett Myers, have competed in amateur mixed martial arts events out-of- state. With the sport now legal, long drives to Ohio, New Jersey and Virginia might not have to happen, he said.
"You're going to have people who aren't going to be as reluctant to compete," now that it's close to home, he said.
Support for the sport in York has been building steadily over the past two years. Academies have arisen in New Cumberland, Hanover and Red Lion. Fervent fans pack Hooters of York when it hosts UFC pay-per-views.
Mark Jovich, owner of Central Pennsylvania Martial Arts Academy in New Cumberland, said he is promoting a professional and amateur MMA event at the Holidome at the Holiday Inn in West Manchester Township in late April.
His event will feature local and out-of-state fighters, he said.
"No one's come to me with an attitude," he said. "They all just want to compete."
Llew Chester, a former professional kick boxer, who is planning to open the Academy of Combative Arts in York next month, was also pleased to hear the sport had been voted in.
"I think it'll go far, as long as the rules are there to keep competitors from getting seriously hurt," he said.
Sirb said the first MMA events should be happening in the next couple months, with a major event - occupying an arena at one of the state's big cities - occurring before the end of the year.
Leave a comment