MMAFightCorner.com: How close are you getting to having MMA sanctioned in New York?
Dana White: Real close. It’s going to happen and I guarantee it’s going to happen this year.
MMAFightCorner.com: Do you have a fight ready for when it’s sanctioned?
Dana White: No. It’s going to depend on when it happens, timing, and everything else. It would be nice to go in there with, probably, Jon Jones.
According to the NY Times, the UFC’s lawsuit to lift the ban is still in the works: “The complaint accuses the state of enacting the ban because of the violent message it believes the sport conveys.
By doing so, the U.F.C. said, the state has violated its free speech rights protected by the First Amendment. The real intent of the ban, the organization alleged, is to “squelch its expressive element.”
The lawsuit added, “Live professional M.M.A. is clearly intended and understood as public entertainment and, as such, is expressive activity protected by the First Amendment.”
The 107-page document extolled the theatrical content of live M.M.A. events, the respect fighters have for one another and the rigorous training they undergo. It also rejected violence as the sport’s essential message.
“While there surely are spectators who watch solely because of their misconceived hopes of seeing ‘violence,’ ” it says, “countless fans watch M.M.A. because of the variety of positive messages conveyed.”
