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  - UFC IN BOSTON, MMA IN MASS., ONE STEP CLOSER
Thursday, May 14, 2009 - by Steven Marrocco - MMAWeekly.com
The Massachusetts Senate Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security last Monday approved the state’s first stand-alone piece of MMA legislation, passing it to the Senate Clerk after a unanimous vote.
The Clerk will next pass it to the Ways and Means Committee for a final review, or move it to the Senate floor for debate and a vote.
Matt Moran, Chief of Staff for James E. Timilty, the bill’s co-author and Security chair, said he expected it to go to Ways and Means. The committee oversees legislation with a fiscal impact on the state and votes on whether to pass them to the Senate floor.
While the original legislation passed the Ways and Means Committee last year, there was no timetable on a vote, said Moran.
The current bill, entitled “An Act To Regulate The Sport Of Mixed Martial Arts,” was introduced in its original form during last year’s session as part of the state’s budget proposal, but failed to make it to a Senate vote.
“The Senator is going to push for an expedient review,” said Moran. “We’re debating the Senate budget next week. That will take a week. I’m hoping shortly thereafter we’ll have some traction on the bill.”
Moran said last month’s testimony from fighters and industry veterans did much to steer committee members towards a favorable review.
“I think when you can get fighters in there – Kenny Florian is from the senator’s district, Joe Cavallaro has held an event in the Ways and Means chairman’s district – I think that first person account really hits home, and really makes a great deal of impact on the committee members,” he said.
UFC president Dana White has been publicly open about bringing an event to Boston later this year. Moran characterized the committee members as “sympathetic” to the UFC’s proposed date in November.
MMA in Massachusetts is currently a self-regulated industry, with promoters hiring ring officials and medical personnel to oversee events. Though Massachusetts Boxing Commission officials still attend fights, they don’t have the legal authority to regulate them.
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