Connecticut and MMA: An Opinion
by Brian Woodman Jr. on 08/31/12
This year, another bill introduced by state legislators to legalize MMA in Connecticut effectively did not pass (the text of Senate Bill 326 may be found at http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=326&which_year=2012&SUBMIT1.x=10&SUBMIT1.y=10). There were the usual criticisms from opponents about how the sport is a spectacle that lowers the bar for human entertainment while others defended it as a potential source of revenue for the state that will have an economic "trickle-down" effect for local businesses. Fans of the sport argued that it could be perfectly safe if properly regulated and it is already held at the state's casinos, which are on Indian land and exempt from Connecticut's prizefighting statute.
Spokespersons for the Connecticut AFL-CIO referred to bad business practices by Zuffa LLC, which owns the UFC (the premier company presenting MMA events) as part of the reason that they do not approve of sanctioning the sport in Connecticut at this time. But is it proper to punish an entire industry to prevent one company from doing business in Connecticut?
Bellator, the UFC's only real competition, conducts events at Mohegan Sun. King of the Cage holds events at Foxwoods. Reality Fighting/NAGA is based out of Marlborough. AMMO Fight League is based out of Glastonbury. ASAP operates a training facility in Baltic.
Do these companies need to be punished over a dispute between the UFC and the union?
