NY Senate again approves mixed martial arts

With new Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, a Rochester native, on hand, the Senate voted 42-18 for the bill authorizing the New York State Athletic Commission to regulate the mix of boxing, grappling, judo and kickboxing the way it regulates boxing.

Sen. Joseph Griffo, a Utica Republican and sponsor, said 45 other states have sanctioned the popular sport that has evolved from its rough early days with rules and protections for fighters. He said it will generate money for the state with events at New York venues.

"I think it's time to take this sport out of the shadows and into the professional arena," said Sen. Eric Adams, a Brooklyn Democrat.

Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat, voted no, saying injuries to fighters in other states appears underreported and that the sport is a bad example for children. She said studies have shown that so-called "ground and pound" punches, where a fighter punches an opponent already on the ground, can result in bruising blows, some at 910 kilograms of force.