NYC MMA hit by another KO

The UFC held middleweight champion Chris Weidman and former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar on standby, and even reserved a December date at Madison Square Garden for their long-overdue maiden event in New York City. Alas, it doesn’t look (again) like it’s happening this year.

UFC president Dana White took to Twitter to share his feelings when the MMA Legislation vote failed to even hit the floor during the latest meeting of the New York State Assembly: “The corruption in NY politics is DISGUSTING!!!!”

Confidence that the bill would finally be passed was at an all-time high in June among UFC top brass. It required 76 democratic votes to pass, but it simply wasn’t even mentioned during the meetings.

The root of the problem in New York State is actually nothing to do with MMA. UFC co-owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta operate several casinos in Las Vegas that don’t employ members of the Culinary Union. It’s believed the union is using its political influence in NYC to stall the legislation.

FO SCORE: When are we going to learn to stop getting our hopes up about an NYC event? Perhaps it’s time to take the legislation bill off the table – after all, doesn’t New York need MMA more than MMA needs New York?

Six months & out

UFC EMEA general manager and VP of operations Dave Allen resigned in June, just six months after taking up the post when Garry Cook was promoted to global chief.

Government backing for Shlemenko

Former Bellator middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko, suspended for three years by the California State Athletic Commission for a PED bust, is using social media to fight back.

His campaign has already spread to governmental ranks. The Russian fighter’s local governor, Viktor Nazarov of the Omsk region, has replied to the US commission with some barbed comments. “They start to put their miserable sanction on our Russian sportsmen? Well, f**k them Americans! We Russians don’t leave our people in war,” said Nazarov. Hopefully this can be settled in the courts rather than another cold war.

Shlemenko’s B-sample wasn’t tested, which has shifted the leverage towards the former champion’s attorney, who’s found it to be a violation of the agreement with the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory in LA.

FO SCORE: This situation seems more than a little hazy. Shlemenko has been an advocate for a clean sport and with the B-sample being swept under the carpet, something doesn’t add up. But, one thing’s for sure, the 31-year-old can’t afford to be out for three years.

14

After defeating Cain Velasquez at UFC 188, Fabricio Werdum became the 14th man to hold the UFC heavyweight title.

44 years 9 months 13 days

Dan Henderson beat former Team Quest teammate Randy Couture’s record for the oldest fighter in UFC history to win via knockout when he finished Tim Boetsch at Fight Night 68.