MMA's New York legalization set back

The process to legalize mixed martial arts in the state of New York received a blow in February when the sport was left off the 2011–2012 budget proposal drafted by governor Andrew Cuomo. Supporters of MMA in the state hoped Cuomo would include revenue from the sport in the paper tasked with helping reduce New York’s $10 billion budget deficit and in turn encourage the legalization of MMA. The news means that a UFC event at the famous Madison Square Garden could be a long way off. In late January the Las Vegas company released an economic impact study that suggested two UFC events in New York could generate $23 million for the state. New York is one of the few US states that doesn’t sanction MMA.

UFC 129 sells 55,000 tickets, sets record

All 55,000 tickets for the Georges St Pierre-headlined UFC 129 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto are completely sold out. The number shatters the UFC’s previous attendance record of 23,152 for UFC 124 in Montreal, and the disputed North American record of 42,757 claimed by K-1 Dynamite!! USA in 2007 (although the real figure was revealed to be 18,340). The sales also give the UFC a record gate of $11 million. UFC president Dana White said: “I’ve been saying for a long time we’re going to be the biggest sport in the world. Now maybe people don’t think I’m nuts anymore.” As well as a Georges St Pierre vs Jake Shields 170lb belt main event, José Aldo will defend his featherweight title against Canadian striker Mark Hominick.

UFC Facebook gets 66,000 cyber kudos

Free video streams of UFC fights via Facebook saw the mega promotion’s ‘Likes’ increase by a massive 66,000 in only a few days. The Las Vegas company offered fans the opportunity to watch four preliminary bouts from UFC: Fight for the Troops 2 for free if they clicked the ‘Like’ button on the UFC Facebook page, and 66,000 people obliged. The promotion’s total Facebook fans now stands at roughly a staggering 4,778, 204. The UFC has also recently released a game on the social networking site titled UFC Undisputed Fight Nation where players can create, train up, and scrap with, their custom virtual fighter.

EliteXC had video game in production

Now-defunct fight promotion EliteXC had commissioned the creation of a video game before it ceased operation in 2008. Staff who worked on the development of the game let the information slip when talking to the Middle Easy blog about the forthcoming beat ‘em up-style title they’re now working on, Supremacy MMA. At this time it’s unknown how many unlockable tracksuits would have been available for Gary Shaw’s character – the EliteXC honcho well-known for a wardrobe deeply filled with clothing made of artificial fibers.

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