UFC one step closer to events in NY, Albany's 2015 budget reveals

[Mickey Mick]

http://nypost.com/2015/03/23/new-york-on-verge-of-legalizing-mixed-martial-arts/

With Sheldon Silver finally out of the picture, it looks like NY will finally legalize and hold UFC/MMA events in the Empire State.

Crazy it has taken this long, but it looks like it's finally happening.

Can't wait for a UFC event at Madison Square Garden. Hell, even Brooklyn's Barclay Center could hold an event in the near future.

Source above.

Thoughts from my fellow NYers?

 

[BionicCommando]

As a former NYer, I think they'll have far more success (relative to cost) upstate where amateur wrestling is really prominent. Can see the Buffalo/Syracuse areas of NY turning up big for Fight Night events.

 

[ColonelAngus1]

As a former NYer, I think they'll have far more success (relative to cost) upstate where amateur wrestling is really prominent. Can see the Buffalo/Syracuse areas of NY turning up big for Fight Night events.

Yeah... definitely much more success filling an arena among the 1.1 million people in the Buffalo metro area than the 20 million people in the NYC metro area. Good call!

 

[ThEiCeMaN6791]

Yeah... definitely much more success filling an arena among the 1.1 million people in the Buffalo metro area than the 20 million people in the NYC metro area. Good call!

I know MSG is the big money fight, but if they're smart they'll have Jones (Rochester) and Rashad (Niagara Falls) both fighting on the Buffalo card. Then throw some Canadian fighters on there to draw in fans from nearby Toronto and all of a sudden Buffalo doesn't sound like that bad of an idea.

 

[BionicCommando]

Yeah... definitely much more success filling an arena among the 1.1 million people in the Buffalo metro area than the 20 million people in the NYC metro area. Good call!

Yes, I bet all 20 million of those people will be rushing out to buy UFC tickets despite most major metropolitan beat reporters saying that MMA has literally no fanbase there. Having lived in both areas, I can tell you that the people in Buffalo care a shit load more about MMA per person than in the Metro area. Also AGAIN I stated relative to cost. Which is a more expensive expenditure, trying to get 20K people into MSG or loading up 6-8K for a Fight Night in Buffalo. It's the same reason why the UFC is able to sell out shows in Brazil in small god knows where areas but they're comping tickets to PPVs featuring the only Brazilian Champion (UFC 180).



If MMA gets legalized in NY, I'm willing to bet in 2-3 years, they'll be holding nothing but Fight Nights because MSG proves to be far too expensive.

 

[ThEiCeMaN6791]

I guarantee First Niagara Center would sell out faster than MSG. And it also holds about 20k people.

 

[315MMAFighter]

As badly as I'd love for mma to happen in NYS, I highly doubt it'll happen. The dushbags running this state wont let it happen.

 

[ColonelAngus1]

Yes, I bet all 20 million of those people will be rushing out to buy UFC tickets despite most major metropolitan beat reporters saying that MMA has literally no fanbase there. Having lived in both areas, I can tell you that the people in Buffalo care a shit load more about MMA per person than in the Metro area. Also AGAIN I stated relative to cost. Which is a more expensive expenditure, trying to get 20K people into MSG or loading up 6-8K for a Fight Night in Buffalo. It's the same reason why the UFC is able to sell out shows in Brazil in small god knows where areas but they're comping tickets to PPVs featuring the only Brazilian Champion (UFC 180).



If MMA gets legalized in NY, I'm willing to bet in 2-3 years, they'll be holding nothing but Fight Nights because MSG proves to be far too expensive.

No fan base, which explains why they keep coming back to the Prudential center in Newark, right?

http://www.prucenter.com/news/ufc-announces-sixth-fight-at-prudential-center.php?cm_medium=test

 

[ColonelAngus1]

As badly as I'd love for mma to happen in NYS, I highly doubt it'll happen. The dushbags running this state wont let it happen.

It has literally been one guy holding it up.

 

[DGT4NOW]

Nothing against Buffalo or upstate NY, but the sole reason Zuffa has spent MILLIONS trying to get into NYS is to be in NYC!

 

[spid3yo]

Yeah... definitely much more success filling an arena among the 1.1 million people in the Buffalo metro area than the 20 million people in the NYC metro area. Good call!

So narrow minded. Think more longterm.

How about considering things such as the cost of running MSG for a PPV. Tip: It's outrageously high.

 

[Malthian]

As badly as I'd love for mma to happen in NYS, I highly doubt it'll happen. The dushbags running this state wont let it happen.

I think it's possible this year. With Sheldon Silver out of the picture and support from Cuomo, I think there's a decent shot at it.

One thing for sure, the UFC isn't taking this lightly. They've even sent in Rousey to drum up support and extra media attention.

While in Albany, Rousey is set to sit down with Gov. Cuomo, who says he is open to legalizing the sport.

She also will seek to meet with Heastie and other Assembly members. And she will personally thank Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, a Republican, and his members for spearheading the effort over the past half decade to legalize the sport that was first banned in New York in 1997.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ufc-star-ronda-rousey-push-mma-state-assembly-article-1.2159091

 

[ColonelAngus1]

So narrow minded. Think more longterm.

How about considering things such as the cost of running MSG for a PPV. Tip: It's outrageously high.

Tip: Those costs are passed on to the consumer in the form of higher ticket prices, and people in NYC can afford it (median income of 51k AND 400,000 millionaires). Buffalo has the third lowest median income among large US cities (27.5k).

Like another person already pointed out, the UFC hasn't spent millions of dollars lobbying to get MMA legalized in New York so they can hold events in jerkwater Buffalo, NY.

 

[Mickey Mick]

As a former NYer, I think they'll have far more success (relative to cost) upstate where amateur wrestling is really prominent. Can see the Buffalo/Syracuse areas of NY turning up big for Fight Night events.

Agreed, the UFC's first attempt to put on a show in NY was in Buffalo, so I could definitely see upstate holding a few Fight Night cards.

 

[Gigaton Punch]

So narrow minded. Think more longterm.

How about considering things such as the cost of running MSG for a PPV. Tip: It's outrageously high.

They'll opt for the Barclay's Center then. NYC is where the big events are held. They could still hold shows in Buffalo but you're kidding yourself if you think they worked all these years to hold events in the First Niagra Center.

They'll be hitting up MSG and the Barclay's yearly if this goes through

 

[DGT4NOW]

They'll opt for the Barclay's Center then. NYC is where the big events are held. They could still hold shows in Buffalo but you're kidding yourself if you think they worked all these years to hold events in the First Niagra Center.

They'll be hitting up MSG and the Barclay's yearly if this goes through

Of course, plus it is extremely narrow-minded to just think of the MSG rental cost
UFC will get 50x the free publicity in Manhattan & MSG than Buffalo.

That doesn't mean they should not do Buffalo, but MSG is priority for that reason

 

[Lethal_Striker]

I can totally see them holding UFC on Fox cards from the Barclays Center with the PPV events taking places at MSG.

But you would think that people living in Jersey will be against this since UFC will no longer feel the need to go to the Garden State on the regular.

 

[KeepItRealist]

Now Cuomo is open to legalizing it. I guess anything to continue to distract and put distance from the fact that he is sole the reason Silver wasn't exposed and arrested long ago.

But anyway, I'm glad the UFC is being proactive. It's pathetic that it's still illegal in New York.

 

[Raidei le Blade]

If MMA gets legalized in NY, I'm willing to bet in 2-3 years, they'll be holding nothing but Fight Nights because MSG proves to be far too expensive.

listen crazy girl. UFC will just up the ppv to 100$ and charge 10k per ticket. Yeah, there will be thousands of dumbdumbs that buy them.

The novelty will never wear off as long as they put on their best fights there.

 

[Lethal_Striker]

The novelty of holding events in MSG is good for the first year or two but after awhile you realize instead you can just hold the same events a few miles away in Brooklyn and Newark.

WWE who has a long history with MSG has cut down the amount of events even they're willing to hold there because of the price of holding events there. Holding the events in MSG is just for the sake of being able to say you held your events ther. But the other 2 nearby arenas have just as big of capacity and still close enough by the media capital of the world.