Ayala Gets His Blood Sport; What’s Next, Cockfighting?

Say, city politics is sorta like a blood sport. Maybe that’s why State Senator Andres Ayala led passage of extreme fighting. Line up the stitches and pints of blood. News release from Ayala:

Senator Andres Ayala (D-Bridgeport) led passage today of HB 5277, An Act Concerning Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) by a vote of 26 to 9. With passage of this bill, Connecticut has joined 48 other states that host matches of this highly popular sport. “Bringing MMA to Connecticut means two things: economic activity and jobs. This is the fastest growing sport in the nation, and the hundreds of thousands of Connecticut MMA fans are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to view these events in their home state,” said Senator Ayala. “Fans travel to other states and countries to watch these matches, and I am glad that we will finally be attracting these people to venues in Bridgeport and across the state.” MMA is a full-contact sport, much like boxing, that incorporates techniques from wresting, judo, karate, taekwondo and other martial arts. The sport has reached a new level of popularity in recent years, with a 2011 event in Toronto setting a North American record by drawing 55,724 spectators. The event also set the MMA world record for most revenue, at $12,075,000. Since 2008, more than $2 million has been spent by Connecticut residents and businesses to watch pay-per-view and closed circuit MMA events. Live matches have been hosted at Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, but the many venues throughout Connecticut have been unable to hold matches. This bill will allow MMA matches to be brought to our cities, creating new jobs and generating substantial economic activity for local businesses. It is projected that events held at the Webster Bank Arena will generate $150,000 of state revenue per show. Over 250 will be employed working at each event, and an excess of $300,000 in wages will be paid to them. The XL Center in Hartford estimates that MMA events will generate $750,000 or more in spin-off revenues for nearby hotels, restaurants, and other businesses. The bill passed today allows Connecticut to host and regulate MMA events. The sport will be regulated by the Department of Public Safety and will be required to maintain medical and safety regulations similar to those for professional boxing. Despite the nature of MMA, a focus on fighter safety has kept health risks relatively low. A recent study of 635 MMA matches found that injury rates in regulated matches are similar to other contact supports, and the overall risk of a critical sports-related injury is low.