Teashi
07-02-2011, 20:30
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: Legalize mixed martial arts in New York
February 5, 2011
By Jon Jones
I was born in Rochester, raised in Endicott, Broome County, and won the New York state high school wrestling championship in Albany in 2005. As a mixed martial arts athlete with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, I would love to compete in front of the same friends and family in my professional career.
Unfortunately, I can't. New York is one of four states that doesn't allow MMA. Critics of MMA have claimed different reasons for opposing regulation. But as our millions of fans and anyone who has been paying attention knows, these claims don't hold up.
First they said it wasn't a real sport. But MMA is the fastest-growing sport in the world, sets event gate and concession records, and millions watch fights on pay-per-view TV. We are highly trained athletes, Olympians and All-American college wrestlers.
MMA has gone mainstream. Fighters appear in ads for Microsoft, and UFC sponsors include the Marines, Harley Davidson and Anheuser-Busch. And it's hard to argue with dollar figures. A recent study found New York regulation would generate $23 million in economic activity and create hundreds of local jobs.
Then detractors said it wasn't safe. But we have some of the most rigorous safety standards, drug testing and officiating in professional sports. Two ambulances, four doctors, pre- and post-fight medical exams, rounds, weight classes and prohibitions on certain moves ensure matches are safe. There's never been a death or life-threatening injury in a UFC match. The most serious injury was a broken arm, and that fighter returned to win the UFC heavyweight title that year.
All that our critics have left to say is MMA is barbaric. It is full of strategy, fluidity. Highly conditioned athletes look for momentary points of leverage and advantage — combining karate, jiu jitsu, wrestling and kickboxing, which can take decades to master.
As a highly trained athlete, I take offense at the barbarism claim. Adrenaline and intensity reign supreme in the sport, but we have adopted an etiquette. I consider some of my greatest opponents my closest friends. There's a real camaraderie amongst fighters, and that's infectious with our fans.
MMA isn't for everyone. But to call it brutal is to misunderstand the sport, its athletes and its fans. We're not masochists, we're college graduates, role models, Olympic champions. We have a greater safety record than the NFL and boxing, and with millions of fans, we are not going away.
Jon Jones, who lives in Ithaca, is fighting tonight at a UFC event in Las Vegas.
http://www.mmafacts.com/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=cmpNews&htmlID=18183&s=mma
February 5, 2011
By Jon Jones
I was born in Rochester, raised in Endicott, Broome County, and won the New York state high school wrestling championship in Albany in 2005. As a mixed martial arts athlete with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, I would love to compete in front of the same friends and family in my professional career.
Unfortunately, I can't. New York is one of four states that doesn't allow MMA. Critics of MMA have claimed different reasons for opposing regulation. But as our millions of fans and anyone who has been paying attention knows, these claims don't hold up.
First they said it wasn't a real sport. But MMA is the fastest-growing sport in the world, sets event gate and concession records, and millions watch fights on pay-per-view TV. We are highly trained athletes, Olympians and All-American college wrestlers.
MMA has gone mainstream. Fighters appear in ads for Microsoft, and UFC sponsors include the Marines, Harley Davidson and Anheuser-Busch. And it's hard to argue with dollar figures. A recent study found New York regulation would generate $23 million in economic activity and create hundreds of local jobs.
Then detractors said it wasn't safe. But we have some of the most rigorous safety standards, drug testing and officiating in professional sports. Two ambulances, four doctors, pre- and post-fight medical exams, rounds, weight classes and prohibitions on certain moves ensure matches are safe. There's never been a death or life-threatening injury in a UFC match. The most serious injury was a broken arm, and that fighter returned to win the UFC heavyweight title that year.
All that our critics have left to say is MMA is barbaric. It is full of strategy, fluidity. Highly conditioned athletes look for momentary points of leverage and advantage — combining karate, jiu jitsu, wrestling and kickboxing, which can take decades to master.
As a highly trained athlete, I take offense at the barbarism claim. Adrenaline and intensity reign supreme in the sport, but we have adopted an etiquette. I consider some of my greatest opponents my closest friends. There's a real camaraderie amongst fighters, and that's infectious with our fans.
MMA isn't for everyone. But to call it brutal is to misunderstand the sport, its athletes and its fans. We're not masochists, we're college graduates, role models, Olympic champions. We have a greater safety record than the NFL and boxing, and with millions of fans, we are not going away.
Jon Jones, who lives in Ithaca, is fighting tonight at a UFC event in Las Vegas.
http://www.mmafacts.com/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=cmpNews&htmlID=18183&s=mma