(This despicable human cockfighting needs to stop.)

A schizophrenic man walks into a party store and tells the clerk he has a gun in his pocket and that he’ll use it if he doesn’t give him the money out of the register.

No, this isn’t the set-up to a corny joke, it’s what went down last Thursday in Grand Rapids, Michigan but that isn’t the remarkable part of the story; it’s what happened next that makes the robbery attempt much more interesting.

“I look at the cashier — I kind of know him, I come in there every day — I whispered to him, I mouthed to him, ‘Are you getting robbed right now?’ He said, ‘Yeah,’ like really scared,” recalls customer Zack Thome, an Army vet and current college student who also happened to be a trained MMA fighter.

(Pictured: Wyoming’s remaining residents react to the great news.) 

After becoming the 45th state (we’re looking at you, New York) to regulate mixed martial arts last Thursday, when current Governor Matt Mead signed House Bill 87 into law, Wyoming will become the first state to assemble a commission focused entirely on MMA. As we know, boxing and athletic commissions carry this responsibility in many of the states that have legalized MMA, and this is where Wyoming ran into trouble in the first place. In the past ten years, state lawmakers have attempted to reinstate the position of State Boxing Commissioner, who would then be placed in charge of MMA regulation, five separate times, but were met with overwhelming opposition from the state’s boxing industry.

The bill to legalize the sport was unanimously approved on Thursday by Wyoming State Senate and House of Representatives, and though MMA was never dubbed “illegal” in Wyoming, all fights held within the state until this point were not recognized on fighter’s records due to a lack of a sanctioning body to regulate the sport.

Now here’s where things get interesting: the committee will consist of three individuals appointed by Gov. Mead and will be funded by a five percent tax on gross receipts from all MMA events. This stipulation apparently has local promoters and fighters up in arms, fearing that the tax will discourage big name promotions like the UFC from visiting the state. Because, you know, Wyoming was next on Dana White’s agenda after he figured out this whole “international takeover” thing. Wyoming hosts an average of 20 mixed martial arts events a year, with the average crowd holding strong at around 500-700 attendees. Local fight promoter Stephen Alley told the Casper Star-Tribune that he believes this additional fee will crush the already depleted MMA scene, telling the publication in an interview that, “If they bring in a commission, most of the people that you see operating right now, they won’t be around.”

(Oh, you DID NOT just deny my Facebook friend request, Reilly.)

In an interview given to MMAFightCorner, Dana White didn’t beat around the bush when discussing the possibility of finally legalizing mixed martial arts in New York. If you recall, the UFC recently filed a law suit against New York, claiming that the “Empire State” was in breach of their first amendment rights to peacefully assemble. Specifically, Zuffa lawyers have been attempting to prove that mixed martial arts is a form of entertainment, like any other sport, and therefore cannot be criminalized.

Well, it seems we may have finally reached the mountaintop, so to speak, as the UFC President seems more than confident that 2012 will be the year that New Yorkers near and far will finally be able to sit down and watch MMA from somewhere other than their couches:

We’re so close. It’s going to happen, and I guarantee you it’s going to happen this year. It’s going to depend on when it happens, timing and everything else, but obviously, it would be nice to go in there with, probably, Jon Jones.

(Video courtesy of WNY)

New York State Assembly isn’t scheduled to resume until January, but that isn’t stopping politicians in the Empire State from rallying in the meantime for legalizing mixed martial arts when the next session starts.

Several senators and Assembly members have spoken out publicly in support of the sport in recent weeks, which could bring the issue to the forefront when Assembly is back in session in two months.

Buffalo Senator Mark Grisanti, who met with UFC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta yesterday, says that it’s ridiculous that New York is dragging its feet when it comes to sanctioning the sport that is regulated in all but a handful of states in the U.S. and less than a half dozen Canadian provinces. Grisanti pointed to the economic benefits of having MMA in the state, noting that it could create jobs and inject an influx of cash into the New York economy as one of the big reasons for giving the popular combat sport the nod.

“Being that we’re so close to Toronto and southern Ontario, I would suspect that we would get a lot of that draw from our neighboring country [as well],” Grisanti explained.

(Apparently, you don’t f*ck with a union spurned.)

Culinary Workers Union Local 226 — the group that is battling Station Casinos to unionize its hotel and casino workers — launched a new salvo against the casino’s owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who also own a majority stake in the UFC and Strikeforce yesterday by firing off a letter of complaint to Federal Trade Commission Director Richard Feinstein in which they request that the FTC launch an investigation against Zuffa for what they deem as “a violation of anti-trust laws.”

According to the complaint, sent to CagePotato.com today by the union, Zuffa’s practices of buying out the competition like they did with PRIDE, the WEC, WFA and Strikeforce, their institution of champion’s clauses, automatic contract renewal clauses and guaranteed first negotiation periods in fighters’ contracts, their control of fighter image and likeness rights in perpetuity and their refusal to co-promote all put artificial restraints on athlete movement, depress pay and stifle competition.

(An artist’s rendering of how Bob Reilly depicted New York would look if MMA was legalized)

Well, supporters put up a valiant fight, but in the end New York State once again cock-blocked the bill to legalize MMA again for another year.

The sad thing is, that bill S1707A never really had a fighting chance once it hit the Ways & Means Committee, where it would stall as the current Senate’s session ended Monday. Last week the Committee’s chairman, Denny Farrell, D-Manhattan, told Politics on the Hudson that he was “looking at” the bill, but admitted he was not a mixed-martial arts fan.

“I don’t think very much of the sport,” Farrell said. “Next we’ll give them clubs with spikes on the end; that will be good.”

(Video courtesy YouTube/StocktonHeyBuddy)

We know from experience that dealing with government types is shady business, but when idiots like Bob Reilly continue to distort the truth and screw with the livelihoods of countless people in the process, it starts to grate on our nerves.

Reilly was front and centre in the news today telling anyone who would listen that, like he’s been saying for weeks, the MMA legalization bill in New York likely won’t make it to the Assembly floor for a vote because there isn’t enough interest or support for the bill.

“If something does not have the votes to pass, we don’t bother taking it to the floor,” Reilly said.

So rather than prove there isn’t any underhandedness in deciding whether or not there really isn’t enough support for the bill by putting the issue to a vote, the opposition Democrats like Reilly and Speaker Sheldon Silver are likely to stall the bill in the Assembly’s Ways & Means Committee. That kids, is how a bill doesn’t become a law.

(“What about the Craftmatic adjustable bed we bought you,  Bob?!!”)

Well, the MMA legalization bill in New York just passed through yet another hoop today. A04146A was approved by a vote of 17-1 by the State Assembly’s Codes Committee. Insiders estimate that’s as close as it will get to becoming a law, however, since the next vote will be chaired by vehement MMA opposer, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in the Ways & Means Committee.

(“Mr. Reilly, how long will it take for you to produce these documents? It’s been five days already.”)

The bill to regulate MMA in New York State, A04146A, was passed by a margin of 16-3 by a Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development committee vote today and will be passed along for voting by various other departments before a final decision on the matter is made by State Assembly.

Unfortunately for MMA fans in the Empire state, the bill will likely not be pushed through in time for a vote before the current session ends in seven days, meaning it will be back to the drawing board next session.

(“Excellent.”)

In spite of the passing of a Senate bill last month to lift New York ban of mixed martial arts, the state’s biggest douchebag most vocal opponent Bob Reilly says he’s pretty sure that an Assembly vote on the matter won’t happen until at least 2012.

The bill, which was approved by a 48-12 margin last month by the lower tier of government is expected to pass it’s next vote June 7, pushing it on to state Assembly voting. If it passes another vote after that, the sport could be legalized following a mandatory 90-day waiting period, however that’s a big if, considering it sounds like Reilly is planning on dragging out the process into next year.

(“Reach into my back pocket there and take out that envelope marked, ‘Housewarming gift for Senator Robach.’”)

State senators voted 42-18 today in favor of passing a bill that could lead to mixed martial arts being  sanctioned in New York. The bill will now go to the New York State Assembly where a final vote on the matter will be cast by members of the group that includes opposition stalwart Bob Reilly.

“30-27, Leonard Garcia”

The latest political maneuverings straight from the Bob Reilly MMA Cock-Blocking For Dummies handbook are coming courtesy of the sleepy town of Watertown, South Dakota. Once again, a knee jerk reaction to emotional appeal has triumphed over common sense to help ban our sport from another city’s stage. While a serious, tragic event has shaped the decision in this case, the actions of Mayor Gary Williams and Watertown City Council are not just an affront to MMA, but to logic itself.

What we know is this: Late in the evening on March 13^th, local MMA trainer Jerrin Stulken was involved in a street fight with Justin Jaton. Both men had been drinking in “uptown” Waterford. Jalton was severely injured in the fight, and this past Thursday he died as a result of those injuries. Stulken now faces charges of either second-degree murder or first-degree manslaughter. What we also know, but can’t at all understand, is that entire sport of Mixed Martial Arts has now been put on trial and found guilty by the city’s local government, which has banned promotions from staging events at the city’s event centers while it pursues full-scale prohibition. As you can imagine, we respectfully disagree with their decision.

(Watch your back, Bob Reilly. Your evil empire is crumbling before your eyes.)

It looks like just three of the last four hold-out states reluctant to sanction mixed martial arts are left standing with their arms interlocked in protest against the sport. West Virginia has now given in and agreed that MMA is a legitimate sport if regulated properly by a competent commission under the Unified Rules.

With West Virginia now on board, the only three states dragging their collective heels are Connecticut, Vermont and New York, but progress is being made in at least one of those centers. The New York Senate Standing Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation  passed New York Senate Bill S01707A on March 15 and its expected that the bill will go directly to full Senate as vote, which could mean that the sport could be greenlit in the Empire State before the end of the year.

(Video courtesy WNYT-NBC New York)

The vote gap between staunch MMA opponent New York Democrat Assemblyman Bob Reilly and his opponent Jennifer Whalen is widening as State officials total the absentee ballots from last week’s midterm election today.

According to a TimesUnion.com report, with 44 of the 60 voting districts counted today Reilly’s lead has increased by 91 votes to 522 over his Republican opponent.

Although she hasn’t completely given up hope, Whalen doesn’t seem optimistic that she can recover from such a large hole with only 16 districts left to count.

"I don’t know if I can make up the ground. I’m not going to give up until everything is opened and counted," she said. "I can’t be happier with the fact I’m a newcomer and I almost unseated an incumbent."

Hopefuly Zuffa’s campaign donations to newly-elected Governor Andrew Cuomo weren’t as big of a waste of money as Tito Ortiz’s latest obscene UFC deal.

(At least we can take comfort in the fact that Vader will eventually throw him overboard off the Death Star.)

It looks like MMA legalization in New York is still going to require a fight to make it a reality. Asshole Democrat Bob Reilly retained his New York State Assembly seat last night by defeating Republican opponent Jennifer Whalen 53.56% to 46.39%.

As you can hear in the interview we conducted with the vehement MMA opposer yesterday, he hasn’t got a fucking clue about MMA or even reality for that matter, so getting him to soften his stance on sanctioning will likely be an uphill battle.

Somebody needs to get ahold of some photos of Bob screwing a goat so we can expedite his resignation.

 
("My war against MMA is more important than the war on drugs and the war on illegal guns.")

New York Assemblyman Bob Reilly once again proved that he is an idiot with a personal agenda against MMA during a debate this week with opposing candidate Jennifer Whalen he participated in yesterday.

While Whalen outlined her priorities for her potential term as assemblywoman which included overhauling the legislature’s ethics policies, reducing unemployment and constructing a small business relief program, Reilly pointed out that his main priority is cock-blocking MMA in the state, explaining that it has become his personal crusade and that he has spent the most time and effort on — even more so than much needed tax relief for the state that his opponent says he has ignored in favor of the axe he is grinding against MMA.

"On a personal level, because what happens in the legislature — you have to shepherd certain bills through, I will be working, as I’ve said, twice already — my forfeeiture of pension bill. I will also be working on the bill — although it is not a bill — I will be working against the bill that would put Ultimate Fighting into this state," Reilly explained, hardly unable to contain his excitement. "Those are a personal effort where I am the lead legislator on those two efforts."

A personal effort, huh? No kidding?

(Another of NY’s many aspiring criminals)

With states like New York refusing to regulate mixed martial arts, MMA gyms have basically become modern day speakeasies.

It’s in those establishments where fighters not only hone their skills, they also compete in smokers and unsanctioned underground fights which are a by-product of archaic lawmakers who refuse to legitimize the sport.

MMA opponents like Bob Reilly likely look at MMA gyms in the same light as his counterparts in Washington look at Al-Qaeda training camps.

The irony that fighters can legally train to break the law and trainers can supply them with the tools to commit such "crimes" in these locales is head-shakingly ludicrous, yet in 2010 we continue to fight for ordinance of a sport that is in essence, the oldest and purest form of competition known to man.

Our boy, KahL-One, has put together an incredible series of mini-documentaries about the thriving fight community in New York.

Check out episode one after the jump.

(Video courtesy HDNet/InsideMMA)

On tonight’s episode of HDNet’s Inside MMA, the guest panel is shown an inflammatory clip from New York Assemblyman, Bob Reilly, in which the oblivious councillor compares "Ultimate Fighting" to dogfighting and prostitution, and let’s just say the guests are not impressed.

Before we get to that, here’s what Reilly’s latest bout of verbal diarrhea contained:

"Wait! Let’s have dogfighting and make money. We could make money off of dogfighting. We might make more money off of dogfighting than we could make out of human fighting. We certainly could make money off of prostitution as they do in Nevada. We don’t want prostitution here and we don’t want dogfighting here and we don’t want Ultimate Fighting here."

(Video courtesy HDNet)