The New York State Assembly Tourism Committee passed the bill legalizing MMA in NY

There may still a few hurdles to overcome before Mixed Martial Arts becomes legal in Gotham, but the good news comes via MMA Facts that legislation for the sport took another step closer to becoming a reality yesterday.

This afteroon we are one step closer to legalizing MMA in NY: The New York State Assembly Tourism Committee passed the bill legalizing MMA in NY.

Even though this is an important milestone, there are still several steps ahead of us before MMA is finally realized in New York. The bill must still pass several other Assembly committees before it can be voted upon by the entire Assembly. Further, next Wednesday, the bill will come before the Senate Tourism Committe for a vote.

We are not there yet, but these are important steps towards our ultimate goal: Bringing MMA to NY.

I am from New York and I cannot tell you how jealous I am hearing everyone on Twitter talk about taking trips over to Las Vegas, California and Arizona for small local shows. The overall goal is the UFC, but the entire sport will benefit once the sport becomes legalized in New York State.