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Syracuse, N.Y. -- Mike Mucitelli's family has never seen him compete in person. Instead, they watch the Brewerton fighter on television as he competes in light heavyweight bouts for Bellator, a promoter for mixed-martial arts.
He and his sister attended a press conference today at the War Memorial in Syracuse to build support for legalizing the sport in New York state.
New York and Connecticut are the only two states that ban the sport. The New York State Senate has approved lifting the ban four times, most recently in March by 47 to 15 votes.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, has never allowed a vote in his chamber. If he did, the votes are there to pass it, Assemblyman Al Stirpe, D-Cicero, said today.
"There is some resistance still," said Stirpe, who said Assembly Democrats would likely bring up the topic in their private conference in the next couple of weeks.
"The genie is out of the bottle," he added, noting he's seen less opposition to the issue in the Assembly in recent years. "Forty-eight states allow this now."
UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said the delay in New York stems from
persistent opposition from a union in Las Vegas that opposes some of his business interests. Culinary Workers Union Local 226 has also criticized the sport for what it says are examples of misogynistic and sexist behavior.
The sport was made illegal in 1997 due in large part to concerns over fighter safety and the sport's violent nature. The sport has evolved, Fertitta, Stirpe and others said today, with more oversight and weight categories that pair up more comparable opponents. A medical study in 2006 found that MMA's injury levels are comparable to similar sports; the study also found that MMA has fewer knockouts, which could mean fewer brain injuries when compared with boxing.
Fertitta is hopeful this year the bill could come up for a vote. Two key Assembly members who opposed the bill have left office, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo has indicated interest in legalizing the sport. Ultimate Fighting Productions contributed $50,000 to Cuomo's re-election campaign last year.
Fertitta already has plans for New York. He wants to put at least four events a year in the state, including three Upstate. He's met with Syracuse University and city officials about the possibility of holding an event in the Carrier Dome.
"These events can create high-paying jobs," Fertitta said in Syracuse, the first of three stops planned today across New York to push for the bill's passage. "Union jobs."
The sport is popular in Canada, and Fertitta said those fans would travel to Syracuse to watch the matches. Last year, a UFC event in Toronto drew 57,000, he said.
All Central New York senators voted in March in favor of legalizing MMA. Assemblyman Sam Roberts, D-Syracuse, has said he supports legalization. Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, D-Syracuse, has said he opposes it.
Kristen Mucitelli-Heath, Mike's brother, said she wants the athletes who train so hard to get respect and the chance to compete closer to home.
"It's an incredibly difficult sport," said Mucitelli-Heath, a former vice president for New York's Empire State Development office who now works at St. Josephs Hospital Health Center. "It's an incredible mischaracterization to say they are not athletes."
He and his sister attended a press conference today at the War Memorial in Syracuse to build support for legalizing the sport in New York state.
New York and Connecticut are the only two states that ban the sport. The New York State Senate has approved lifting the ban four times, most recently in March by 47 to 15 votes.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, has never allowed a vote in his chamber. If he did, the votes are there to pass it, Assemblyman Al Stirpe, D-Cicero, said today.
"There is some resistance still," said Stirpe, who said Assembly Democrats would likely bring up the topic in their private conference in the next couple of weeks.
"The genie is out of the bottle," he added, noting he's seen less opposition to the issue in the Assembly in recent years. "Forty-eight states allow this now."
UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said the delay in New York stems from
persistent opposition from a union in Las Vegas that opposes some of his business interests. Culinary Workers Union Local 226 has also criticized the sport for what it says are examples of misogynistic and sexist behavior.
The sport was made illegal in 1997 due in large part to concerns over fighter safety and the sport's violent nature. The sport has evolved, Fertitta, Stirpe and others said today, with more oversight and weight categories that pair up more comparable opponents. A medical study in 2006 found that MMA's injury levels are comparable to similar sports; the study also found that MMA has fewer knockouts, which could mean fewer brain injuries when compared with boxing.
Fertitta is hopeful this year the bill could come up for a vote. Two key Assembly members who opposed the bill have left office, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo has indicated interest in legalizing the sport. Ultimate Fighting Productions contributed $50,000 to Cuomo's re-election campaign last year.
Fertitta already has plans for New York. He wants to put at least four events a year in the state, including three Upstate. He's met with Syracuse University and city officials about the possibility of holding an event in the Carrier Dome.
"These events can create high-paying jobs," Fertitta said in Syracuse, the first of three stops planned today across New York to push for the bill's passage. "Union jobs."
The sport is popular in Canada, and Fertitta said those fans would travel to Syracuse to watch the matches. Last year, a UFC event in Toronto drew 57,000, he said.
All Central New York senators voted in March in favor of legalizing MMA. Assemblyman Sam Roberts, D-Syracuse, has said he supports legalization. Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, D-Syracuse, has said he opposes it.
Kristen Mucitelli-Heath, Mike's brother, said she wants the athletes who train so hard to get respect and the chance to compete closer to home.
"It's an incredibly difficult sport," said Mucitelli-Heath, a former vice president for New York's Empire State Development office who now works at St. Josephs Hospital Health Center. "It's an incredible mischaracterization to say they are not athletes."
