By Mariel S. Clark
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Mixed martial arts may be gaining in popularity nationwide, but a new poll shows most New Yorkers are opposed to Gov. David Paterson's proposal to legalize the sport.
Roughly 68 percent of New Yorkers polled, including 74 percent in New York City, said they disagreed with Paterson's plan to make the violent sport legal, according to a new Marist Poll.
Mixed martial arts, commonly referred to as ultimate fighting, features two fighters who square off inside a ring or cage using different combat styles including boxing, karate, jiu-jitsu, wrestling and judo.
The sport has drawn sharp criticism from those who say it's too violent and has been banned in New York State since 1997. Proponents, however, say the sport has become safer and evolved over the last 13 years thanks to more regulation.
Female voters statewide remain unconvinced, with 82 percent saying they are against legalizing it, according to the poll. Surprisingly, only 45 percent of men polled were in favor of lifting the ban.
Paterson added the legalization of mixed martial arts to his 2010-2011 Executive Budget as a way to generate more than $2 million annually in revenue for New York.
Under the proposed bill, mixed martial arts would be recognized as a legal sport, and the state could create safety regulations over it.
In exchange, New York would implement an 8.5 percent tax on all ticket sales, and a 3 percent tax on broadcasting rights, up to a $50,000 maximum per event, according to the bill.
The sport is legal in dozens of other states, including New Jersey, where the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming March 27 bout is pulling down $603 per ticket, plus a $10 service charge, for a seat five rows from the cage.
