Mixed Martial Arts Gets a Lift From Cuomo

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press A mixed martial arts fighter, Chad Mendes, being restrained by a referee at an Ultimate Fighting Championship match in California on Saturday. The sport remains illegal in New York State, but Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo put in a good word for it on Tuesday.

ALBANY - After years of being knocked around - and knocked out - of legislative sessions in New York, mixed martial arts seemingly got a little shot of good news from the governor’s corner on Tuesday.

Speaking in a radio interview, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo gave a light embrace to popular and often bloody sport, saying the state - one of only two to ban professional mixed martial arts events - needed jobs, no matter how pugnacious they are.

“I think we need economic activity, especially in upstate New York,” said Mr. Cuomo, speaking on WCNY-FM’s “Capitol Pressroom.” “I think this is a major endeavor that is televised, that is happening all over the country at this point. You’re not going to stop it from happening. And I’m interested in the potential economic potential for the state.”

Mr. Cuomo added that he understood “this theoretical debate” about the sport’s violence and other objections to it, but seemed more interested in the hard-as-knuckles bottom line.

“I’d like to know what is the economic impact for the state and are we talking about significant economic advancement,” he said. “And if we are, then I think its something we should take seriously.”

The governor’s remarks came as the Assembly mulls whether to take up the legalization of mixed martial arts this session, after several years in which such legislation was proposed but not acted upon. The current version of the legislation has more than 60 co-sponsors, including nearly half the members of the Assembly. (The State Senate has already given its approval.)

On Tuesday, Michael Whyland, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, the powerful Manhattan Democrat, would say only that “we still need to discuss this with the members of the Assembly Democratic conference.”

Both supporters and opponents of the sport were in Albany on Tuesday to press their case with legislators.

A collection of women’s groups strongly objected to what they see as the sport’s inherent sexism and violence. In a statement, Connie Neal, the executive director of the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said that legislators and the governor should not “condone the negative attitudes and beliefs about violence against women that are glorified in professional human cage fighting.”

But Lorenzo Fertitta, the chief executive of Ultimate Fighting Championship, was also working the halls, flanked by four beefy fighters (and several less well-built executives). Later Tuesday afternoon, the U.F.C. was also promising a demonstration of some of their athletes’ skills at the nearby Times Union Center, where mixed martial arts events might be held, if the sport is legalized. Mr. Fertitta said the people of New York - who he said are responsible for about one in every eight dollars spent on mixed martial arts pay-per-view events - deserved to see the face-smashing, body-pounding sport in person.

“Obviously it’s not for everyone,” he said, noting its violence. But he added that he thought “there’s an overwhelming majority of the Assembly that would vote for this bill. If they had a chance.”