Official: James Toney makes his UFC debut against Randy "The Natural" Couture on August 28th.

The UFC has released the official lineup (thus far) for UFC 118 on August 28th, and it includes the controversial bout between Heavyweight Boxing champion James Toney and former UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight champion Randy Couture.

The fight will appear on the undercard of the event, which is still scheduled to to be headlined by the rematch between BJ Penn and UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar after Edgar’s close decision win that won him the title back in April.

On paper, this is arguably the strongest card the UFC has put on in all of 2010.

The full card, thus far:

Main Televised Bouts
FRANKIE EDGAR (c) vs. B.J. PENN for the UFC Lightweight Title
RANDY COUTURE vs. JAMES TONEY
NATE MARQUARDT vs. ROUSIMAR PALHARES
KENNY FLORIAN vs. GRAY MAYNARD

Preliminary Fights
JORGE RIVERA vs. ALESSIO SAKARA
TERRY ETIM vs. JOE LAUZON
NIK LENTZ vs. ANDRE WINNER
NICK OSIPCZAK vs. GREG SOTO
AMILCAR ALVES vs. MIKE PIERCE

Rumored but not yet official – PHIL BARONI vs. JOHN SALTER (would be a prelim);  MARCUS DAVIS vs. NATE DIAZ

The Davis/Diaz fight is held up pending the Tennessee Athletic Commission’s decision regarding Nate Diaz’s involvement in the post-fight brawl at the last CBS Strikeforce card. He could be suspended for upwards of nine months, which would make him ineligible to fight.

The winner of Florian/Maynard will face the winner of Penn/Edgar at the end of the year for the title.

It’s thought that Vitor Belfort will be healed in time to get a Middleweight Title Shot after Sonnen/Anderson. But in case he isn’t (a strong possibility with a fighter like Belfort that has a lot of mileage on him), a win by Nate Marquardt would put him in line for a title shot.

The big news and draw going into the card, of course, will be Toney/Couture. It will almost assuredly be portrayed and marketed as a boxing vs. MMA bout, even though it’s a sticky situation for a sport that wants to be taken seriously to be doing a gimmick match. Especially tricky will be the delicate balancing act between Dana White’s frequent accusations of StrikeForce doing freakshow fights when he has a boxer north of 40 whose place in boxing history is questionable competing against one of the most heralded and experienced MMA fighters in history. It has the potential to make a lot of money for the UFC, but it also has the potential to backfire and, depending on how the fight goes, be portrayed in the mainstream media as a cartoonish spectacle that has no place on a legitimate fight card.

UFC 118 will emanate from the TD Garden in Boston, MA and will include another two-day UFC Fan Expo.

The New York Senate has passed the bill to regulate and legalize MMA in New York State. The vote was a narrow 32-26 and included some hilarious reactions, many of which are included in the link provided.

On a grander scale, the statements opponents made and the attitudes they have towards the sport are indicative of a systemic shortfall of context, relativity, and rationale in our state’s government. Most are falling back on views of the sport in its infancy, when it bore no resemblance to what we see now.

I offer to all New York State legislators my services and ear in listening to and addressing their concerns, as well as explaining to them the finer points of the sport. Unfortunately I have a sneaking suspicion that, much like with Assemblyman Bob Reilly, they want to hear none of it. They seem married to their views regardless of the facts of the situation, and if men with far greater knowledge and expertise of the sport can’t sway them, I probably don’t have much of a chance either. But, at the very least, I thought I’d at least put it out there.

The bill now has to pass through the Assembly. It faces a tough road ahead not just in the vote, but also with the ongoing budget fiasco in the Legislature.

Previously:

• Full Text of the MMA Bill
• My Analysis of the provisions

PREVIOUS POST: Full text of the Legislation

I’ve had a chance to read the proposed legislation that would legalize and regulate Mixed Martial Arts in New York State.

While most of the bill is what you would expect and nothing out of the ordinary as it pertains to the rules and regulations in most of the 31 States that already regulate MMA, there are some interesting items to note.

The big one, as mentioned earlier, is the 8.5% tax on the gross gate receipts in addition to the 3% tax on the gross broadcast receipts. Boxing events only pay 3% on each respectively with neither amount to exceed $50,000.

Interestingly enough, while the 3% on the gross from broadcast rights for MMA is capped at $50,00, the 8.5% tax on the gross box office receipts has no upper limit.

This is a huge discrepancy.

As an example, let’s use the gate for UFC 114 (headlined by Rashad Evans taking on Quinton “Rampage” Jackson). The event, which had an estimated live crowd of 15,000, pulled in $3.85 million at the gate. If an event of that magnitude were to take place in New York, the tax penalty incurred by the UFC would be in excess of $327,000. Meanwhile, a boxing event with a similar gate would only pay the maximum $50,000.

But it’s a fight for another day. First, we need to get this bill passed through the Assembly. Maybe after doing a couple events at MSG, the UFC can press the issue. It’d be in its best interests to do so not just financially, but also so they can have live events further up North to put some pressure on Ontario to legalize MMA.

Other Highlights

• Legalizes MMA by adding the phrase “and professional combative sports” after mentions of “boxing.”
• Establishes adoption of “the Unified rules of Mixed Martial Arts”
• In addition to giving the State Athletic Commission sole jurisdiction over the licensing and regulation of MMA, also gives them jurisdiction over all MMA training facilities for professional or exhibition fighters .
• Requires fighters to undergo a physical exam and neurological testing annually in order to be licensed. Costs for these examinations would be incurred by the State.
• Requires fingerprinting for the purposes of a full background check with the Division of Criminal Justice Services in order to be a licensed participant or official. I know that Pennsylvania and Georgia have similar statues, though I’m not sure how many others do.
• Prohibits anybody under the age of 16 from attending an event without the physical presence of a parent or guardian.

Annual Licensing Fees

• Fighters: $50 (plus $20 temporary working permit for each fight)
• Referees: $100
• Judges: $100
• Managers: $50
• Chief Seconds: $40

Annual Promoter Fees

• Seating capacity > 2,500: $500
• 2,500 – 5,000: $1,000
• 5,000 – 15,000: $1,500
• 15,000 – 25,000: $2,500
• 25,000+: $5,000

In addition to legalizing MMA, the bill also allows organizations that promote single discipline martial arts to have a process in which to be approved to hold bouts and exhibitions. Currently, New York State legislation limits the list specifically to the US Judo Association, US Judo Inc., US Tae Kwon Do Union, North American Sport Karate Association, USA Karate Foundation, US Karate Inc., World Karate Association, Professional Karate Association, Karate International, International Kenpo Association, and the World Wide Kenpo Association.

In other words, New York, get ready for some major Jiu-Jitsu competitions to hit a mid-size arena near you.

Below is the complete text for the bill to legalize MMA in New York State that as mentioned earlier today has thus far passed the Tourism, Parks, Arts & Sports Committee and the Assembly Codes Committee, and is currently in the hands of the Ways & Means Committee.

Analysis to come later today or tonight.

=========================

ENGLEBRIGHT, BING, HEVESI, PEOPLES-STOKES, CROUCH, ZEBROWSKI, J. RIVERA; M-S: Alfano, Ball, Barra, Boyle, Gianaris, McKevitt, Murray, Rabbitt, Raia, Saladino, Wright
Amd SS4, 5-a & 6, Chap 912 of 1920; amd SS451 & 452, Tax L
Establishes protocols for combative sports; authorizes mixed martial arts events in this state; establishes procedures for applications for licenses; establishes penalties for violations; imposes taxes on gross receipts of such events.
CRIMINAL SANCTION IMPACT.

(full text after the jump)

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I’ve been informed that the legislation to legalize MMA in New York State has made it through the Assembly Codes Committee and has been sent to Ways & Means, bringing it one step closer to the general Assembly.

I’ll update with any further information I receive.

In something that seems to be a bit of a habit for the UFC, an event that looked terribly weak on paper and likely did not do great business on pay-per-view actually ended up being one of the more entertaining shows of the year.

Mirko Cro Cop, victorious before a raucous and emotional Vancouver crowd. (Photo - UFC.com)

I was so cynical about the card’s prospects that initially I didn’t even set out to watch it. I only caught it with a group of friends due to circumstance and other plans for the evening falling through. That said, I’m glad I did as it contained only one stinker of a fight, two potential fight of the year candidates, and a great moment for those who were fans of Mirko Cro Cop during his glory days.

In a Fight of the Year candidate, former WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit defeated 20-year-old Vancouver native Rory MacDonald with literally seconds remaining in the fight. Condit, who had been less than impressive in the UFC after a WEC Welterweight Championship run that had many (including myself) putting him in the upper echelon of the division, looked like he had finally returned to his old form. MacDonald, meanwhile, showed great resilience and toughness for such a young fighter. Condit seems to have shaken whatever cage jitters he may have acquired in his move up in competition, and it looks like he could meet the high expectations fans had upon his arrival in the organization after all.

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I just received a message informing me that the MMA Bill has passed through the State Tourism Committee, which means the bill can move forward to the general Legislative body.

This is a HUGE step for MMA in New York State, as Assemblyman Bob Reilly – its main opponent and obstacle – is part of this Committee.

More on this later today.

Shigeyuki Uchiyama and his ear in better times, which was literally up until a minute after this photo was taken.

Part of my goal with this blog isn’t just to espouse opinions and entertain, but also to inform both casual observers and those that may be apprehensive towards MMA in the finer points of the sport, the reasons behind many of the rules and practices, and to address safety concerns.

One of the first things brought up by critics of MMA is the cage. The word itself carries a negative connotation to the casual observer and elicits thoughts of animalistic cruelty and immoral behavior. The inference by many is that the sport is so barbaric it has to take place in a cage in order to prevent the fighters from murdering everyone around them and keep its bloodthirsty fans from jumping into the cage and getting in on some of that good old fashioned gladiator action.

As is the case with most conversations about MMA, the perceptions and statements of its detractors are in direct conflict with reality. In fact, the cage is actually there to make the sport safer.

A recent incident at a Pancrase show in Japan showed the need for a cage when, after an awkward tumble through ring ropes after a takedown, fighter Shigeyuki Uchiyama has lost his Ear (MMAFighting.com).

The above link provides a full recap of the incident as well as some grisly photos. In short, his ear either got caught on the vertical ropes that hold the horizontal ropes in place, or it’s possible his ear got caught on the horizontal ropes themselves. In either case, the ropes were the prime culprit for the detachment.

So beyond protecting your ear, what makes a cage safer than a ring?

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Johnny Hustle’s podcast MANville is about all things man. And why not? We need a voice, damnit.

This week, he brings in a very special guest to talk about the very manly subject of Mixed Martial Arts…none other than yours truly!

Give it a listen by clicking here! Also available in the iTunes Music Store. (runtime: about 20 minutes)