“I do not believe that legalizing mixed martial arts will lead to increased economic development in our state, and I agree with the many critics that say this sport is violent; however nothing is stopping New Yorkers from watching professional and amateur fights at home or in bars.

“We accomplish nothing by maintaining the ban on MMA. Amateur fights which were previously unregulated must now be sanctioned in the same way as amateur boxing. That is a huge improvement.

“The legislation passed today ensures that we have the safest competitions in the nation. While I strongly feel that we need less violence, not more, in this society, we continue to glorify war and violence in movies and on television. No one is stopping that, and that in my opinion is far worse than what occurs in any sport, albeit a violent one.”