...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Though a report from the Boston Herald on Tuesday suggested there was a legal issue in Massachusetts that could have the UFC's Fox Sports 1 debut event in Boston in jeopardy, the UFC insists that isn't the case. They announced the ticket on-sale for the week and are currently working through the issues that were reported.
UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner explained as much in an interview with MMAFighting.com, along with the fact that they're currently working through the paperwork needed for the foreign fighters competing on the card.
"The show will definitely be taking place," Ratner assured.
The report stated that Ratner is trying to secure a social security number for all the foreign fighters on the card, a requirement of the Massachusetts regulatory body for the event which was waived the last time the UFC ran in Boston.
Ratner said that no other state has that as a requirement, and because it wasn't required at UFC 118 in 2010, it's not an issue they've had to deal with. The UFC's immigration department is getting on top of the issue now, as fighters will need their work visas for ten days before they can get a social security number, so it's a process that will take a little time, but one which Ratner believes will be handled.
Penick's Analysis: Because they have plenty of time before the event in August, I don't think we're going to see any issues for the fighters currently scheduled for the card. The only thing that could throw a wrench in their plans would be if a fighter has issues obtaining a visa early enough, but hopefully that won't be the case. For now, everything's moving forward for the card, and the concerns brought up in the Herald report are being addressed.
UPDATE: Zuffa has released an official statement regarding the Boston Herald report, which you can read below:
For the first time since 2010, the UFC is very excited to return to TD Garden in Boston on Saturday, Aug. 17 with a live event card to coincide with the launch of the FOX Sports 1 network. Tickets went on pre-sale today for the event and are already off to a tremendous start.
There were some questions that surfaced regarding licensing requirements for mixed martial artists and boxers to have social security numbers in order to compete in the state of Massachusetts. Last week, these requirements were brought to UFC's attention and we immediately began working to ensure that all athletes affected by this are in full compliance. We are continuing to work on this and anticipate a positive outcome.
We look forward to bringing another successful event to Boston during an incredible week for sports fans in the city.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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