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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Late this week the State of Wisconsin became the 43rd to pass regulation for the sport of mixed-martial-arts, opening the doors for a visit from the sport's premier MMA organization by early next year.
According to a report from Wisconsin Combat Sports, the UFC is looking to bring an event to the state possibly before the end of the year or the first quarter of 2011. The UFC's Marc Ratner was on hand in the state for the signing of the bill this week, and told WICombatSports.com that the UFC is "serious about coming" to Wisconsin.
When asked about a possible venue for the first UFC event in the state, Ratner stated, "The one venue that I’ve spoken with is the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Probably our first fight would happen there. But we also like Madison, we like Green Bay, there is a lot of possibilities in this state.
But first thing's first, as Ratner said the state needs to get their commission up and running before the UFC runs there. "Right now we want the commission to be going, we want the commission to have a staff, and we want the commission to have trained referees," said Ratner.
Penick's Analysis: This is great for the fans in Wisconsin, as while the state has run many un-regulated events in the past, this would bring the big show to town for the first time. With the UFC seriously considering venues like Fenway Park for an eventual event, Green Bay's Lambeau Field may be a future destination for such an outdoor event. The first event for Wisconsin fans is likely to bring a Fight Night event, but with a few cities to run in it sounds like the UFC is planning more than one trip to the state. It's great to see another state get in on regulating the sport, and now only seven remain.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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