Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - After nearly 15 years of being banned from New York State, Governor David Paterson wants to bring back ultimate fighting. It’s part of his budget plan due out next week.
Amateur fighters across the state have had to travel to different states to fight and make money.
Timothy Miller has a fight scheduled this Saturday in New Hampshire. He says the travel is grueling enough; never mind the training that he has to do.
“It's pretty hard driving all the way up there especially if we're going to have to drive out the same day that we have to fight. And we have to drive all the way out there and there is no rest in between,” Miller said.
There have been attempts to back ultimate fighting for the last two years. It's failed in the legislature every time.
With the state facing a projected $7.5 billion deficit in 2011, and the sport's growing popularity and fan base, Governor Paterson says the state's money problem requires a search for new revenue sources even if they conflict with his ideology.
