It Don't Matter Anymore: UFC in NYC

New York, New York: Endeavor isn't bringing the goods to Madison Square Garden.

New York was once The Prize for UFC. Now it’s just a B+ pit stop for the venture capitalists to hobnob with Wall Street benefactors and sponsors.

If we measure years in this era of Trump Time, go back to the rise of Trump 1.0 in 2016.

The UFC had spent years and countless millions of dollars lobbying officials in Albany, the capital seat of New York state. After the late Senator John McCain labeled MMA as “human cockfighting”, it took a herculean political effort from former UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta and their top regulator Marc Ratner to get anyone in New York to consider the idea of regulating UFC activity.

Year by year, the Fertitta-era of Zuffa won regulatory approval in big American states. New York was the last major holdout.

It was a bare-knuckled political fistfight involving then-Governor and former New York state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. The key obstructionist was Sheldon Silver, the capo of New York state politics.

No matter what UFC attempted, Mr. Silver and associates blocked Zuffa from getting approval. There were lawsuits. There was a fight involving the Culinary Union — the Fertitta’s long-time nemesis.

New York’s blockade forced UFC to run frequently in New Jersey. It was only after Sheldon Silver’s political career fell apart that Big Apple opportunities opened up for UFC.

Once New York granted their blessing, UFC went right to work with a date at MSG.

A lot of UFC’s current fans have no idea about that backstory. For veteran MMA fans who remember the past, those regulatory battles probably seem like a lifetime ago.

We are only eight years removed from UFC’s triumphant first event at Madison Square Garden, the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez headlined UFC 205 with a red hot audience draw. This was the fight that ended with Conor becoming a UFC champion in two different weight classes.

That wasn’t the only November surprise. Literally days before UFC 205, Donald Trump shocked the world by winning the 2016 US Presidential Election. The rise of Trump was concurrent with the rise of UFC and Conor McGregor in New York.

Bringing the UFC to New York City was the crowning achievement for Dana White and his bosses Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta. A year later, they cashed out by selling UFC for $4 billion dollars to Ari Emanuel.

And then everything changed.