The Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission (PSAC) had approved MMA regulations on July of 2007. However, the previous set rules forced extensive reviews by the House and Senate Committees, the Independent Regulatory Review Commission and the Office of the Attorney General.
Now, the new and improved regulations have allowed the State of Pennsylvania to host the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) more freely. Therefore, MMA in Pennsylvania will be just like any other approved state.
Snip from Yorkblog.com:
The State Athletic Commission anticipates regulating four to five MMA events per month, which may generate as much as $80,000 per year in revenue for the commission. As a self-supporting entity, the State Athletic Commission receives no taxpayer dollars from the state’s General Fund.
The commission and staff worked for more than a year to prepare the final regulations, which are commensurate with current boxing rules. Health and safety of the fighters and public protection are key themes of the regulations. Many facets of the sport were addressed, including age and medical requirements, fees, promoter activity, and ring requirements.
The regulations require that all professional ($22 fee) and amateur ($10 fee) MMA fighters must be licensed and take a pre-fight physical exam by a commission-approved doctor. All fighters must be at least 18 years old.
This means that MMA superstars Josh Koscheck, Eddie Alvarez and Mac Danzig can finally participate in their hometown Pennsylvania. The UFC can use this breaking news to their advantage since they are trying to acquire all of the east coast, especially the state of New York.
Click here to check out more details on the MMA approval in Pennsylvania.