Vermont To Regulate Mixed Martial Arts

LAS VEGAS, May 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ultimate Fighting Championship® applauds the lawmakers of the state of Vermont following the successful vote of a bill to regulate Mixed Martial Arts, which recently passed through the Vermont Legislature. The "The Green Mountain State" becomes the 46th in the U.S. to approve the fastest-growing sport in the world.

"Vermont's legislation of the sport of MMA is further evidence of the continued growth and success of our sport in this country," said UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta. "We are pleased that fans in Vermont will now have the opportunity to watch a live UFC event in their own backyard, and look forward to making that happen."

"We are thrilled with the state of Vermont becoming the 46th state to regulate the sport of Mixed Martial Arts," said Marc Ratner, UFC Senior Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs. "We look forward to working with their athletic commission in forming the rules and regulations of this great sport."

The UFC has led the way in helping the sport of mixed martial arts gain regulation in the U.S. Only New York and Connecticut remain unregulated, while Alaska and Wyoming lack the necessary regulatory bodies to oversee the sport.

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com.

About Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can't-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world's premier mixed martial arts organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, and with offices in London, England, Toronto, Canada and Beijing, China, UFC® produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world.

In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which now air on FX in an exciting new live format.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter.

Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, the best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise distributed by THQ, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, and action figures.

SOURCE Ultimate Fighting Championship