Dana White blames "dirty gangsters" for UFC's legalization struggles in New York

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC's attempts to get legalized in New York State have hit many snags over the last several years, with a number of issues politically keeping the organization out of the state. Recently, the Las Vegas Culinary Workers Union has been one of the most vocal opponents of the UFC, and has actively tried to discourage the state to legalize the sport.

UFC President Dana White, despite stating in the past that he's not concerned with the union and their efforts, on Tuesday placed much of the blame on the UFC not being in New York just yet on them.

"Why hasn't it happened? It's a lot of political crap," White said in an interview with ESPN.com (transcribed by MMAMania.com). "The union out in Las Vegas is the reason it hasn't happened as funny as that sounds. It has nothing to do with MMA or the UFC, it has to do with the union. My partners, the Fertitta brothers, own the fourth largest gaming company in the country and they're non-union and the Las Vegas union has been doing some dirty stuff. They're dirty guys. Gangsters! The culinary union in Las Vegas. The guys who run the culinary union in Las Vegas are dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty guys."

Penick's Analysis: This is actually only one potential issue the UFC has found themselves facing with trying to get legalized in New York. Rampage Jackson's comments about a "UFC doctor" advising him to go to an age management doctor for testosterone has stirred the hornet's nest, and there is some reaction already in New York media. The New York Daily News published an opinion piece by Victor Conte, former head of BALCO and a very real knowledgeable figure when it comes to doping in sports that argues that the State shouldn't legalize the sport until their commission has stricter drug testing standards. Additionally, the UFC's lawsuit in the state - especially the part arguing the sport's safety - lends itself to a line of questioning regarding a supposed "UFC doctor" leading their fighters into TRT usage, as Zach Arnold at FightOpinion.com points out. There's no guarantee that the topic will be broached, but it's reasonable to believe that it's something that could be a definite issue for the UFC on a larger scale with more and more fighters being found to be getting therapeutic use exemptions for testosterone.

Jesse Forbes Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca Rich Franklin Ian Freeman