Pramit Mohapatra has an email interview with Kirill Reznick, the Delegate from Maryland who introduced legislation to get MMA legalized in the state. Notable quote:
That is difficult to answer. Assuming there is no opposition, and it passes both Chambers, the Governor will then undertake the signing process in the months of April and May. Once it becomes law (which would be July 1, assuming the Governor's approval), then the State Athletic Commission will need to promulgate regulations on all of the details with regard to sanctioning, licensing, and promoting events, as well as training referees, ringside physicians, and others, as well as creating criteria for fighters dealing with physical examinations, fight matching, etc. There is a lot to do and the process is, and should be very deliberative. It may take the Commission as long as a year to get everything drafted, hold public hearings, and finalizing all of the rules.
When I attended the hearings for the Senate committee last week, there was no opposition to the bill. I don't think the House bill's hearing will be very different, so this is all good news. If everything goes as planned, it's hard to see MMA actually being on display until 2009, but we've got to start somewhere.
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