May 18, 2009 - Indiana is likely to become the next state to fully regulate mixed martial arts, as Senate Bill 160 has been ratified, allowing state sanctioning to begin on July 1.
The history of the bill can be found by clicking here.
Until now, MMA shows have been allowed in Indiana but have never before been under government sanctioning. The new law will allow a newly renamed state athletic commission to oversee the sport.
The bill was authored by Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn. Fighters with connections to Indiana include WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres, whose Torres Martial Arts gym is in Hammond; Indianapolis natives and UFC fighters Chris Lytle and Jake O'Brien; and ex-UFC heavyweight Dan Christison.
It could be another in a series of markets the sport clears in '09. Pennsylvania recently held its first sanctioned card while Hawaii's state legislature also passed a bill sanctioning the sport that is scheduled to go into effect later this year, and a key vote in the New York State Assembly is expected sometime in the next month.
In addition, it appears that Ontario is paving the way for regulation for the sport, opening up Toronto, which has historically been one of the UFC's top fan bases.
Several other U.S. states still do not regulate the sport, the most important of which, Massachusetts, is also moving towards sanctioning it.
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