EDITORIAL: UFC launches Big Apple battle

Las Vegas-based Ultimate Fighting Championship is going to try to punch its way into New York, the only state where sanctioned mixed martial arts fights are illegal.

UFC filed a federal lawsuit against the state on Monday, claiming New York's Combative Sport Law, which has banned mixed martial arts fights since 1997, is unconstitutional. The lawsuit alleges the statute is vague and "has allowed state officials to exercise standardless discretion, acting in arbitrary and discriminatory ways in deciding which events to permit and which to prohibit."

That a legal, internationally popular sport with a growing fan base would be deliberately kept out of the country's media capital makes no sense — until you understand the awful politics behind its exclusion. UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta also own Station Casinos, which has nonunion properties. The Culinary union can't win a secret-ballot election to organize Station properties, so it has engaged in a years-long campaign of harassment against the Fertittas that was expanded to include UFC. And longtime New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a lapdog for the Culinary and its parent union, was all too happy to block legislation allowing MMA events in New York as long as Station refused to allow Culinary organization by card check.

Did we mention that Silver now faces federal corruption charges?

UFC has tried suing to enter the New York market before, but that lawsuit was thrown out. It's new action, however, makes strong arguments. We hope it's allowed to go forward. It has the potential to uncover all kinds of political collusion, which might just frighten New York lawmakers into doing what they should have done years ago.