New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo set to sign MMA bill into law Thursday

The release of a New York governor’s daily public schedule would ordinarily not generate a moment of thought for mixed martial arts fans.

That certainly wasn’t the case on Wednesday evening when the state’s press office sent out Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s rather mundane calendar for the following day.

The governor is scheduled to make a 10:30 a.m. appearance at Madison Square Garden.

Cuomo is expected to officially sign into law a bill to legalize professional mixed martial arts competitions in the state at a ceremony, clearing the way for at least one Ultimate Fighting Championship event in the state later this year.

UFC officials have pledged four events in the state annually over the next several years once New York, the last state to ban professional events, finally enacts legislation allowing events. Under a loophole in the law, amateur events have taken place in the state.

The ban on professional events has been in place since 1997. The state Senate had passed a bill to overturn the ban on several occasions, but opponents had successfully blocked an Assembly vote for several years. On March 22, the full Assembly approved the measure 113-25.

UFC officials have spent nearly a decade and several million dollars in lobbying efforts on the law. Several of the organization’s executives are expected to be present at the signing ceremony.

The New York State Athletic Commission will have 120 days from Thursday to establish guidelines to create a regulatory body for events in the state before a card can take place.

A UFC event is expected to host an event at MSG in November, though an event could take place elsewhere in the state sometime in the fall.

Bellator MMA has expressed interest in holding an event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj