UFC is coming to Chicago

May 17th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanR

I don’t quite know if I’m ever going to hop on this current wave of popularity the UFC is having. On the one hand, the sport takes what’s cool about boxing and adds in the mixed martial arts or what have you — it’s a pretty solid combo. UFC fighting is basically a glorified and strategic streetbrawl, pitting dudes hellbent on submissions and takedowns against each other. Why wouldn’t I want to see that? On the other hand, I’ve never been a huge fan of martial arts in any form. (Except for this guy, of course.)

So, there are the pros. There are the cons. In any event, if I ever would like to venture out to one of these fights, I can probably do so soon in the great city of Chicago.

Mixed martial arts, whose phenomenal growth in recent years has made it a lucrative business, is on the verge of being legalized in Illinois.

Legislation to legitimize and regulate the sport has been approved overwhelmingly in the Illinois House (the state legislative body as published has been corrected in the headline as well as in this text) and is expected to be voted on by the Senate as early as Wednesday. If so, Ultimate Fighting Championship, one of the sport’s biggest promoters, hopes to bring an event to Illinois by year’s end.

Again, not sure if I’d actually ever go to one of these things. But, you know, if I’m ever in the mood to see two grown men trying to submit each other inside the octagon, I have some options now I suppose.

(HT: MDS at the FanHaus.)

(And just for fun: After the jump, Chuck Lidell’s appearance on “Entourage” from a few weeks back. What’s a Chuck Lidell?)