By FCF Staff

For the fifth year in a row, the New York State Senate have voted in favor of legalizing professional MMA; however, it remains to be seen if the sport will finally get sanctioned.

According to a report from Newsday, the Senate voted to pass Bill No. S6502 by a 44-16 margin, which would legalize pro MMA in the state. Now the bill will be sent to the State Assembly, where the movement to sanction the sport has ground to a halt in recent years.

Professional MMA has been banned in New York since 1997, however, amateur bouts can and are held in the region. New York is the last state where pro MMA is currently banned.

The legislative session for the State Assembly reportedly comes to an end on June 19th.