HDNET'S "INSIDE MMA" FEATURES EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE MOST VOCAL CRITIC OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

New York State Assemblyman Bob Reilly Defends His Opposition to the Legalization of MMA - Friday, September 3 at 9:00 p.m. ET on HDNet

DALLAS (September 2, 2010) Assemblyman Bob Reilly is the man leading the charge against legalizing mixed martial arts in the state of New York, and tomorrow night on "Inside MMA," the sport's most vocal critic explains his opposition in Part One of an exclusive two-part interview.

"What attracts people to Ultimate Fighting unfortunately is the violence and violence is not good for our society," Reilly says. "The difference between mixed martial arts and every other sport is that in mixed martial arts the purpose is to damage your opponent."

A clip of Reilly's comments is available at: http://www.hd.net/insidemma.html

Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten are joined on the panel this week by Randy and Ryan Couture and Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard, all who strongly disagree with Reilly's statements.

"I think it's an uneducated view," says Randy Couture. "He doesn't understand our sport. We're not crazy, we're not dangerous, this is not violence, it's a combative sport."

Also on this week's show, the Coutures discuss their respective recent victories in the cage, and Lombard talks about his upcoming title defense.

Plus, Ron Kruck has breaking news on a Bellator fighter who isn't letting a recent diagnosis with leukemia keep him out of the gym, and the "Inside America's Gyms" series continues with a look at the Grudge Training Center in Wheat Ridge, CO.

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Source: HDNet