UFC at Madison Square Garden: Date for 1st Event Announced

Following the long-awaited legalization of mixed martial arts in the state of New York, UFC announced its first Madison Square Garden event Thursday.

According to New York State governor Andrew Cuomo, UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta revealed that a card will be held at the crown jewel of New York City on Nov. 12.

The New York State Assembly approved the legalization of MMA in March, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo officially signed the bill Thursday, as seen in this video, courtesy of UFC:

As seen in this Instagram photo, courtesy of UFC star Chris Weidman, several high-profile fighters were present for the signing:

According to Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports, Cuomo pointed toward the economic impact as a major reason for the decision to allow mixed martial arts events within the state:

Although it isn't yet known who will be on the first MSG card, Eben Novy-Williams of Bloomberg News expects the UFC to make a significant splash in that regard:

Madison Square Garden is often called the world's most famous arena, and the fact that the UFC will now have an opportunity to utilize the facility speaks to how much the brand's popularity has grown over the years.

The fact that the UFC was able to reach its current level without the New York market is extremely impressive, but now, it stands to become an even bigger entity.

The UFC and Madison Square Garden is a marriage that has made a ton of sense for an extremely long time, and from a financial perspective, it figures to benefit both sides significantly.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.