5K Exclusive: Phillipe Nover: "It's time that New York steps their game up."

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As we all know, MMA is sanctioned in 43 states at the moment, but New York isn't one of them. Talks have continued between lawmakers in the State Assembly, but they're not too much closer than they were at the end of 2009.

New York native Phillipe Nover spoke to FiveKnuckles.com about his feelings regarding the lack of MMA in New York, how he dealt with it throughout his career, and what could happen if New York legalizes the sport.

Below are Nover's statements on the subject:

"It's the largest growing sport right now in the last 15 years. New York is the center of the world right now. It has everything going on here. And to not be able to compete in my own state is kind of awkward. It's a very awkward feeling. Kind of like we're still in a different type of time period where the politics here are a little archaic. To not be able to compete in the fastest growing sport that would generate millions of dollars and has so many fans here is kind of weird.

"Also, the MMA thing is blowing up a lot in Vegas, and a lot of fighter in Vegas and in other states get a lot of respect. Here in New York, it's going there, but it's not as much as in Vegas. They have camps out there. They have Couture's, TapouT gym, they have the UFC gym out there where they have the facilities, they have the coaches, they have everything. And in New York, it's kind of hard. One school has jiu-jitsu, one school has boxing, one school has kickboxing, one school has wrestling. And then you have to find a school with a cage in it. It's difficult. As a fighter, you have to travel around a lot and not go to a central place. I just believe that once it turns legal, these schools will pop up, and then as a fighter, maybe even as a fighter who's up and coming, could join one of these schools.

"The home crowd advantage is great. It was difficult; when I went to Jersey, I had to get over 100 people to come down to Vegas and to Atlantic City to watch me fight, so that was difficult. But I guarantee, if I fight in New York - wow - I would get so much support here. I have so many friends and family who can't make it to Vegas or even Jersey. But to fight in Madison Square Garden is a dream come true. There's so much going on in New York and there are so many people here who are MMA fans. But they haven't experienced it yet - the real MMA - like the UFC - they really haven't experienced that yet. I wouldn't have to pack my suitcase. Listen, I could just jump on the L train and then jump on the A train. I would have the home town advantage for sure - anybody I fight.

"I could even tell you fighters who lived in New York, but weren't feeling the New York scene because of the travel because there weren't many fighters. There are a lot of fighters who make the trip and go to Vegas to train but lived in New York. But I can tell you one thing: as an up-and-coming fighter, not being in the UFC yet, and looking to get in the UFC and looking to get in the MMA scene, and live in New York is really difficult.

"I had five or six fights in Ring of Combat in Jersey. And before that, I even had fights scheduled in underground shows in Brooklyn and in different scenes where there was no commission involved. And my safety was definitely compromised. I don't think that they could have dealt with anyone with injury. I don't think they were checking for anabolic steroids. I don't think they were doing anything. It was just ‘Let's go out there and brawl.' I don't think people were qualified. And I signed up for those things. Luckily, in one of them I was about to do, the police came in and stopped it. That was right here in Brooklyn. We had the show scheduled. The police came in and said, ‘We're shutting this down.' Luckily that happened.

"The governor of New York is pushing - he's pro-MMA now. Money changes everything. Once you see this could bring this many millions of dollars to a state that is in debt right now - and also jobs. This could be big. There could be plenty of MMA gyms that could open up from this. There could be MMA stores that could open up from this.

"If it's legal, I'd love to fight in Madison Square Garden. That would be the key component right there. I'd have to. They better have me on the card. They should have all New York natives on that card. I'm hoping by the end of 2010, I can fight in New York. It'd be amazing. They have a great stadium in the Prudential Center in New Jersey, but it's still far, it's not New York. It's Newark. It's Jersey. It's time that New York steps their game up."