As a proud [former] New Englander, I fully understand the ridiculousness that comes along with just about anything from New England. Sometimes things in New England make very little sense at all and sometimes we call things by weird names. I mean, who else calls a water fountain a “bubbler,” or a clam a “quahog?” We also really hate pronouncing our R’s for some reason, go figure.
So when it came up that the UFC might have some issues with promoting an event in Massachusetts with a ton of international fighters, well, it was far from shocking. The problem seems to revolve around the fact that the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission requires that all fighters have a Social Security Number. Now, if you aren’t from the United States or you don’t live here full time, chances are that you don’t have a SSN. You can get a temporary SSN, but it requires a waiting period that comes along with a specific kind of visa.
According to the Boston Herald, the UFC seems to be looking to skirt around the law and to be an exception, which state officials are not pleased with. There are a number of international fighters who would need to acquire a work visa with a temporary SSN, meaning that it would require more work and proper timing on behalf of the UFC and the fighters’ teams.
Mauricio Rua, Alistair Overeem, Yuri Alcantera, Thiago Alves, Akira Corassani, Andy Ogle, Diego Brandao and a few others would fall under this rule. Ouch.