Luke Rockhold defeated Chris Weidman by TKO in the third...

Luke Rockhold defeated Chris Weidman by TKO in the third round for the middleweight title at UFC 194 in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 12, 2015. Credit: Jeffrey Basinger

Gov. Andrew Cuomo will officially make mixed martial arts legal in New York on Thursday.

The governor will sign a bill to legalize and regulate the sport at the professional level during a ceremony at Madison Square Garden, according to the governor’s public schedule.

The state assembly approved the bill on March 22 by a vote of 113-25 after a years-long battle in the legislature.

New York will become the last state in the nation and final place in North America to legalize the sport.

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