ESPN Mixed Martial Arts Blog

Posted by Jake Rossen

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Hawaiian fight fans can now enjoy the same safety-first regulation that Las Vegas fans have known and loved for so long.

An island that has long had a tradition of prizefighting -- with some accompanying crowd melodrama that has sometimes turned public officials cool to the idea -- Hawaii has put up with MMA in the same manner as a neighbor might put up with a nuisance kid.

Effective Wednesday, the sport will be a sanctioned, licensed event with rules and regulations that mirror Nevada's.

Fighters, judges, referees and promoters will now undergo a licensing application, blood and drug testing will be instituted and gate and pay-per-view receipts will be taxed.

All good news for the physical well-being of athletes, obviously, and a likely boon for the UFC, which could see a B.J. Penn-headlined show in Hawaii become a tsunami of cash.