Metro

Case of ‘brawl’ for one

Sheldon Silver

Sheldon Silver

BRUISER: Assembly aide Joseph Brady fights in a mixed martial arts bout even while Democrats under Speaker Sheldon Silver (inset) keep a stranglehold on professional MMA bouts in New York state. (
)

What a bunch of palookas!

State Assembly Democrats are blocking legalization of professional “ultimate fighting” in New York — but one of their own hefty staffers recently went into the cage for an amateur bout mere blocks from the state Capitol, The Post has learned.

Joseph Brady, a mammoth, 334-pound brawler and legislative director to Assemblyman Peter Abbate (D-Brooklyn) and Democratic leadership on labor issues, fought in “Cage Wars 18” at the Washington Avenue Armory on March 22 against local tattoo-parlor owner William “Tragedy” Yager.

State law forbids professional mixed-martial-arts fighters from competing in bouts on New York soil. So even though these bouts are televised regularly on pay-per-view, Fox TV and other media outlets, the fight are not sanctioned in the Empire State,

But a loophole in the law allows less skilled, less fit and poorly trained amateurs to go mano-a-mano in the “octagon.”

Because of Assembly resistance, New York is the only state in the nation where amateur MMA fighting is legal but professional bouts are not.

That’s how Brady was able to practice his fighting hobby right under the noses of Assembly members, who oppose MMA as too violent.

A YouTube video of the match shows Brady — an $80,000-a-year Albany-based staffer who works on issues involving unions and governmental employees — throwing his opponent down, but then tiring and losing on points in the three-round bout.

The amped, boozed-up crowd of 3,000 eats up the bare-knuckled brutality, and one fan can be heard repeatedly yelling, “Hey fatso!”

“It’s very odd that they don’t allow professional MMA fights to go on here,” Brady told The Post. “You have professional boxing matches that are legal in the state.”

Brady, 32, a former high-school wrestling star and football player who previously worked in Mayor Bloomberg’s state legislative office, said he favors having pro MMA bouts legalized.

He said legalizing pro MMA in New York would provide more opportunities for local fighters and boost the economy.

The state Senate has passed bills four straight years to legalize and regulate professional ultimate fighting, but they have always failed in the Assembly.

Gov. Cuomo, Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle (D-Rochester) and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) have said they’d be open to legalizing the sport.

Brady’s friends said the big guy could be a local hit someday if pro MMA were ever legalized in New York.

“With more training and improved stamina, Joe Brady could become MMA’s Tom Brady and go big time!” said lobbyist James “Cadillac” McMahon, who attended the fight. “He has the raw talent you don’t see every day.”