<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Most New Yorkers are opposed to a proposal by New York Governor David Paterson to legalize "ultimate fighting" an often-bloody sport that combines boxing and martial arts, to help close a $7 billion deficit, according to a poll released on Friday.</p><p>A total of 68 percent of New York State voters disagree with Paterson's proposal to legalize ultimate fighting as a way to generate state revenue, according to the Marist poll.</p><p>The poll found that 29 percent of New Yorkers support legalizing ultimate fighting, while 3 percent are unsure.</p><p>Ultimate Fighting Championship, the sport's main sponsor, on its website describes it as "an intense and evolving combat sport in which competitors use interdisciplinary forms of fighting that include jujitsu, judo, karate, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and others to their strategic and tactical advantage in a supervised match."</p><p>The fighting matches draw huge audiences, both in sports arenas and via pay-per-view television events. UFC says the events are approved in Nevada, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Florida.</p><p>Former New York Governor George Pataki banned ultimate fighting in the state in 1997, calling it "barbaric."</p><p>U.S. states have been getting more creative in their efforts to close massive budget shortfalls that have resulted from falling tax revenues in the worst recession in 70 years.</p><p>Last year a California state legislator proposed making marijuana legal and then charging a tax on it, while Georgia lawmakers proposed a "pole tax" on customers at erotic dancer bars.</p><p>(Reporting by Chris Reese; Editing by Leslie Adler)</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=68056210&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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