When the governor releases his budget, it is likely to include all sorts of cuts, as well as revenue-generating ideas. One of them includes a multi-million dollar sport that is currently banned in New York.

In all the years Chris Herzog has been instructing mixed martial arts (MMA), his students have always had to go outside New York State to compete.

Students come from all walks of life to pick up skills from Herzog at his Empire Academy gym in Rochester. MMA competition, however, is banned, but a budget crisis has New York's governor looking at the dollar signs ultimate fighting and MMA generate elsewhere.

“Ultimate fighting is something we'll consider,” Governor David Paterson told reporters this week.

Faced with a deficit of more than $7 billion, Paterson is in an ultimate fight of his own.

“If the revenue were to continue to decline, I want to make sure everyone understands what that means,” he said. “Because it would mean heavy, heavy cuts.”

Lawmakers see an obvious revenue source in a sport that has grown faster than any other in recent years.

“I think it's great,” said Herzog, who has his own theory as to why New York is one of just a handful of states not to allow MMA. “I think there are political agendas on both sides that are obviously holding this up.”

When New York banned ultimate fighting in 1997, then-governor George Pataki called the sport "barbaric." Right now it's legal in 42 states.

Herzog said it is a bit disheartening that it took a budget crisis to prompt lawmakers to consider sanctioning mixed martial arts, but if that is what it takes, he is fine with it.

“We're all excited,” he said.