The UFC and combat world is wasting no time weighing in after Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed an abortion law that eliminates the state’s prior gestational limit, drawing some very strong reactions from UFC fighters and fans alike.
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On Monday, the Democratic governor signed the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act, which expands access to abortion later in pregnancy and grants health care providers more discretion based on their professional judgment. The law is set to take effect in 90 days. Healey described the law as a way to ensure that people facing serious complications late in pregnancy receive care in Massachusetts rather than having to travel elsewhere.
“We believe that health care decisions should be made between women and families and their doctors, not politicians,” Healey said during the signing ceremony. “Abortion will remain safe. It will remain legal, and it will remain accessible here in Massachusetts. That’s my commitment to you.”
The move immediately sparked some seriously intense reactions online, including from several prominent figures in the combat sports world.
Former UFC title challenger Jorge Masvidal responded to a post about the legislation with a blunt comment, “Demons in the flesh.”
Cris Cyborg, meanwhile, reacted with three emojis in the comments, “🤢😪😡”
British boxer Sandy Ryan also shared her reaction, writing, “Room full of demons.”
Former UFC fighter Miranda Maverick appeared to express her own disapproval by sharing the news on her Instagram Story along with the captions: “🥺😡🤢.”
The reactions come as Massachusetts becomes one of a small number of U.S. states that do not have a gestational age limit written into state law. Previously, abortions after 24 weeks were usually prohibited, with certain exceptions for serious medical circumstances. The new regulation allows doctors to use their professional judgment when providing abortion care later in pregnancy, beyond 24 weeks.
The legislation has already sparked heated debate online, with supporters claiming that it protects women dealing with challenging pregnancies, while opponents say it goes too far by removing the previous restrictions.
Despite this, Massachusetts becomes the 11th state to eliminate gestational time limits on abortion.
Massachusetts joins other states without gestational limits
Massachusetts now joins a number of other US states that do not have a general gestational age limit for abortion. Alaska, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont are among the states without a general cutoff, as is Washington, D.C.
However, the laws didn’t all get there the same way. Each state has its unique legal history and regulations regarding abortion access.
Alaska and New Mexico, for example, did not have modern gestational limits like Massachusetts. Colorado, meanwhile, was the first U.S. state to liberalize its abortion laws on April 25, 1967. In 2022, the state passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA), explicitly codifying protection for abortion care. In 2023, Michigan too repealed its old abortion ban.
Minnesota passed the Protect Reproductive Options Act in 2023, and a year earlier, New Jersey passed the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act.
Massachusetts is the latest state to enact such sweeping changes in its abortion laws. Governor Maura Healey has characterized the move as a medical decision and said politics should not be dictating what happens in complex pregnancies.
Opponents, however, have sharply criticized the legislation. The Massachusetts bishops, for example, criticized what they called the elimination of legal restraints on late-term abortion.
That divide is likely to continue, especially as the law approaches its implementation date in November.
For now, the signing has generated significant reactions from both sides of the abortion debate, with responses from Jorge Masvidal, Cris Cyborg, Sandy Ryan, and Miranda Maverick proving that the debate has reached well beyond the political world.
