Mixed martial arts is continuing it’s expansion worldwide and the latest area to sanction MMA is Vancouver, Canada. The Vancouver City Council held a vote today and by a 6-3 vote the sport will now be allowed to hold events in Vancouver after being banned for two years.
“I’m ready to now support this sport,” Vancouver councillor Heather Deal said during the council meeting. “I think it’s time.”
Per the report:
Lawrence Epstein, a lawyer for Zuffa, which owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship, told council that the prominent MMA promotion has “never really had any serious injuries” or deaths at its events. He said each UFC event typically carries $12 million in insurance, and his Las Vegas-based company is “constantly looking” at rule changes to make the sport safer.
“Regulation is a key part of the success of our company,” Epstein said. “We will not go to any jurisdiction that does not properly regulate this sport.”
Minister of Canadian Heritage James Moore, the Conservative MP for Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam, told council that the federal government is “entirely supportive” of Vancouver sanctioning MMA events. Moore, who said he attended a UFC event in Montreal, called the UFC a “great company”.
“I think that hosting the UFC in 2010 is a really great opportunity for us that we should grab with both hands,” he said.
Moore noted the federal government has “no concerns” about the legality of MMA events.
“This is about embracing a sport that our constituents—yours and mine—have already embraced,” Moore said.
The UFC is likely to hold an event in June of 2010.
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