Rule changes could keep fans from Montreal
Last week many talks took place by the Quebec Athletic Commission (QAC) to try and stop the UFC 97 event from coming to Montreal in mid-April. If the event is indeed cancelled or moved elsewhere this could be the biggest mistake ever made by the QAC and I am not just saying that as a fan of MMA, but as a person looking at the bigger picture.
Let me get you caught up, in early 2009 there was an event held in Montreal under the name “Strikebox”. It was an MMA event but there was a gentlemen's agreement that the fight would stay standing at all times, this is also what the fans understood. For many people who are new to the sport may not see the point of ground fighting and they just want knockouts and punching punches, so this would be a prime event for those type of fans.
With those attending expecting to see nothing but brutal knock outs and hard throwing punches, when it got to the main event the referee (Yves Lavigne) described the fight to the two combatants (James Thompson and Steve Bosse) as a mixed martial arts fight during their pre-fight stare down. With this being said, Thompson approached the fight as a MMA fight and not a fight where you wanted to shy away from ground fighting.
Almost immediately Thompson went in for a take down and got it landing both men on the ground. Lavigne didn't stop the fight or stand them up, he just let them go which was much to the displeasure of the fans (who by the way are crazy in Montreal). The fans all went nuts and started hammering the cage with beer cans, bottles, cups and even a metal chair. The QAC stepped in and immediately stopped the fight due to the cage being littered with debris and the fight is cancelled, the event is cancelled and everyone is sent home, unhappy.
From this occurrence the QAC is since reviewing what they call a MMA event in an obvious attempt to avoid mass chaos from occurring again. The commission targeted then UFC 97, slated for April 18 and wanted several rule changes imposed or they would not allow the event to go forward in the city of Montreal.
The rule changes would include no striking with elbows or knees, no hitting a downed opponent, having a smaller octagon, just to name a few. Essentially minimizing MMA and making it a glorified sparing session.
The Quebec Athletic Commission could not be more off key with this, and frankly if they are going to impose these type of rules or let the UFC walk away then I would prefer the UFC to walk away and hold the event elsewhere.
In April of 2008, UFC 83 was held at the Bell Centre in Montreal and I was fortunate enough to be there. The city was absolutely buzzing, from three days before the fight people were roaming the streets in their Tapout and Affliction shirts, everywhere you looked you would see some sort of UFC logo as an advertisement, the city was going nuts getting ready for the big UFC fights that Saturday night.
I have only ever been to that one event, but I am sure I won't experience anything that tops that type of atmosphere.
Sure, I had a good time but you know what it means when you bring someone from London all the way to Montreal? They spend money, and lot's of it. And from talking to other people there I was not the person who came the furthest, I met people from British Columbia and Alberta who each made the trip to see the biggest live UFC event in history. With all that travel and all the accommodations and all the spending on food the city of Montreal raked in over $10 million!
These days all we hear about is how bad our economy is. Well the UFC just released a report saying that they were actually hiring more people, their business is growing. And the city of Montreal would be crazy not to want to cash in on this. I can't think of one thing wrong with your town being littered by people who are ready to be entertained and spend money. Sure, times are tough and it might not be as big of an event like last time since Georges St. Pierre won't be fighting, but it's a face that the UFC is boosting the local economy in a way that no other event can.
Call me crazy for loving the UFC and MMA a little too much, but I will call the Quebec Athletic Commission for not allowing a sporting event that will bring joy and prosperity to a city when it needs it the most.
Let me get you caught up, in early 2009 there was an event held in Montreal under the name “Strikebox”. It was an MMA event but there was a gentlemen's agreement that the fight would stay standing at all times, this is also what the fans understood. For many people who are new to the sport may not see the point of ground fighting and they just want knockouts and punching punches, so this would be a prime event for those type of fans.
With those attending expecting to see nothing but brutal knock outs and hard throwing punches, when it got to the main event the referee (Yves Lavigne) described the fight to the two combatants (James Thompson and Steve Bosse) as a mixed martial arts fight during their pre-fight stare down. With this being said, Thompson approached the fight as a MMA fight and not a fight where you wanted to shy away from ground fighting.
Almost immediately Thompson went in for a take down and got it landing both men on the ground. Lavigne didn't stop the fight or stand them up, he just let them go which was much to the displeasure of the fans (who by the way are crazy in Montreal). The fans all went nuts and started hammering the cage with beer cans, bottles, cups and even a metal chair. The QAC stepped in and immediately stopped the fight due to the cage being littered with debris and the fight is cancelled, the event is cancelled and everyone is sent home, unhappy.
From this occurrence the QAC is since reviewing what they call a MMA event in an obvious attempt to avoid mass chaos from occurring again. The commission targeted then UFC 97, slated for April 18 and wanted several rule changes imposed or they would not allow the event to go forward in the city of Montreal.
The rule changes would include no striking with elbows or knees, no hitting a downed opponent, having a smaller octagon, just to name a few. Essentially minimizing MMA and making it a glorified sparing session.
The Quebec Athletic Commission could not be more off key with this, and frankly if they are going to impose these type of rules or let the UFC walk away then I would prefer the UFC to walk away and hold the event elsewhere.
In April of 2008, UFC 83 was held at the Bell Centre in Montreal and I was fortunate enough to be there. The city was absolutely buzzing, from three days before the fight people were roaming the streets in their Tapout and Affliction shirts, everywhere you looked you would see some sort of UFC logo as an advertisement, the city was going nuts getting ready for the big UFC fights that Saturday night.
I have only ever been to that one event, but I am sure I won't experience anything that tops that type of atmosphere.
Sure, I had a good time but you know what it means when you bring someone from London all the way to Montreal? They spend money, and lot's of it. And from talking to other people there I was not the person who came the furthest, I met people from British Columbia and Alberta who each made the trip to see the biggest live UFC event in history. With all that travel and all the accommodations and all the spending on food the city of Montreal raked in over $10 million!
These days all we hear about is how bad our economy is. Well the UFC just released a report saying that they were actually hiring more people, their business is growing. And the city of Montreal would be crazy not to want to cash in on this. I can't think of one thing wrong with your town being littered by people who are ready to be entertained and spend money. Sure, times are tough and it might not be as big of an event like last time since Georges St. Pierre won't be fighting, but it's a face that the UFC is boosting the local economy in a way that no other event can.
Call me crazy for loving the UFC and MMA a little too much, but I will call the Quebec Athletic Commission for not allowing a sporting event that will bring joy and prosperity to a city when it needs it the most.
