Combat Sports Law

In a headline I wish I was making up the City of Edmonton has announced the long awaited body who will be handling the investigation into Tim Hague’s boxing death.

Hague, a former UFC fighter, died from brain trauma after a boxing bout on June 16, 2017.  He was clearly outmatched being knocked down 3 times in the first round with an arguable 4th knockdown that the referee deemed a slip.

In the second round Hague was dropped for a fourth official time and allowed to continue.  Shortly thereafter the final knockout blow landed.

Hague had a history of recent brain trauma prior to the bout.  He suffered a series of recent combative sports losses by KO and TKO.  Serious questions have been raised since his death.  The Edmonton Combative Sports Commission’s safety policies state that fighters who sustain 3 or more KO or TKO losses in a year are not fit to compete for at least a year.  Hague was granted a licence inconsistent with the spirit of this policy.

After his death Edmonton announced that an independent third-party investigation would be launched.  After weeks of stalling the City explained the reason for the delay was they were waiting for feedback from the Commission themselves as to who should oversee the investigation.

Mayor Don Iveson could not give a sound reason why a potential target of an investigation should have a say in who their investigator will be.  In any event the delay continued until last Friday when it was announced the investigation will be handled by a firm called MNP.

MNP is a self advertised “accounting, tax and business consulting firm in Canada”.

It is unclear why they were chosen or what experience they have in combat sports regulatory affairs.   It is reported that the review will not be completed until “the Fall” a vague time frame that likely will see no results until after the City oversees UFC 215, arguably the biggest combative sports event in the City’s history.