With Bill S-209 now in force the legislative floodgates are opening with regional governments passing laws addressing mixed martial arts and other combat sports. Alberta’s Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (Fort McMurray) is the latest to enter the fray with the City Council having just passed a Combative Sports Commission Bylaw. The new bylaw … More Fort McMurray Passes Combative Sports Commission Bylaw
I’ve spent a lot of time discussing the now overhauled section 83 of the Canadian Criminal Code and the difficulties this creates for amateur MMA throughout Canada. Appreciating that the default, absent Provincial intervention, is that Amateur MMA is illegal in Canada, can a promoter get around this exception by hosting an “exhibition” fight? Probably … More Can You Avoid Section 83 of the Criminal Code With “Exhibition Fights”
When Bill S-209 first started making headlines last year it was clear that the wording of the legislation would leave a big legal gap which Provinces would be tasked with filling. As Bill S-209 slowly plodded through the Senate and Parliament, Provinces across Canada did little in anticipation of the law passing. Now S-209 is in … More The Law of Unintended Consequences – Amateur MMA Events now Illegal, Being Shut Down in Canada
The Manitoba Combative Sports Commission has just released the official results and medical suspensions for UFC 161 . Here they are in full: UFC 161 official results – Manitoba
So you want to run an amateur MMA event in Ontario and make sure you do so legally. With S-209 coming into force you’re ready to dot your i’s and cross your t’s. What steps can you take? The answer is none, there is currently no way to legally hold an AMMA event in Ontario. … More Why Amateur Mixed Martial Arts Remain Illegal in Ontario
The first and foremost job of any referee is to ensure participant safety. It does not take a deep thinker to appreciate that carelessness in this vital role can lead to unneeded participant harm in the realm of combat sports. This brings me to today’s topic, is there a useful legal avenue to challenge a … More Challenging A Licensed MMA Referee: Can Judicial Review Provide a Remedy?
The diverse landscape of MMA regulation makes for potentially interesting issues whenever the UFC dips their toes in a new jurisdiction. With UFC 161 bringing the organization to Manitoba for the first time a question worth asking is which substances run afoul of Manitoba’s Combative Sports Commission? Article VIII of the UFC’s Fighter Contract requires … More What PED’s Are Out of Bounds for UFC 161?
UFC 161 is in the hands of the Manitoba Combative Sports Commission making the event subject to Manitoba’s Boxing Regulation. As it presently reads, this regulation does not blindly adopt the Unified Rules but instead has its own list of fouls. While there is nothing controversial about this, one well-established foul that is not adopted by Manitoba … More Will Controversial “Downward Pointing Elbow Strikes” Be Legal at UFC 161?
Canadians have embraced Mixed Martial Arts since the Sport’s inception. Despite this MMA has always been illegal in Canada. The long road to legalization is nearing an end with Bill S-209 now passing Third Reading in Parliament with a vote of 267-9 allowing for a legal framework for both professional and amateur MMA along with other … More And The Yeas Have It! MMA Given Legal Framework in Canada
(Image via BC Government’s Flickr Page) There is now official confirmation that BC’s first Athletic Commissioner is Dave Maedel. You can click here to read about his background. Maedel, who recently served as the Chief Sheriff of BC Sheriff Services, is now the first acting BC Athletic Commissioner. With his formal powers coming into force … More There’s a New Sheriff in Town for BC Mixed Martial Arts
Combat Sports Law 