UFC Lobbying for Criminal Code Changes at Federal Level in Canada
September 4, 2009
The Canadian Press have divulged an interesting piece of news today, relaying that the UFC has hired former Ontario premier David Peterson to help lobby the Canadian government to amend Section 83 of the Canadian Criminal Code to include mixed martial arts as an acceptable, legal form of prizefighting.
The UFC has turned to some heavyweight help in its bid to hold a show in Toronto.
The mixed martial arts juggernaut has engaged former Ontario premier David Peterson and his Cassells Brock & Blackwell law firm to help lobby the Ontario government to sanction the sport. Peterson, a senior partner and chairman of the Toronto law firm, is also leading the bid to bring the 2015 Pan American Games to Toronto.
On the federal front, the UFC is using the services of the Capital Hill Group, a lobbyist that specializes “in building constructive, mutually beneficial partnerships between business and government,” according to its website.
The UFC hopes Ottawa will amend the Criminal Code to expand the section that permits boxing to include mixed martial arts.
Different jurisdictions have taken different approaches to MMA in Canada, meaning shows are staged in some areas but not others.
Payout Perspective:
MMAPayout.comwas one of the first to report that the UFC had given up at the provincial level and was trying to seek federal legalization of the sport; something the province of Ontario stipulated as a must before sanctioning any events.
Despite the good news that Peterson has come on board, things are still moving relatively slowly on the MMA front in Ontario. The expectation, or hope, remains that MMA will be legalized in the province by sometime next summer; opening the door for a UFC event sometime in the third or fourth quarter of 2010.
6 Responses to “UFC Lobbying for Criminal Code Changes at Federal Level in Canada”
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Wow, great news for Canadians. Hopefully that means we can see an event in our own hometown one of these years. I know we’ve been trying to get a UFC event in Winnipeg, but without proper sanctioning it’s a dead issue.
Generally I despise lobbyists and their efforts, but this actually makes me happy.
I hope to be wrong but I am from canada and I do not really like the look of MMA for UFC right now.
Local shows will go along with the different little changes to the rules the commission wants but the UFC wont.
I dont see 2010 as promossing as some are reporting for canada.
Here is my prediction, again 1 show in montreal with those modified ruled to make a couple goverment workers happy
im just curious, why does the ufc want to host a show in ontario so bad? Is it because of a new place or do they have a huge stadium for a show?
ufc wants to come to toronto because the fans want it to come. its a huge market for them because there is so many fans. the 2 shows in montreal are the 2 biggest selling ufc events to date. the most reacent last november outsold ufc 100 (even though it was in a larger stadium). either way, im starting to save money now, so when it does come, ill be front row!
Toronto is the business city of canada. that is why its so important to the UFC.
When are the so-called “hardcore” fans going to realize all the effort and, more importantly, money that Zuffa is unloading worldwide to make this sport a success? I read over and over again how Zuffa should be ashamed what they pay their fighters. Obviously, the critics have no concept of what it takes to run a business, don’t read articles like this, or appreciate that the trailblazing done today by Zuffa’s legal team will allow them access to UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, and smaller regional promotions everywhere.