Ontario Premier Wavering on MMA

The Canadian Press is reporting that Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, an individual previously open to the idea of MMA in Ontario, is not yet ready to open his arms to the sport in his province.

TORONTO — Ontario isn’t ready to allow mixed martial arts fighting matches to be held in the province, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday even though events like the wildly popular Ultimate Fighting Championship could create new jobs.

 

While McGuinty has suggested in the past he was open to the idea, he now says bringing ultimate fighting to the province is not something he’s ready to entertain.

 

“It’s just not a priority for us at this point in time, we have higher priorities when it comes to developing those jobs and strengthening the economy,” McGuinty said.

 

“We have other things on the go right now, and we’ll stay focused on those, whether that’s our tax reforms, stimulating the economy through investments in infrastructure, getting our children better opportunities at the outset.”

 

Asked outright whether he found something in ultimate fighting offensive, McGuinty declined to elaborate, nor did he say if he was closing the door on the sport altogether.

 

…

 

Progressive Conservative Lisa MacLeod said the premier should make a final decision soon, since the possibility of bringing MMA to Ontario is an issue that has come up again and again.

 

“We’re looking for any form of economic stimulus in this province and Mr. McGuinty doesn’t have a credible plan for the economy and that might be one boost,” she said.

 

“He says it’s not a priority but he’s got shifting priorities by the day.”

Payout Perspective:

Canadian politics have become such that the message from leadership changes on a weekly basis depending on what the opinion polls are saying, because what’s most important is seemingly staying in office. But even though this latest news is a setback to some degree, it’s not a serious one as McGuinty’s position on the matter is bound to shift in the future.

Economics seem to be at the forefront of the argument, again, which probably isn’t the best approach. These politicians and journalists are all talking about the impact of having a UFC event (or other small events) in certain cities, without talking up the merits of the sport itself. Those that object to the nature of the sport – usually the result of some misguided understanding of what happens in the cage – don’t care about money, and object to the very idea of being “bought” and having to sacrifice their morals in favor of something like a future tax break or hike freeze. This is largely the reason why we’re still seeing public backlash in New York polls.

…..

I wonder if commercial ads spots during certain television programs on local Ontario channels might be an effective tool in swaying public opinion – something that will ultimately put pressure on politicians to entertain the sport. In a series of week’s the UFC could use different commercials to progressively deliver a message of legitimacy, safety, and economic benefit. They’d certainly have to be tasteful, well-thought-out presentations (not your average event promo or beat down reel), but popular fighters like GSP and Couture could be leveraged to deliver a strong message.

Yes, the issue of cost most be entertained – and its unforutnate that the UFC has to bear this all alone – but I’m not convinced it would be all that expensive to get St-Pierre and Couture behind a green screen for a few hours, whilst throwing some safe footage into a video ensemble.

Another thought is that they might even be able to chop up Bobby Razak’s latest “Legalize MMA in Ontario” documentary when its finished.