The Canadian Press is reporting that Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is still playing hardball on the issue of MMA, and that the leader of the Ontario Provincial Government still has no plans to regulate the sport in Canada’s largest province.
Earlier, McGuinty told reporters at the legislature that the MMA debate is a “distraction” and allowing the sport just isn’t on his agenda right now.
There are more important issues the governing Liberals must focus on, such as harmonizing sales taxes and developing clean-water technology, McGuinty added.
“If I was to knock on 1,000 Ontario family doors and ask them for their top three concerns, I’d be surprised if anybody said, ‘Well, my top three, one of those is we’ve got to start this new kind of mixed martial arts in Ontario — that’s going to mean a lot for me and my family and our future together,”‘ he said.
“So it’s just not a priority for our families, so it’s not a priority for me.”
Payout Perspective:
Dana White was in Toronto this week to promote UFC 111 north of the border where the event is expected to generate the highest per capita PPV buyrate of anywhere in the world. Naturally, Premier McGuinty was inundated with questions.
I hate to sound like a broken record on this issue, but it’s going to happen. The only question remaining is when; whether it’s this year, next year, or maybe 2012, nobody knows definitively (although I’d give it going to 2012 only a slight chance).
White mentioned there’s no opposition to the sport in Ontario, but I’m not sure that’s what he meant to say – it’s definitely not accurate. There’s very little opposition – most people are in support, because most people understand what the sport is – but there are pockets of resistance throughout the country that voice many of the same arguments we’ve heard from opposition in the US. A more accurate statement is that the opposition isn’t going to pose a problem.
It won’t be long now before the UFC is breaking its own attendance records at the Rogers Centre in Toronto (where the Blue Jays play) by pacing 70,000 screaming fans into the stadium for a GSP fight.
Its very important to get this done while GSP is still at his peak. If GSP becomes just a contender then his popularity and MMAs support in Canada wont be as strong as it is now.
I don’t see mma in canada decreasing after gsp is no longer the champion. Gyms and camps have sprouted up everywhere, and even casual fans are quite well informed viewers. I do agree that doing it while he is the champion can provide a big spark, but once he no longer fights the work he has done increasing the awareness and interest in the sport will remain. MMA and Canada seem to be a perfect fit. I really hope they get this worked out soon.