In this photo: Ty Edenoste of Toshido MMA in Kelowna on the defensive, with Cass Young of Mata Leao Martial Arts in Kamloops on top. UCL photo
There doesn’t seem to be any impetus in Kamloops to follow Vernon’s lead and ban professional mixed-martial-arts competitions in the Tournament Capital.
Vernon started the process to kibosh pro MMA events because the RCMP had indicated they can involve organized crime.
On Sept. 8, the North Okanagan city adopted a bylaw to ban such pro events.
“There’s been some concern from the RCMP about some of the people who organize or are involved,” Vernon Coun. Juliette Cunningham said.
“Those events aren’t good for the community,” added Coun. Brian Quiring.
Jeff Putnam, Kamloops’ sports-development and business-operations manager, said there has been no discussion among city staff about the decision in Vernon.
The Tournament Capital Centre was the location for a professional MMA event — Unified Combat League 20 Ascension — on Feb. 22, the first of its kind in the city since the adoption of Bill S-209 in the House of Commons in 2013.
That bill allowed the provinces to create athletic commissions that can regulate and sanction professional MMA bouts.
The Unified Combat League event in February was sanctioned through the athletic commissioner at the B.C. Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development — and that was good enough for Kamloops council.
The card seemed to go off without a hitch.
“The feedback that I got, because it was a first-time event and fairly new, was fine,” Putnam said. “There were no issues at all from the facility-management side. From the organized-crime connection side, that’s the first I’ve heard of it, so I can’t really comment on it.”
City staff in Vernon had originally recommended banning all MMA activities, but council decided to allow amateur events, particularly for youth, to continue.
Only one person offered feedback on the decision in Vernon at a public-input session.
“On a local level in the competition you get in a small town, there is no money at that level,” said self-described MMA fan William Mastop of the suggested links to crime.
“The purses on the line, even at the upper level, are so small they are laughable.”
Mastop said Vernon is banning something many people enjoy.
“This is an active sport, not some underground thing,” he said. “It’s a recognized sport and it’s growing.”
— with files from the Vernon Morning Star
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