Combative sports fighters will duke it out in the Red Deer ring in December after city council approved on Monday to allow an outside commission to oversee the event.
The Oilmens Pure Fighting Championship will run Dec. 9 at Westerner Park. The Central Combative Sports Commission from Penhold has agreed to be the sanctioning body for the upcoming event. Boxing and mixed martial arts are examples of combat sports.
Over the last 15 years, council has considered this issue of not having a combative sports commission in town. It determined that instead of setting up a commission and assuming any potential liability, the City of Red Deer would instead allow other commissions to provide oversight to events. In 1993, 1998 and 2003, council passed resolutions appointed the Edmonton Boxing and Wrestling Commission to supervise a specific boxing event.
Administration is looking at would be would involved in setting up such a Red Deer commission after the Governance and Policy Committee recommended in July it would be a good idea. This process is underway.
Staff has since learned that a number of other sport commissions have overseen many events in Red Deer — and not just the Edmonton commission.
And this means many of these events did not have proper authority, says a staff report.
A 1998 resolution specified the Edmonton commission but the phrasing within the entire body of that information was broad enough that some promoters thought other commissions were welcome to oversee the events. Both the Edmonton and Calgary Combative Sport Commissions don’t support this broad interpretation of Red Deer city council’s 1998 resolution and impose penalties on fighters and promoters who participate in improperly sanctioned events.
Council supported on Monday that any future promoters/commissions of such events must first seek council consideration.
Elaine Vincent, manager of Legislative and Governance Services, said the city is looking at setting up its own commission with its own licensing rules.
The plan is to bring back a report by the end of this year, she added.
“We do need to do some investigation,” said Vincent. “Good news is that there are some good commissions operating in the province, so we’ll be able to get some expertise.”
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com