The Biggest UFC Event Could Go Down In Toronto

The UFC’s vice-president of regulatory affairs told the Toronto Sun that “We think we can draw 35,000 to 40,000 there,” if the city were ever to host an event. Currently in the Province of Ontario MMA is illegal under the Criminal Code because it is considered “prizefighting”.

The UFC has been lobbying the Provincial and Federal government to amend Sec. 83 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to prizefighting laws, but hasn’t had a lot of success so far in Ontario. Recently the Premier of the province, Dalton McGuinty, said he would keep an “open mind” when it came to the sport which could prove to be a positive step in legalizing MMA in Ontario.

According to Ratner, there isn’t a place on earth that boasts more of an interest in UFC than Ontario.

“When we look at our TV ratings and our pay-per-view buys, on a per-capita basis, Toronto and Ontario are the No. 1 places in the world,” he said.

“It’s unbelievably popular in the province of Ontario and especially Toronto,” said Ratner, the former boss of the powerful Nevada Athletic Commission, which governs boxing and MMA in the state.

Props BloodyElbow.com

The UFC’s vice-president of regulatory affairs told the Toronto Sun that “We think we can draw 35,000 to 40,000 there,” if the city were ever to host an event. Currently in the Province of Ontario MMA is illegal under the Criminal Code because it is considered “prizefighting”. The UFC has been lobbying the Provincial and [...]

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