Iced Tea
9-20-07, 10:45 PM
Vancouver council bans ultimate fighting until further notice
Vancouver Province
Published: Thursday, September 20, 2007
Vancouver city council voted to ban ultimate fighting Thursday.
Fight promoter Gerry Gionco was "very disappointed" with council's decision, noting that the city has already allowed about seven ultimate fights.
"They've really pushed everything backwards," said Gionco, who addressed council. "The thing is they're already sanctioning them. It's not as if we're looking for something brand new."
Council and city staff were concerned about the ultra-violent nature of ultimate fighting, a sport that U.S. senator John McCain has called "human cockfighting."
Council voted "to request through the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) to support a request for the provincial government to set up a provincial agency to manage and regulate ultimate fighting and mixed martial arts contest and exhibitions."
And council also voted in "the interim to request the Vancouver Athletic Commission to not approve any futher ultimate fighting events until staff has reported back to council on a number of issues, including how the commission shuld work and how events might be managed."
"The city just doesn't want to touch this," said Gionco, who wanted to hold ultimate fights on a regular basis at the PNE Forum and bigger promotions at a scaled down Pacific Coliseum.
"Basically it's a temporary ban," said Gionco, owner of D and G Boxing, Fitness and Mixed Martial Arts. "What they want to do is get more information. And what they're trying to do is force the province into taking it over."
An ultimate fight, which has already been sanctioned by the Vancouver Athetic Commission, will be allowed to go ahead in November.http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=bccc6014-42b0-4c29-a610-a7c6f29b4113&k=30690
Good to see one city smart enough to ban the stupidest spectacle I've seen in recent years. Senator McCain hit the nail on the head, it is nothing more than human cockfighting.
Vancouver Province
Published: Thursday, September 20, 2007
Vancouver city council voted to ban ultimate fighting Thursday.
Fight promoter Gerry Gionco was "very disappointed" with council's decision, noting that the city has already allowed about seven ultimate fights.
"They've really pushed everything backwards," said Gionco, who addressed council. "The thing is they're already sanctioning them. It's not as if we're looking for something brand new."
Council and city staff were concerned about the ultra-violent nature of ultimate fighting, a sport that U.S. senator John McCain has called "human cockfighting."
Council voted "to request through the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) to support a request for the provincial government to set up a provincial agency to manage and regulate ultimate fighting and mixed martial arts contest and exhibitions."
And council also voted in "the interim to request the Vancouver Athletic Commission to not approve any futher ultimate fighting events until staff has reported back to council on a number of issues, including how the commission shuld work and how events might be managed."
"The city just doesn't want to touch this," said Gionco, who wanted to hold ultimate fights on a regular basis at the PNE Forum and bigger promotions at a scaled down Pacific Coliseum.
"Basically it's a temporary ban," said Gionco, owner of D and G Boxing, Fitness and Mixed Martial Arts. "What they want to do is get more information. And what they're trying to do is force the province into taking it over."
An ultimate fight, which has already been sanctioned by the Vancouver Athetic Commission, will be allowed to go ahead in November.http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=bccc6014-42b0-4c29-a610-a7c6f29b4113&k=30690
Good to see one city smart enough to ban the stupidest spectacle I've seen in recent years. Senator McCain hit the nail on the head, it is nothing more than human cockfighting.