The UFC is in danger of not returning to Montreal in April because Quebec's boxing commission has apparently decided to start enforcing rules it should have been for the past 10 years.
As the saying goes, blame it on the government.
While it's the boxing commission that sanctions combat sporting events in Quebec, these decisions are coming down from above -- at the provincial government level. Specifically, the board that governs alcohol, racing and games, under whose umbrella the commission falls.
See, all combat sports in Quebec must
abide under a provincial act titled "Regulation respecting combat sports." And the three main sticking points with regard to the rules the UFC uses are the following.
1. Octagon size (Article 195.4):
Quebec requires a 24-foot diameter, while the UFC uses 30 feet.
2. No elbows or knees allowed (Article 195.28).
Under its Chapter titled "Mixed Boxing" (which is the only designation in Quebec that MMA can fall under), it has this pesky little rule, Article 195.28 (12), which states that "hitting an opponent with the bent knee or bent elbow" is a foul.
Striking with knees is a huge part of the standup and clinch game, while elbows are commonly employed in the ground game, so limiting this would require a major adjustment for UFC fighters.
3. Temporary referee stoppage when a fighter is knocked down by a legal blow.
The Regulation's description on what happens when a fighter is knocked down in "Mixed Boxing" is somewhat open to interpretation but if the commission insists on this, it would be a huge deal. Because that's not MMA.
So will this become an ultimate stumbling block for UFC 97 to go on as planned?
Many are optimistic it won't. Certainly, there will be plenty of heavy hitters -- including UFC president Dana White, set to join discussions in Montreal this week -- who will try to convince members of the board and commission to, well, be a little lenient.
They will likely hope to convince these officials of the financial windfall -- for the parties involved, the local businesses and the city -- that could end up blowing away if the UFC doesn't come to town.
But here's the problem. The provincial government doesn't care about that. They aren't fight fans, they aren't getting kickbacks, and they don't care about the profitability of a business based in Las Vegas. And while they likely do and should care about the profitability of local businesses, the aforementioned act was put in place for one specific reason: safety, whether perceived or real. And they're going to uphold that before anything else.
The fact that Quebec has sanctioned events that essentially ignored this act for years would appear to be immaterial -- they intent to abide by it now. So while some are pretty confident a resolution will be reached for the UFC to hold the event under its rules, as it has in the past, I'm not so sure.
However, I'm still hopeful that UFC 97 will go on as planned on April 18 in Montreal. And I have a suggestion for the UFC if Quebec is insistent on its rules:
Hold the event anyway but abide by Quebec's rules.
This is unlikely, because the UFC isn't the type of organization that will bend to others' rules. But hear me out.
Let's look at the sticking points again:
1. Octagon size.
So what if the Octagon will be a little smaller? Baseball holds its games at parks that differ in dimensions, even significantly so!
2. No bent knees or elbows allowed.
Well, elbows were already illegal in Pride, and quite frankly I'd be in favour of removing them from the UFC. It leads to more freak cuts on the bone. (And I'm not talking safety -- I just don't like seeing a fighter lose based on a freak thing!)
And I'm sure the interpretation of what constitutes a bent knee could be loosened. (Less than 90 degrees okay!)
3. Temporary referee stoppage when a fighter is knocked down by a legal blow.
The way I read the Regulation, only Section 107 applies to "Mixed Boxing" regarding a fighter who has been knocked down (see Footnote). It states: "A contestant who has been knocked down by a legal blow shall take an 8 count."
Does this mean the referee will halt the fight as soon as a fighter is knocked down? Not by my reading of the rules.
Under "Boxing" rules, to "take an 8 count" means for a fighter who has been knocked down and gets back up, the referee gives him to the count of eight before letting the fight continue, during which he can catch his breath and the referee can ensure he is okay to continue. If he can't it's a TKO victory for the other fighter.
But this is not applicable, at least not in the same way, to "Mixed Boxing" because unlike in boxing, fights can continue to the ground. Instead, it's the spirit of the rule that should be applied.
The "8 count" is for a boxer's safety to see if he can continue. The equivalent thing in "Mixed Boxing" would be for a referee to only halt the bout at the point at which he deems a fighter cannot continue (ie, is not intelligently defending himself). And in MMA, this would constitute a TKO victory for the other fighter.
The gap to bridged for UFC 97 is not necessarily that big. But there may well need to be some concessions on either side.
(I have some other suggestions for the UFC if that gap cannot be bridged. But I leave that for my next blog.)
Footnote: Sections 105, 106, 108, 110 and 111 do not apply to "Mixed Boxing" since they are exceptions under Article 195.2.
