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The Ontario government in Canada is finally getting on board to sanction mixed martial arts events in the province.
They will be adopting the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts used across North America, and events can begin taking place in the province starting next year, according to multiple published reports in Canadian publications.
Of course, Ontario has been a long sought after area for the UFC to break into, and the organization set up an office in Toronto earlier this year in the hopes of moving this forward. It appears their efforts have paid off, and it's a certainty the UFC will head to at least Toronto in 2011.
The UFC was rumored to have tentatively booked the Rogers Centre in Toronto for a March 26, 2011 event, though with the sport still unregulated that was simply a tentative plan. With legalization in place, the UFC could snatch that date back up or they could find another time, but with this in place the organization will come to Toronto sometime in 2011.
Penick's Analysis: This is great news in the continued globalization of this sport. Opening up such a large market for the UFC is going to mean even more big business for the organization, and it will definitely bring in money to the province. The UFC has to be ecstatic, and clearly their presence in the city with new UFC Canada President Tom Wright has been highly beneficial. With the UFC setting records in Montreal and Vancouver, I'd expect the same with their Toronto debut next year.
UPDATE: The UFC has released statements from UFC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC President Dana White, UFC Director of Canadian Operations Tom Wright and Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner:
"This is a huge moment for the UFC in Canada," said UFC President Dana White. "Premier Dalton McGuinty, Minister Sophia Aggelonitis and Canadian fight fans, thank you for your support. You helped to make this happen and I can't wait to bring big fights and the biggest names in the UFC to Ontario."
“Premier McGuinty’s announcement is exciting news for the UFC,” said Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “As evidence by the recent establishment of our Canadian office headed by Tom Wright, Canada is a key part of the UFC’s business.”
“This is an important step forward for the UFC in Canada. I give credit to the Minister of Consumer Services Sophia Aggelonitis and to Premier Dalton McGuinty for their thoughtful analysis,” said Tom Wright, UFC Director of Canadian Operations. “I look forward to working with Minister Aggelonitis and her team to put into place the appropriate regulatory components to make sure there is a level playing field for all athletes. The UFC is here to stay, for the benefit of the Canadian economy, aspiring athletes and the fight fans.”
"This is fantastic news,” said Marc Ratner, UFC Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs. “I look forward to working with my friend of over 20 years Ontario Athletic Commissioner Ken Hayashi to present UFC events in Ontario on a regular basis.”
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