UFC may be one and done with Vancouver
The future of mixed martial arts in Vancouver has been a hot-button issue since the sport was tentatively approved on…
The future of mixed martial arts in Vancouver has been a hot-button issue since the sport was tentatively approved on a two-year trial basis.
Astronomical insurance costs demanded by the city – to protect it from any liabilities and indemnities – caused the UFC to look at alternative options for the June 12 event at GM Place before an 11th hour deal was struck between the organization and the city.
Vancouver Athletic Commission chair Mirko Mladenovic said the costs associated with running a professional MMA event in the city is so high, not even the UFC – by far the sport’s biggest organization – would make any money off it.
Insurance alone for UFC 115 is said to be in the region of $12 million.
The city has been backed into a corner, Coun. Kerry Jang told 24 hours Monday. We have no choice but to demand high insurance, because we’re not protected by the province like Montreal is. We’ve done everything we can to support MMA in the city.
So does that mean UFC 115 could be the last professional MMA event in the city’s immediate future?
I think that’s fair to say, Jang said bluntly. If the UFC wants to come back, they should be working with the provincial and federal governments.