Ontario Organizer Holding Illegal Mixed Martial Arts Fights

**PizDoff** · Posted On: 1/30/2008 4:49pm

Illegal fight booked for reserve; Organizer holding Mixed Martial Arts event on Six Nations to get around ban
Posted By Susan Gamble

A controversial fighting event is planned for Six Nations next month despite being declared illegal in Ontario.

A Mixed Martial Arts championship - a full-contact sport that uses fighting techniques from boxing, wrestling, karate and kickboxing - will be held at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena on Second Line and Cayuga roads.

When the organizers held a similar event in November, more than 2,000 people showed up.

The Feb. 9 event will be much bigger, promises organizer Bill Monture.

hopes for sellout

"This time we'll probably sell out, which would be more than 5,000 people," says Monture. He added that people were leery to come out in November because the fights are banned in Ontario.

Now, he says, the VIP tables are almost sold out and the arena floor seating isn't far behind.

Monture, who has been promoting the sport for the last six months, portrays the event as a way of rebuilding community relationships that have been frayed by land claims issues and the events in Caledonia over the last two years.

Monture, his son, and a buddy, James Procyk of Hamilton, hatched the idea at a backyard barbecue of running a fight on reserve property to circumvent the Ontario ban.

"This is sovereign land," he explains.

Monture established the Grand River Athletics Commission and the Grand River Athletics Corp. The corporation organizes the event and the commission sanctions and oversees it.

Monture says the standards he's meeting are the same or higher than licensed events in the U.S. or in Quebec, where the fights are legal.

Fighters must have clean blood tests, for example, showing they don't have HIV or hepatitis C.

"Safety is the No. 1 factor," says Monture.

He went to the elected band council to ask for its blessing on the event but was turned down. Councillors wanted more information, uncertain whether they are willing to go to bat for the event if police should move against it. Many councillors want the community to make the final decision about whether extreme fighting will be sanctioned on the reserve.

band council has no authority

But Monture plans to go ahead with or without the council's endorsement.

"Who is band council? Just part of the federal government. Nobody has authority over us."

The 20 or so fighters who will be flown in for the Feb. 9 event will compete for a trophy and an undisclosed prize purse.

More than just a fight, the evening features a meal for those with tickets for the VIP tables, fights and sports projected on the giant high definition TV screens and sports celebrities from the area.

Monture says the event reaches out to the disadvantaged in the community and he has made donations to groups in need.

"It's not about the money but about what you can do with the money." Only one fighter from the reserve is on next month's card. Dwight Garlow has been training to bone up on the various techniques used in the sport.

Monture says that he and his group are now investigating taking the show on the road to other reserves. He is especially interested in hosting something at Casino Rama where they could fit 6,000 people into the venue.
http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/Art....aspx?e=879901

I hope this event goes well, as Ontario slowly moves towards accepting MMA.

**thatrugbyguy** · Posted On: 1/30/2008 6:17pm

That would be awesome if this actually goes down in a reasonable fashion, this is right next door to me.

**The Fake Macoy** · Posted On: 1/30/2008 6:31pm

Hopefully this could help get the ball rolling in legalizing MMA in Ontario. It would be nice if the UFC was able to come to Toronto.

**pumpkinhead** · Posted On: 1/31/2008 12:47pm

I know someone who was at the first one in november. said it was an awesome event. no problems at all with fighting (outside of the ring that is).

the last one was on a dry reserve. so there was no booze allowed. i think that kinda helps keep the peace.

and like the article says... the reserves are sovereign land... so they had all there own laws. so it's not illegal. ontario cops arn't allowed on the reserve... so how could they shut it down?

**Roidie McDouchebag** · Posted On: 1/31/2008 4:27pm

They couldn't. However, the Band Council could shut them down in a second. This really is illegal, what this guy's doing. You AT LEAST need permission from the Band, or THEY can shut it down.

**pumpkinhead** · Posted On: 1/31/2008 9:08pm

I was under the impression that the Native's Council was behind these events 100%. I could be wrong. I should as my friend. she works for one of the native news papers and seems to know all the details about these things.

**meataxe** · Posted On: 1/31/2008 10:03pm

Originally Posted by The Fake Macoy

Hopefully this could help get the ball rolling in legalizing MMA in Ontario. It would be nice if the UFC was able to come to Toronto.

In Toronto. Never!

This is the place that banned the Bare Naked Ladies because of their name.

They also effectively barred cycling events by requiring equal purses for men and women.