Edmonton City Council Votes to Lift Ban on Combat Sports Following Third-Party Report

Edmonton voted to lift what was originally a one-year ban on combat sports Tuesday during a city council meeting, according to a report from globalnews.ca.

The ban was initially instituted on Dec. 9 in the wake of the death of Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Tim Hague in a boxing match on June 16. The moratorium was initially expected to remain in place until Dec. 31, 2018, but a third-party report released in December that included 18 recommendations – among them that a provincial commission be formed for combat sports in Alberta – allowed for a quicker turnaround.

“We’ve made substantial progress to implement the recommendations from the independent review after Mr. Hague’s death,” Edmonton mayor Don Iveson said. “Council obviously felt confident to be able to remove the moratorium and allow the industry to recommence in a safer fashion.”

Hague suffered a second-round knockout loss to former Canadian Football League talent Adam Braidwood in a bout held under the KO Boxing banner at the Shaw Conference Center on June 16. Hague was knocked down three times in the opening frame but was allowed to begin the second round by referee Len Koivisto.

Hague’s head bounced off the canvas after being floored by a right hand in the second stanza. He remained down on the canvas for several minutes before being taken backstage, where he reportedly suffered a seizure. Hague was then transported to a hospital, where he remained in critical condition until his death at 34 years old. Prior to the Braidwood bout, Hague had been knocked out twice in boxing matches and four times in mixed martial arts contests over a 22-month period.

Hague had a 1-2 boxing record prior to facing Braidwood, who entered the contest at 7-1.

“It’s tragic what happened and we hate to see anyone pass away in any type of sport but I think this adds a little bit of limelight on it,” Calgary-based boxer Dale Brown said. “They will buckle down and make sure people are healthy going into the ring.”

According to the report, there will be an additionally update regarding the implementation of the third-party report’s recommendations on May 23.

“The city continues to support and call on the province to establish a province-wide combative sports commission,” stated a release from the city of Edmonton.