XMMA 7 “Inferno” is set to burn down the house in Montreal this Friday. But perhaps the bigger story, aside from the card featuring TUF alumnus Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver, is the actual rules the fighters will abide by.
MMA events in Quebec had previously been regulated under the unified rules for the sport recognized throughout North America by the promoter’s request.
The RACJ’s sudden change of heart, brought on in part by an ill-fated Titans Fighting event that ended in near-riot over rules confusion, put all MMA events -- including a sold-out UFC 97 “Redemption” on April 18 at the Bell Centre -- in jeopardy.
That is until UFC officials met with representatives from the RACJ and the Quebec Boxing Commission last Tuesday. The closed-door discussions yielded assurances from both sides that UFC 97 will go on as planned. Some reports have suggested that foot stomps will not be allowed, but the QBC has been reticent to clarify just what rules will be followed from here on out in Quebec.
When asked last week for elucidation on the guidelines all MMA events will follow in the province, a QBC rep told Sherdog.com to refer to the regulations on the agency’s official Web site –- the outdated rules for “mixed boxing.”
The governmental agency refused any further comment, despite multiple requests for the public information.
“It was no comment last week; it is no comment this week,” RACJ representative Danielle Gagnon told Sherdog.com on Tuesday. “It’ll be no comment next week and it'll be no comment the week after that also.”
Marc Ratner, the UFC’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, told Sherdog.com that UFC 97 will run under the “same rules as the last time we were there,” but did not elaborate.
As for the XMMA show on Friday, matchmaker Joey Benoit expressed the same sentiment.
“The rules they are going to be the same to the last show for XMMA, nothing was changed for the next XMMA 7 ‘Inferno’ event.”