WHEREAS combat sports has been growing in popularity and now includes ultimate fighting and mixed martial arts contests and there is no provincial regulation authority to regulate those sports; AND WHEREAS there are concerns about unregulated fight cards taking place without proper supervision, medical checks, referring or judging which places participants in serious jeopardy: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities request that the Province of British Columbia establish a provincial body for the purpose of regulating and supervising professional boxing, kick-boxing, wrestling, ultimate fighting and mixed martial arts contests and exhibitions.
Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport and Ministry of Attorney General BC has supported reform to the section of the Criminal Code that governs combative sports s. 83. Events such as ultimate fighting are prohibited under this section, but because the section is outdated it also prohibits a wide range of sports that are generally considered acceptable to the community for example judo, karate and taekwondo and that are endorsed at events such as the Olympics, the PanAm and the Commonwealth Games. Clarity to this section would assist police in enforcing offences committed in bloodsports such as ultimate fighting, without raising questions about why similar enforcement isnt being directed at sports that Canada has supported at the national and international levels. In 2005, all Deputy Ministers Responsible for Justice endorsed a recommendation to clarify s. 83 of the Criminal Code. This change has not yet been introduced by the federal government. The Province has maintained a clear and consistent position over the past 20 years that it does not regulate sports of any kind. It would also be inconsistent to regulate extreme sports such as ultimate fighting when these activities are prohibited by the Criminal Code. The Provincial position is that regulation of legal sports is better managed at the local level. Provisions have therefore been made in the Community Charter and the Vancouver Charter allowing for the establishment of municipal Athletic Commissions to oversee and regulate such activities and contests.