Tag: OAC

UFC Cancels March 7th Fight Night Event Rumored for Windsor, Ontario


(Remember, this “schedule” is for entertainment purposes only.)

We’re just 12 days into 2015, and the UFC is already learning that announcing an entire year’s event schedule in advance is easier said than done. MMAJunkie passes along the word that the UFC Fight Night event slated for March 7th will not be taking place. The now-deceased card was expected to air on Fight Pass, and was rumored to be held in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. No fights had been officially tied to the event. According to an official statement issued to MMAJunkie:

“While rumors of an event in Windsor had been circulating, this event was never officially confirmed or announced by UFC. UFC did consider holding a Canadian Fight Night event in March. However, the organization always strives to put on first-class events in every city, and this was proving to be a challenge within the required timeframe.”

If you look up there at the schedule, you’ll see that the March 7th date was the fifth in a string of back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back UFC events from February 14th to March 21st. Good Lord. I can’t imagine what the UFC matchmakers are going through trying to fill all these spots. However, our buddy Adam Martin suggests that there’s more to this story than simply an overloaded event schedule collapsing under its own weight:


(Remember, this “schedule” is for entertainment purposes only.)

We’re just 12 days into 2015, and the UFC is already learning that announcing an entire year’s event schedule in advance is easier said than done. MMAJunkie passes along the word that the UFC Fight Night event slated for March 7th will not be taking place. The now-deceased card was expected to air on Fight Pass, and was rumored to be held in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. No fights had been officially tied to the event. According to an official statement issued to MMAJunkie:

“While rumors of an event in Windsor had been circulating, this event was never officially confirmed or announced by UFC. UFC did consider holding a Canadian Fight Night event in March. However, the organization always strives to put on first-class events in every city, and this was proving to be a challenge within the required timeframe.”

If you look up there at the schedule, you’ll see that the March 7th date was the fifth in a string of back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back UFC events from February 14th to March 21st. Good Lord. I can’t imagine what the UFC matchmakers are going through trying to fill all these spots. However, our buddy Adam Martin suggests that there’s more to this story than simply an overloaded event schedule collapsing under its own weight:

It’s a sad state of affairs, but the OAC clearly doesn’t want anything to do with MMA these days. This Toronto Sun article from September gives a little more insight on why MMA isn’t flourishing in Ontario. Our condolences to all the fans out there.

According to Zuffa, All UFC 129 Drug Tests Came Back Clean


(If the OAC wants to be taken seriously, it can’t expect promotions to self-regulate.)

If you recall, we reported after UFC 129 that the Ontario Athletic Commission had passed the buck in terms of post-fight drug testing to Zuffa for the April 30 event held in Toronto and that the UFC had hired an unnamed independent laboratory to look after testing the fighters on the historic card.

According to UFC Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Marc Ratner, who responded to a request from CagePotato.com today for test results from the event, all of the samples came back clean two weeks ago “for both [performance enhancing drugs] and illegal street drugs.”


(If the OAC wants to be taken seriously, it can’t expect promotions to self-regulate.)

If you recall, we reported after UFC 129 that the Ontario Athletic Commission had passed the buck in terms of post-fight drug testing to Zuffa for the April 30 event held in Toronto and that the UFC had hired an unnamed independent laboratory to look after testing the fighters on the historic card.

According to UFC Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Marc Ratner, who responded to a request from CagePotato.com today for test results from the event, all of the samples came back clean two weeks ago “for both [performance enhancing drugs] and illegal street drugs.”

This isn’t the first time that the UFC has administered its own tests. An independent lab discovered that Chris Leben had the anabolic steroid Stanazolol in his system for his UFC 89 loss to Michael Bisping October 18, 2008. He was handed a nine-month suspension from Zuffa for his indiscretion.

What’s of note is that the results of the UFC 129 tests were not made public by the Ontario Athletic Commission, which begs the question: Is the OAC properly regulating the sport in the province, or are they depending on promotions to self regulate?

Part of the OAC’s mandate in sanctioning MMA in the province was that it would provide drug testing for promotions that require it of its fighters. Right off the bat they dropped the ball with the first promotion that required testing.

What other rules are being overlooked by the established commission that many feel is ill-equipped to handle regulating MMA as it stands today due to deficiencies in manpower, experience and knowledge of the sport?