The Weekly Wrap: Feb. 7 - Feb. 13

Montreal a Question Mark for UFC 97

It started with a show, promoted as a stand-up-only event and ended with a ground-and-pound flurry and crowd riot. And it may wind up keeping the Ultimate Fighting Championship out of Montreal, where it planned to return on April 18.

A Feb.6 event in Montreal called Titans Fighting (formerly Strikebox), promoted by former TKO head Stephane Patry, ended with fans rioting after a confusing series of shenanigans. Patry promoted the night's fights as bouts designed to stay mostly on the feet -- based on the striking and takedown style of San Shou. Patry told the Sherdog Radio Network's "Beatdown" show that the Quebec Boxing Commission approved the style months ago but had a last-minute change of heart. Patry claimed he acted on a commission suggestion in having all participants pledge to keep their fights standing, even though they were MMA bouts on paper and officiated as such. Several fighters stood up cooperatively after taking down their opponents, referee Yves Lavigne told Sherdog.com.

James Thompson, however, took down Steve Bosse in the main event and did not get back up. The Pride and EliteXC vetreran began working ground-and-pound in a gesture considered foul play by the 1,000-plus on hand. This prompted a riot scene in the building, with beer cans and other debris pelting the circular cage. The commission called off the fight, which was ruled a no contest.

The episode seemed like just a strange footnote until word came late in the week that Quebec officials were telling the UFC it had to ban knee and elbow strikes for its next event -- UFC 97 on April 18, which features a middleweight title bout between Anderson Silva and Thales Leites -- in the province. The UFC has already sold 13,000 tickets for the show to its UFC Fight Club members. UFC regulatory head Marc Ratner, a former longtime director of the athletic commission in Nevada, is working with Quebec to implement the rules to which the UFC has long adhered.

The root of the conflict with the UFC appears to be in a decision to reinterpret the laws governing combat sports in Quebec. An official with the Governing Body of Alcohol, Races and Games told Sherdog.com that the law does not expressly sanction "mixed martial arts" but rather "mixed boxing," which does not allow elbow and knees and compels a referee to utilize a standing count on a fighter who has been knocked down. The standard UFC Octagon size may also be too large for the regulations. The governing body that oversees the sport in Quebec is going through a transition to a new director named Richard Renaud. Patry told Sherdog.com there has been pressure from an office above the commission to begin a strict interpretation of the rules after a decade of allowing traditional MMA bouts to take place in the province, most notably TKO events and UFC 83.

The controversy comes shortly after reports that the UFC was ready to make a strong push into Toronto, Ontario, with a massive stadium show. A stance taken by Ontario athletic commission Chairman Ken Hayashi, which stated MMA can not be regulated under the province’s current criminal code, was softened by a government spokesman who spoke to The Canadian Press. Canada’s home to several of the top markets for UFC pay-per-view buys.