restrictions lifted, but Edmonton outdoor events limited to 5k people

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Joshua Deeds
May 21, 2023 (8:13)

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In 2022, the Edmonton Combat Sports Commission made the decision to temporarily halt all combat sports. This pause lasted for 9 months while the commission conducted a thorough risk assessment of combat sports and the city's involvement in overseeing and sanctioning these events.

The impetus for this pause was the tragic death of Canadian MMA fighter Tim Hague in 2017.

Worth noting, Edmonton is only accepting applications for 5000+ capacity events they can take larger gate %/fees from. Not sure any large promotions will ever want to return to Edmonton given they admitted to fault in Tim Hague's death and settled out of court for negligence.

Hague passed away after being hit with an uppercut from Adam Braidwood, and the Edmonton Combat Sports Commission accepted responsibility for the incident. In a lawsuit settlement, the commission paid out $5 million to Hague's family and other parties involved in the case.

Moving forward, the Commission will only consider applications for events with a capacity of 5,000 or more attendees.

This decision appears to be motivated by a desire to secure a larger gate percentage for future events in the event of legal liability.

Having completed its risk assessment, the Commission is now ready to move forward and course correct.

While the tragedy of Tim Hague's passing cannot be undone, it is heartening to see the Commission taking steps to ensure the safety and well-being of combat sports participants and attendees.