Bill to Legalize MMA in Canada Introduced

Toronto, Ontario – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® is pleased to
announce that Bill S-209, an Act to remove the Criminal Code prohibition
on mixed martial arts, has now been introduced into the House of
Commons by Member of Parliament Massimo Pacetti. Ryan Leef, Member of
Parliament and Chair of the MMA Caucus, was one of many other prominent
MP’s to second the bill.

First introduced into the Senate by
Senator Bob Runciman and then subsequently approved in June 2012, the
private member’s bill must pass through three readings in the House of
Commons  before receiving Royal Assent.

“This is another big step
forward for the sport of mixed martial arts in Canada,” said UFC®
Director of Canadian Operations Tom Wright. “We’re thankful for the work
Senator Runciman and MP Ryan Leef have done over the past year. With
the support of  Massimo Pacetti today, we’re yet another step closer to
providing a consistent legislative framework for Canada and its
provinces.”

The proposed bill is an amendment to Section 83(2) of
the Criminal Code of Canada, regulating prize fighting. The suggested
amendmentwould clarify the propriety of promoting mixed martial events
throughout Canada. The current section 83 of the Criminal Code has not
been updated since 1934.