Cage fighters win round in Halifax

Halifax regional council has knocked down a proposal to ban mixed martial arts from municipally owned facilities.

A motion to prohibit cage fighting from the Halifax Forum and other venues was defeated 19-3 at Tuesday's council meeting.

Coun. Steve Adams said the municipality shouldn't be making entertainment choices for residents.

"No one is forced to fight and no one is forced to attend these events, a sanctioned, provincially regulated, perfectly legal event that we're trying to prevent and I don't think that's appropriate," he said.

Nova Scotia is hosting its first cage fighting event next month at the Halifax Forum. Opponents will be able to kick, punch and throw each other in what some critics say is comparable to a barroom brawl in a cage.

Coun. Bob Harvey came up with the motion, saying he didn't believe cage fighting is consistent with the municipality's recreational policies and goals.

But the Nova Scotia Boxing Authority sanctioned the Extreme Cage Combat event, putting in place rules such as no hitting in the face or groin. It's also making sure the referees get special training.

Promoter Peter Martell is pleased council voted down the motion to ban events from the Forum and other buildings.

"We got over this battle and now it's settled. We're going to be representing the eastern part of the country, which is five or six years behind the rest of the country in this sport," he said.

Before the vote, Martell told council he believes mixed martial arts is more credible than the wrestling shows that take place at the Halifax Metro Centre, which he said show women being dragged around the ring by the hair and slapped.

"I'm not sure an eight-year-old child would know this is play acting," he said.

Martell has a contract with the Halifax Forum for another cage fight in July, and he's planning to hold more fights in the fall and a number of events in Sydney and Moncton next year.

• FROM MARCH 28, 2006: Halifax council to debate cage fights