UFC 97 May Be Cancelled!?

MM-Eh is in a bit more trouble than it seems thanks to that Strikebox show over the weekend that ended with a riot. It not only did the promotion in, but possibly could take UFC 97 with it.

---

There is a lot of trouble regarding UFC 97 in Montreal scheduled for 4/18. Tickets went on sale today to fight club members and as of a few hours ago, they had sold 13,000 tickets for $3 million. They don't even go on sale to the public until Saturday and they may sellout before they even officially go on sale to the public. However, due to the riot at a show in Quebec promoted by Stephane Patry where fans threw beer cans and bottles because a match went to the ground (fans were told no fights going to the ground as it was not promoted as MMA but as StrikeBox with different rules, but then the athletic commission told them if they were using small gloves, they had to use MMA rules, and then told the refs the fights were all MMA rules, James Thompson took Steve Bosse to the ground in the main event, and the fans rioted), the Alcohol, Races & Game commission is saying that UFC can come as long as they ban elbow or knee strikes. I spoke with Marc Ratner of UFC who confirmed that this issue is going on and that they are trying to work with the commission to get the unified MMA rules back in place. It's a major sports story today in Montreal and at least on the air, they are reporting it as this may result in the show being canceled. The director of communications for the commission, M. Rejean Theriault said it would be difficult to accept the rules in time for the 4/18 show, and said that the commission did not properly due do their job in allowing knees and elbows at the show last year (thanks to Eric Bonin).

---

http://www.f4wonline.com/content/view/8359/

(Scroll about 2/3 of the way down)

Hope not, an Event where Anderson fight should be considered Holiday

i really doubt it if it does only thing will happen is no more mma in canada and the ufc will just move the site to probably vegas in april or maybe even anaheim which is fine by me either way

the commission will budge once the UFC makes them realize how huge of a success UFC 83 was and that they are a much more prestigious organization than StrikeBox.

The show will be fine.

The show must go on!

Won't happen. We are talking about the UFC not sum crap org making its own rules. It will come down to dollars and cents.

Oh man, I hope it doesn't sell out before tickets are available to the public. I am not a fight club member...

Maybe it'll move back to the states. No biggie. That venue and city will lose a lot of money. UFC will still make theirs and have more lean the next time they wanna bring a big show up north.

(Anderson + Shogun) - elbows - knees = ?

Nope, move it to Las Vegas if they don't agree on unified rules.

****.

if it happens...move some of those fights to 96!!!

we will take Hardonk vs Kongo, Shogun vs Liddell, and Kang vs X

They could just move the event to the US, UK or my back garden.

As a Canadian, I would be really pissed if they moved it or some stupid technicality. But at this point, I dont think they will. They made so much moolah the last time around.

That would suck for the fans up there if that were to happen,over something like that.

---

Posted by Ordep

(Anderson + Shogun) - elbows - knees = ?

Nope, move it to Las Vegas if they don't agree on unified rules.

---

On your avatar, don't you mean 37-1

If these canadian laws are passed and the UFC have to abide by them, i hope they cancel the event becuase so many guys are losing most of their tools in the ring, it will be nothing like the UFC we have all come to love.

I think the event will go on in Canada as planned. Dana can swoon the commision and they know the UFC isn't Shitbox

---

Posted by smcdonald

If these canadian laws are passed and the UFC have to abide by them, i hope they cancel the event becuase so many guys are losing most of their tools in the ring, it will be nothing like the UFC we have all come to love.

---

UFC will not go by these rules. Don't worry. They'll move the event first. That's what I hope they do is just move it and let them watch the money they're losing go elsewhere. They'll fall in line real fast.

MM-Eh! 97 will go on as planned in Montreal, a deal has been reached.

Article

Apparently the only concession the UFC had to make was to ban foot stomps on a fallen opponent

Which, at least in the US, are already banned as it is.

eh, I guess it's good that they didn't have to schedule it somewhere else. I still think they woulda made a bigger impression by cancelling and rescheduling, but whatever works.

It's actually stomping the feet of another opponent--which is a pretty minute rule anyways.

---

Posted by Wolfenstein

It's actually stomping the feet of another opponent--which is a pretty minute rule anyways.

---

I love when ppl confuse footstomps w/ head/other grounded stomps. Real footstomps are stomps on the foot. A stomp w/ the foot to another part of the body is referred to as a head/body/etc stomp.

Confused for a second edit...

---

Posted by Franklinfan47

As a Canadian, I would be really pissed if they moved it or some stupid technicality. But at this point, I dont think they will. They made so much moolah the last time around.

---

There is just as much money to be had in the US. If they want to lose the revenue thats fine by me, I think Dana should keep the cards in the US anyway.