UFC boss Dana White pushes to get MMA legalized in Ontario

TORONTO, Ont. – Large crowds are expected when Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, greets fans at the Eaton Centre, Tuesday afternoon.

White is pushing to get mixed martial arts legalized in Ontario.

Canada is being called the mecca for mixed martial arts right now, and White believes Toronto could be the centre of that universe.

“I’m going to live here until I get this thing done in Toronto. I’m not kidding either, I’m telling you I am going to stay here until Toronto has got it,” White said.

Montreal has jumped on this UFC tourism bandwagon, bringing in the money with events for the last two years, which is something Toronto is missing out on.

680News reporter Rudy Blair will have an in-depth report that will air on Thursday. The report will be looking at whether the sport should be legalized and the likelihood of an event being held in Toronto.

“There are certain politicians [who] look at it as a blood sport, and they don’t want that on their hands. They think that it is not regulated, they think it is a bunch of guys going in there pounding each other and busting their heads wide open,” Blair said.

Premier Dalton McGuinty said sanctioning MMA is not a priority, but Opposition Leader Tim Hudak said if he were premier this would have happened by now.

All this comes as UFC 111 takes place in New Jersey this weekend, where Canada’s Georges St. Pierre will defend his welterweight title.

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