Organisers in Swords have cancelled an MMA event scheduled for tonight.
A World Cage Fighting Championship promotion that was set to feature pro and amateur contests at the Wright Venue had to be cancelled because of a problem with insurance.
WCFC 5 has been postponed. The news comes shortly before the event was set to kickoff. #IrishMMA pic.twitter.com/HL2vURGXq1
— Obviously Fight Talk (@talk_fight) April 15, 2016
MMA event in Swords just cancelled. Fighters all here ready to go. No explanation yet as to why.
— Kieran Cuddihy (@kierancuddihy) April 15, 2016
The Wright Venue in Swords getting ready for the first #MMA event in Dublin since last week's tragedy @NewstalkFM pic.twitter.com/GpZVQyoc3B
— Kieran Cuddihy (@kierancuddihy) April 15, 2016
It was due to be the first MMA event since last Saturday’s fight night when Portuguese fighter Joao Carvalho sustained fatal injuries.
Meanwhile, the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation has called on Government support for national organisations, such as the Irish Amateur Pankration Association, in order to help create a “consistent and safe environment” for all MMA competitors.
The IMMAF has also called for all competitions to be regulated by law, which is already the case in the United States and in Sweden, so that best practice can be enforced.
The CEO of the IMMAF claims that John Kavanagh has already reached out to the Government here for their support of the Irish Amateur Pankration Association.
A spokesperson for Sport Ireland has said today that a previous meeting between delegation representing MMA, Minister Ring and John Treacy had taken place but that it couldn’t be described “as any kind of a formal engagement”, although “advice was given on what you have to do to be recognized.”
Sport Ireland stands by its position that it doesn’t recognise MMA, nor has it had any formal engagement from any representative body.
