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It certainly helped shed some light as to why I was the only person within eyesight not wearing a collared shirt and leather shoes. Giving myself a few seconds to absorb my surroundings, I was reminded of how an MMA crowd in the Middle East would be, and concluded that I must have stepped through a teleport instead of a regular curtain.Īs I progressed down a runway similar to the one that characterized Strikeforce, I was faced with another oddity for an MMA event: a silent auction. The furthermost section of the arena hosted a collection of interesting items available for bids, with the proceeds going directly to research for kidney disease. They appeared oblivious to their surroundings, eating gourmet dinners garnished with fine wine. Seated at these tables were fight fans of an alien kind - ones clad in black tie suits, bow ties, and evening dresses. Because of this typicality in the fandom, I have never felt underdressed at a MMA event-until Saturday night, when I stepped into the Budweiser Gardens for 'Showdown in the Downtown.'Īs I made my way through the curtain that separated the backstage area from the rest of the arena, I immediately noticed the large group of tables that surrounded the outskirts of the cage, and the peculiarity of their occupants. I have spoken in the past of the sea of Tapout and Affliction shirts that plague our sport's regional events, as well as the boisterous fans that wear them.
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"Make sure you all have the purple wristbands," he bellowed from his spot by the entrance, "No one is getting through without one. We have to maintain order somehow." He seemed keen on running a tight ship from the get go - one that included the herding of media members and clamping them with wristbands. "They're all wearing those earbuds and never see 'em coming."Īl was an interesting man. "You wouldn't believe the amount of people who get taken out of here on stretchers because of riously." Al, the doorman and mediator, informed us with a befuddled look on his face. This immediately prompted the question: is this a legitimate concern around these parts? It was placed in the top left corner of the window booth where we were handed our media passes. This ominous, alarming sign welcomed us as we stepped through the staff/media entrance into the arena.
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Surprisingly, it was an illuminating experience, and one that allowed me to reconsider the deplorable state of MMA in the region.
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A two-hour distance from my residence in Toronto, the decision was not a difficult one to make on a rare weekend with no UFC to write about. However, despite my personal experiences around the province, I accepted an opportunity to sample another promotion I had heard about in the nearby city of London, Ontario. From lackluster matchmaking and insipid crowds to aggravated promoters at shady venues, there has been little good to write about over the past couple of years apart from the occasional entertaining fight. It is never my intention when I first put pen to paper - or digits to keyboard - but my documented experiences covering the regional MMA scene in Ontario has been less than inspiring. All too often I find myself writing critical pieces on regional MMA.