EDMONTON — The Alberta commission that sanctioned a mixed martial arts match that saw a fighter die says it did not know the event organizer was linked to a company cited for safety concerns over the death of a novice boxer in the United Kingdom.
"I just know that we did everything by the book and the right way, and there are rules, regulations in place," said Todd Liebig, chair of the Central Combative Sports Commission.
Liebig, who did not initially respond to multiple requests for comment, answered questions in an interview Tuesday after The Canadian Press reported on a June 6 report from the senior coroner in Worcestershire, U.K.
Coroner David Reid urged U.K.-based Ultra Events Ltd. improve its safety standards following the 2022 death of British boxer Dominic Chapman.
“Chapman sustained a fatal head injury in the course of a charity boxing match organized by Ultra Events Ltd.,” Reid said in the report.
“In my opinion, there is a concern that future deaths will occur unless action is taken.”
Almost six months later, at a community centre on Enoch Cree Nation just west of Edmonton, MMA fighter Trokon Dousuah was injured in a charity fight. Dousuah died on Nov. 25, two days after the match.
The match was organized by Ultra MMA, which Ultra Events Ltd. says in an email is one of its brands.
Mounties said they are interviewing Ultra MMA organizers and witnesses to determine the circumstances of Dousuah’s death. Liebig said the commission is also co-operating with investigators.
Mounties have not said how the 33-year-old died, but video of the fight shows him being helped from the ring in distress. A fatality inquiry has not been scheduled.
Liebig said the commission has been regulating about five MMA fights every year in Alberta since 2016, except during the COVID-19 pandemic, and said this is the first time someone has died at one of its sanctioned events.
He said it was also the first time the commission has sanctioned Ultra MMA to organize a fight in the province.
"(Ultra MMA) did everything that we asked them to do to have a safe event," Liebig said.
Ultra MMA says on its website it trains novice fighters for two months and then pairs them up with those of comparable weight and ability for a fight in the spotlight while raising funds for charity.
"Experience it in a safe and enjoyable environment with eight weeks of FREE training that will lead up to your big night fighting in a cage in front of a huge crowd at one of our glamorous events," it says.
Liebig said the commission requires all fighters to be novices to ensure everyone is facing an opponent with similar skills. He said a nurse and ambulance were also on-site in Enoch on Nov. 23.
He said the commission was shocked to hear about Dousuah's death, given he won after three 90-second rounds.
"He left the event alert," Liebig said.
The Canadian Press reached out to Ultra MMA and received a response from Ultra Events Canada, which said in an email it was offering Dousuah's family and friends support.
“With investigations now underway into the cause of our participant’s death it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage," it said.
It did not provide comment on future fights.
A spokesperson for Ultra Events Ltd. said in an email exchange that it's "not directly linked" to the company that organized Dousuah's fight.
"We would like to reiterate that the organization is not engaged in the running or organizing of events in Canada/North America," said Tony Meenaghan. "The organizations are different entities."
There is no website for Ultra Events Canada. Ultra MMA's website allowed a reporter with The Canadian Press to sign up for an upcoming fight in Enoch, and Ultra Events Ltd. in the U.K. responded in an email with registration instructions.
Enoch Cree Nation didn't respond to emails requesting comment.
Ultra MMA is advertising another upcoming bout in Enoch set for March.
The website says fighter training for the Enoch event begins Jan. 20 in Edmonton. The club offering the training did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Liebeg said his commission would likely be responsible for sanctioning of the Enoch event so he's unsure why Ultra is advertising it. He added the commission has not committed to any events next year.
Ultra MMA's website says a second fight is also taking place in March on the Tsuut'ina First Nation near Calgary.
Grey Eagle Resort & Casino, the host of that event, said last week Ultra Events Ltd., had requested a hold on the venue.
On Tuesday afternoon, Grey Eagle said it "is no longer moving forward."
"This event was not 'cancelled', as it was never confirmed or contracted to our venue and was only ever in a proposed status as negotiations were still ongoing," said casino spokesperson Daniel O’Donnell.
"However, these negotiations have since ended."
Dousuah's cousin said it's absurd Ultra MMA has scheduled another event in Alberta despite her relative's and Chapman's death.
"They have to be stopped before this happens to someone else," Roshe Dousuah said in a phone interview from her home in New Jersey.
"Enough is enough."
The U.K. coroner’s report says Ultra Events Midlands Ltd. organized the boxing match that Chapman participated in at a nightclub in Worcester, northwest of London, on April 9, 2022, but that Ultra Events Ltd. was ultimately responsible.
"I believe you, as the director and sole proprietor of Ultra Events Ltd., have the power to take such action," Reid says in the report.
Chapman, 26, sustained a fatal head injury in the bout and died two days later in hospital.
His death was "a result of an accident," the report says. However, the coroner said he had concerns with how fighters were trained and matched up.
There was confusion over maximum allowable weight differences between opponents and timelines for skill development, such as head shots, says the report.
It says there was “no effective oversight to ensure that the medical cover provided for each individual event at each venue is based on a suitable individualized risk assessment.”
Reid encouraged Ultra Events Ltd. to require coaches to sign a declaration that they would follow a training plan.
In a July response to the report, Ultra Events Ltd. promised: stricter record keeping of weight discrepancies between fighters; stricter rules on risk assessments; and event-specific medical plans.
The company also said some changes had already been made, including shorter rounds and more stringent standing eight counts.
Chapman's father said he empathizes with Dousuah’s family.
"I send my condolences to the family of that young man, a father of three. I'm a father of three, you know. It must be a desperate situation for them," said John Chapman.
He said his son had not participated in a fight before and was having relationship issues before signing up.
He regrets not stopping his son from getting in the ring, he said.
"By the time (my son) got (to the hospital), the severity of his injury was obvious. No surgery could be performed. He was on a life-support machine for 48 hours, and then he was allowed to pass away," said Chapman.
Erik Magraken, a combat sports regulatory lawyer in B.C., said the nature of MMA requires a long period of training.
"MMA is a difficult and dangerous sport, and the skill set required needs to be built in more than just eight weeks in the gym before entering the cage,” he said.
Magraken said Alberta is the only province in Canada that doesn't have a regulatory body for combative sports. "It's the Wild, Wild West in terms of how these sports are regulated."
An inquiry report into the 2017 death of Edmonton boxer Tim Hague recommended the province regulate combative sporting events instead of allowing them to operate through a patchwork of commissions.
Alberta Sport Minister Joseph Schow recently announced a review to improve athlete safety in combat sports.
On Tuesday, Schow's press secretary Amber Edgerton added the province will also look establishing a provincial commission.
Edgerton said the review is expected to take at least a few months, and didn't say if it would be complete before the Enoch event in March.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2024.
Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press
