Professional mixed martial arts fighters are hoping the death of a fighter following a charity MMA event this past weekend brings about change in Alberta.
“It’s a tragedy, obviously, in the combat sports world,” said Ryan Ford, a co-owner at Edmonton’s Wolf House Gym. Ford is a professional fighter with more than 60 professional mixed martial arts and boxing fights under his belt.
The amateur charity fighting event, put on by U.K.-based Ultra MMA, took place Saturday, Nov. 23 at the Enoch Community Centre, on the First Nation directly west of Edmonton. The First Nation said Ultra MMA privately rented the facility and hired their own staffing team.
One of the fighters during the second of 19 planned fights, Trokon “Tee” Dousuah went into medical distress and died in hospital early the following morning.
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The 33-year-old Edmonton man leaves behind a wife and children.
Ford said he watched videos from the beginning of Saturday’s event, before it was shut …