The event is the first MMA card in WA since the State Government banned the use of a fenced enclosure or ‘cage’ earlier this year, prompting outrage from local promoters, who believe it is the safest arena for combat.
Sports Minister Terry Waldron announced the change on January 11, saying the Government did not believe it was in the community’s interest to endorse and encourage participation in ‘cage’ fighting despite the Professional Combat Sports Commission recommending the octagon-shaped enclosure be retained.
Mr Waldron said that although there had been suggestions the cage was the safest contest area for MMA, because the sport was relatively new, the risk had been difficult to prove or quantify.
While Morley-based K-OZ Promotions director Grady Stewart expects Bragging Rights 6 to go off without a hitch, he was dedicated to campaigning against the ban.
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He said that while he had initially planned to relocate the event to Sydney ” where the cage is legal ” his commitment to improving and promoting WA MMA fighters meant he decided to hold the event in a boxing ring at Kingsway Sports Arena.
‘I’ve always wanted to take K-OZ interstate, but Perth is home, I live here and I have a great camaraderie with the WA fighters’