Put your dukes up: Fredericton to host combat sporting events

Fredericton City Council has voted to allow combat sporting events to take place in municipally owned buildings.

Willie O'Ree Place, the Grant Harvey Centre, the York Arena and the Lady Beaverbook rink could host boxing, taekwondo and mixed martialarts events in the future.

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Bobby Despres, sporttourism coordinator for Fredericton, said the city hadn't looked into opening its facilities to these kinds of events until Brandon Brewer, two-time Canadian boxing champion,held boxing matches at the Aitken Centre.

"When Brandon Brewer hosted his fight you had 3,500 people come to the city not all from the city of Fredericton itself," he said.

"So the sport itself is used as an economic driverpeople come in, they stay at hotels, they eat at restaurants, they purchase gas, they go shopping at the mall," he said.

"It boosts the economy."

Despres said there is already interest in hosting an event at one of the city's locations, though he wouldn't say what.

Coun.Steven Hicks, chair of the Community Services Committee, said he doesn't expect the violence attached to sports like mixed martial arts will cause a problem for the city.

"It is a sport that is physical, but it's regulated and it's been going on for 30 years now and it's a very popular sport."

"I suspect there will be some people opposed to it but they'll be far outnumbered by the people who attend those facilities." he said.