McGuinty says bringing mixed martial arts to Ontario ‘not a priority’

Ontario is in no rush to allow the increasingly popular sport mixed martial arts to move within its provincial borders.

"It’s just not a priority for us right now," Premier Dalton McGuinty told reporters Wednesday morning.

When asked if there was something particularly offensive in the sport, McGuinty did not directly reply.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the sport’s pre-eminent promotion, has targeted Ontario as a potential new venue.

Mixed martial arts enjoys massive popularity in Canada. Sanctioned bouts occur in Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia.

Ontario, too, is hotbed for UFC fans. According to the organization’s officials, Toronto has more pay-per-view buys for their events, per capita, than anywhere else in the world.

Late last year, the UFC hired former premier David Peterson to lobby Queen’s Park to soften its stance on MMA. A separate firm, the Capital Hill Group, is lobbying the federal government for changes.

Requests to interview Ontario’s Athletics Commissioner Ken Hayashi were declined.

The commission considers MMA events "prize fights," which are illegal under the Criminal Code.