April mixed martial arts fight called off

Edmonton promoter were forced to cancel MMA fight. A mixed martial arts promoter in Edmonton has been forced to cancel his April fight after the Winspear Centre backed out of its contract.

mixed martial art fighters

Mixed martial arts includes kick-boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling and boasts “mass amounts of very high intense conditioning,” according to the MFC website.

Maximum Fighting Championship owner and president Mark Pavelich originally booked the Winspear for April 9, but the concert hall’s management later backed out. They told Pavelich the booking was a mistake because the Winspear doesn’t host sporting events.

“At the beginning we said, we’ll find a (different) venue real quick,” Pavelich said in an interview.

“But there’s four, five factors we have to match up.”

Pavelich struggled to find a different venue but has secured the Edmonton Expo Centre (formerly Northlands AgriCom) for a different fight on May 7. Tickets go on sale Monday through MFC and Ticketmaster.

Pavelich remains angry about how the Winspear handled the situation.

“There’s not a Tylenol pill on the planet big enough to cure me of the headache they’ve caused me,” he said.

By cancelling the April event, Pavelich said he has lost $500,000 in corporate sponsorship, breach-of-contract fees and printing costs. He hasn’t filed a lawsuit but has asked the Winspear to cough up the money he’s lost.

“I want them to pay for my damages and then I’m OK,” he said. “I don’t want to sue anyone. And you know what would be nice: a sincere sorry.”

Winspear officials could not be reached for comment.