West Valley seeking to discourage ultimate fights

WEST VALLEY CITY — This city is crafting an ultimate fighting ordinance that aims to discourage controversial competitions altogether, or at least limit events to a city-controlled sports arena.

Utah is becoming a hotspot for the contests, known officially as "unarmed combat," said event promoter Mike Stidham. The one-on-one sport is also commonly called cage-fighting or mixed martial arts.

The hand-to-hand exchange is a basic form of human competition that's been around since the gladiators of ancient Rome, Stidham said. The fights are easy to understand and entertaining; their lack of a ball shouldn't subject the sport's fans and players to extra rules, he said.

The city ordinance seeking to regulate fights has been in the works for months. It will face a final public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 3600 Constitution Blvd.

It all started with a planned fight at the Azteca Bazaar last year. Police and firefighters became aware of the contest and raised safety concerns, according to city planner Hannah Thiel.

Watching cage fighting can lead to a visceral, emotional reaction in the crowd, city police said during a recent study meeting. The charged, volatile environment can lead to folding chairs being used as projectiles, and mini-riots can erupt into situations that are impossible for law enforcers to control, they said.

Stidham, a former sheriff's deputy, said it's untrue that the controlled fights lead to riots. But he admitted that it's best when local law enforcers are apprised of the contests beforehand.

"I understand their concerns, but it would have taken a 10-minute conversation to mitigate them," he said. "We realize that we're under a microscope."

The combat organizer, who was recently charged with first-degree felony assault after a bar fight, called his sport one of the most regulated in the state.

Laws passed in 2001 created the Utah Athletic Commission, which requires HIV tests and physical exams for fighters. The fights also must have an ambulance available and a doctor ringside, and organizers are required to pay for police and paramedic presence, among other things.

The West Valley bout was ultimately canceled, leaving Stidham's "Ultimate Combat Experience" to find venues in places such as Salt Lake City or Utah County. The weekly events are also broadcast on television, Stidham said.

The West Valley ordinance would make ultimate fighting a conditional use, similar to live concerts and receptions.