Saskatchewan Creating Commission to Oversee MMA in the Canadian Province

The Saskatchewan government has passed legislation to create a commission that will oversee mixed martial arts in the Canadian province.

The Canadian Press reported the news on Wednesday.

The House of Commons passed a bill in June to legalize combat sports such as MMA, but they need to be sanctioned by a provincial athletic commission. Saskatchewan currently has no such commission in place.

The new legislation will rectify that situation with plans to have the commission in place by the summer of 2014. The commission will be responsible for tracking an athlete’s fighting history and to ensure that safety protocols are enforced.

“A provincial athletics commission will help ensure the safety of everyone involved in professional combative sport competitions,” said Saskatchewan Sport Minister Kevin Doherty.

MMA is currently sanctioned at a provincial level in British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec, while it has been sanctioned on a municipal level within Alberta, New Brunswick and the Northwest Territories, according to the Canadian Press report.

Be sure to Like MMAWeekly.com on Facebook and Follow @MMAWeeklycom on Twitter.