MMA Regulations in Alberta

History of MMA in Alberta

Alberta is the only province in the country without a combative sport commission. This has been a matter of ongoing advocacy by many municipalities including the City of Edmonton, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, and The City of Red Deer.

Pre-2013

Prior to 2013, professional MMA competitions were technically illegal in Canada under Section 83(2) of the Canadian Criminal Code. This section only deemed boxing matches where fists were used as legal. However, Alberta, along with some other provinces, found ways to regulate MMA despite this federal prohibition.

Municipal Regulation

In Alberta, the legality of MMA varies depending on the municipality. Some cities and towns chose to regulate and sanction MMA events, while others did not. This created a patchwork of regulations across the province, with no uniform approach to MMA legalization.

In 2013 the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo made a resolution through the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association to urge the provincial government to create a provincial commission to sanction combative sports events throughout the Province of Alberta. This resolution was rejected by the province.

In 2017 the City of Red Deer made a resolution through the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association to urge the provincial government to create a provincial commission to sanction combative sports events throughout the Province of Alberta. This resolution was also rejected by the province.

Federal Decriminalization

A significant change came on June 5, 2013, when Canada formally decriminalized mixed martial arts with the passage of Bill S-20912. This bill amended the Criminal Code to give provinces the power to create athletic commissions that could regulate and sanction professional MMA bouts.