Fighter dies following MMA match outside Edmonton

Alberta RCMP are investigating the death of a fighter following a charity mixed martial arts event outside Edmonton on Saturday.

The 33-year-old Edmonton man died after participating in the combative sports event at a community centre in Enoch, Alta., on Edmonton's western outskirts, RCMP said.

Police said they were informed Monday morning that the fighter had died sometime after his Saturday evening bout.

RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said investigators are reviewing the circumstances of the death. Details are limited as the investigation is in its early stages, he said Tuesday.

The death followed the release of a fatality inquiry report earlier this month into the death of fighter Tim Hague, who died following a match in Edmonton in 2017. The judge's report called for sweeping changes to the way combative sports are regulated in Alberta.

According to online ads for Saturday's event and competitors who took part, the amateur fight, organized by Ultra MMA, featured around 36 novice fighters.

The U.K.-based company encourages new fighters to participate in the sport. Its website offers novice competitors the opportunity to fight in a "glamorous black-tie event" following two months of free training with a local gym.

The training involves two sessions a week, and competitors must participate in at least half of the sessions to be allowed into the cage, the company says on its website. It promises fighters access to the same medical care and regulation they would have at professional events. 

In a statement to CBC, company officials offered condolences to the fighter's family. According to the statement, the event was sanctioned by a municipal combative sports commission from central Alberta. 

"Ultra Events Canada will, of