Death of Edmonton fighter following MMA match to be reviewed by Alberta government

The death of an Edmonton MMA fighter following an amateur charity match west of the city on Saturday will be reviewed by the Alberta government.

Trokon Dousuah, 33, died after fighting a three-round bout at the community centre in Enoch, a First Nation community on Edmonton's western outskirts. The mixed martial arts event, organized by Ultra MMA, was called off shortly after Dousuah was carried out of the ring.

The card, which featured more than 30 novice fighters, was billed as a chance for beginners to the sport to compete.

The death has prompted calls for an inquiry into how fighter safety was maintained at the match and raised questions about how combative sports are regulated in Alberta.

Dousuah's death is now under review by the province, in tandem with an ongoing investigation by Alberta RCMP.

Tourism and Sport Minister Joseph Schow told reporters at the legislature Tuesday that government officials are looking into the event.

"The loss of any life in sports is one too many. We take this very seriously," Schow said. "If we're going to compete in sports in Alberta, it has to be done safely."

Schow said the review will take into consideration recommendations made last month following a fatality inquiry into the 2017 death of fighter Tim Hague, who died after a match in Edmonton.

Hague, 34, died from a brain hemorrhage on June 18, 2017, two days after he was knocked unconscious by his opponent.

The inquiry into Hague's death called for sweeping changes in the way combative sports are regulated in Alberta. Justice Carrie Sharpe urged Alberta to replace the current patchwork of municipal sanctioning commissions with a single governing body.

Schow said the province had no jurisdiction over Saturday's event as it was held at a First Nation community. 

"We will be in contact with Enoch to find out more of what happened and then take action," he said.

"We have to create an environment that's welcoming for athletics regardless of focus."

Alberta RCMP, who are reviewing the circumstances of the death, said they were informed Monday morning that the fighter had died sometime after his Saturday evening bout.

RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said the fighter was taken to hospital, where he died.

An autopsy has been completed but the cause of death has yet to be determined, he said. Police are awaiting the findings.

The organizer of Saturday's event, Ultra MMA, encourages new fighters to participate in the sport and fills its fight cards with beginners who have raised funds for charity.

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.

"Ultra Events Canada will, of course, offer his family and friends any support we can at this very sad time," the statement said."With investigations now underway into the cause of our participant's death, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory body. Supervising authorities set rules and oversee medical care for competitors. Alberta is the only province that puts combative sports commissions under municipal jurisdiction, an approach that critics have long said should be abandoned.

Under the existing model, communities that fall outside the jurisdiction of existing commissions can seek sanctioning from authorities such as the Central Combative Sports Commission, which was responsible for sanctioning Saturday's fight.

Todd Liebig, chair of the commission, which is based in Penhold, Alta., said the authority is working with authorities to review the fight but said details on the death are limited.

Liebig declined to comment further, citing the investigation into the fighter's cause of death.

"We are working with authorities to understand what was going on," Liebig told CBC Wednesday. "We haven't been privy to any information." 

Other fighters have questions

Fighters who signed on to compete in Saturday's event have questions about how the fight was regulated and organized, and the level of medical supervision.

Charles Proulx was supposed to compete on Saturday. But the event was called off after the fighter who later died was carried out of the ring, he said.  

Proulx said he trained alongside Dousuah and described him as a friendly, energetic person who was eager to compete.

They often sparred together and Proulx said he was a "good vibes" person who motivated others.

Proulx, like the other fighters on the card, had signed on for the two months of free training sessions. He had been dieting, training and cutting weight. Proulx had only competed in a handful of MMA matches as a teen but felt excited to fight again.

'Bad condition' 

Proulx said he came into the arena partway through the match and saw that his new friend was in "bad condition."

"I thought it was just because of bad cardio," he said. "It's hard to carry that much muscle. 

"I thought he was gassing out normally like any big guy would but at the third round, it really went bad. He was not answering many of the punches."

He said at one point Dousuah was put in an armbar hold by his opponent but the fight continued.

"His energy level was dropping rapidly but he didn't tap out," Proulx recalled. "In the end, he asked to sit down and was carried out of the ring.

"Not too long after that, the commissioner told us there will be no other fights tonight."

Proulx said he wants the fight investigated. He has questions about how the event was sanctioned and how the safety of fighters was maintained.

"I just want to make sure that this type of incident doesn't happen ever again," he said.

Calls for further investigation

Natalija Rajkovic also trained to compete on Saturday. It would have been her first MMA bout. 

Rajkovic said she met Dousuah through their training sessions. She described him as a family man who was full of energy and always smiling.

She said most of the competitors were first-time fighters. She said she felt the training they were offered was insufficient preparation for people entering the cage.

"Everything seemed fine at the beginning for training," she said. "We were just doing a charity event, so no one expects it to be super crazy.

"But then when you get to the event, things just started to not make sense."

She said she had concerns about medical supervision and how the matches were regulated to ensure a "fair fight."

She said the public and the bereaved family deserve clarity on how the fight was sanctioned and what may have gone wrong. 

"I knew what I was getting into when I signed up. I knew that it could be dangerous as well. But with that being said, there should never be a result like this."