Twelve fighters came to Cold Lake on Saturday and six left victorious, in the first of what organizers hope will be many mixed martial events (MMA) to come.
Hailing from as far away as Toronto or Dawson Creek, or as close as Fort McMurray, Lac La Biche, and Edmonton, King of the Cage Sentinel fighters ranged from seasoned pros to up-and-coming MMA athletes.
For the main event, Israeli fighter Mike "Samurai" Khardassian faced off against Saskatoon's Elmer Waterhen.
Khardassian lost with a tapout 37 seconds into the second round, the only event to go beyond the first round.
In the first match, Lac La Biche's Patrick Gladue lost to Lethbridge's William Hatch in just 47 seconds. In the second match Peter Nolan from Toronto defeated Kris Miskenack from Dawson Creek with a tapout at 3:38.
Jon Ganshorn from Saskatoon won the third bout in under a minute with the tapout of Edmonton's Bobby Kalmakoff.
In the next match CFB Edmonton's Keenan Feeney defeated T.J. Coletti in just over a minute with a technical knock out.
MMA veteran and former UFC fighter Shannon "The Cannon" Ritch lost to Fort McMurray fighter Chris Kizuik with a technical knock out.
The event offered a learning experience to local organizers, said Troy Schmeichel, chair of the Cold Lake combative sports commission.
"Basically our number one priority is to ensure the safety of the athletes and ensure a safe place to fight," he said.
The commission made sure a doctor came to the weigh-ins and checked medical records, as well as oversaw the matches to ensure fair fights. The commission disallowed one match.
"As a fan I'm excited because I'm excited to see these guys compete. As a commissioner I'm excited because this is our first event and I want it to go well," he said before the event.
Consultant Orest Zmyndak helped organize the inaugural event. A former president of the Canadian Boxing Federation, Zmyndak said the sport's growing appeal comes from its interdisciplinary nature.
"You've got jiu-jitsu guys, you've got karate guys, you've got taekwondo guys, and boxers coming into it. It's the old 'who's better?" he said.
He added that MMA appeals to a younger crowd and is more affordable than boxing events.
"This combines everything into one ultimate sport. That's what makes it exciting for people. It's the best of the best fighting," said promoter Ken Kupsch.
Cold Lake fighter Tim Chemelli attended the event and addressed the hundreds of fans in attendance, but was unable to fight due to a medical condition. Chemelli hopes to be back in the cage by November and to fight in the next King of the Cage event in Cold Lake.
"It's one-on-one, it's a pure fight. If you lose you can only blame yourself, you can't blame no one else," he said.
Organizers are scheduling another King of the Cage event in Cold Lake for Dec. 10, which is awaiting confirmation.
