On Friday night, Kanata's Wesley Ranger tasted sweet victory for the first time as a professional mixed martial arts fighter. Now, Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien wants to make a bid to host the first championship of this sport in the province.
"Quite frankly, MMA is big, big business," he said.
Big business that has equalled as much as $6 million to other local economies.
'This is not a brawling'
Ranger's victory is an incredible win for his coach, too. Master Florin Fartean has been teaching mixed martial arts for nearly two decades.
Fartean's goal is to spread passion for the discipline.
"It's a sport," he says. "This is not a brawling at the bar when people have more than one beer -- this, you have specific rules. and if you're trained well and understand the rules, it's hard to get hurt."
Violence kept the sport out of Ontario
Mixed Martial Arts -- often called MMAs -- have been criticized for its violence.
It was a factor that kept the sport out of Ontario, until last week -- when it was approved by Premier Dalton McGuinty.
So what's the major appeal for fans? Fighters say it's more than the spectacle of the sport: they say the selling feature is the heart behind it.
And after his first big win, Ranger said he is looking forward to his next big fight, which could be on home turf.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kristy Kirkup
