Naperville backs off plan to ban MMA fights
Naperville city councilmen who last month wanted to prevent mixed-martial arts events from taking place in their town on Tuesday stepped back from an outright ban in favor of regulations through liquor laws and special event licensing.
Prohibiting the sale of alcohol at mixed-martial arts events, limiting attendance to those 18 or older, mandating the events occur during the day and requiring city police and paramedics on site are among possible regulations now being drafted.
Restricting the fights, known as MMA, would address concerns about the violent nature of the sport, traffic control and the service of alcohol at high-energy, nighttime events that could get crowds riled up, said Kristen Foley, senior assistant city attorney.
“We can control the time, place and manner in which an event like this comes through our town,” Councilman David Wentz said. “If we look at it and say 'How can we take all the potential risks out of it?' when we go forward to allow it, I think we've done our due diligence.”
MMA came to the council's attention last month when American Predator Fighting Championship was requesting use of a city-owned lot as extra parking for a fight scheduled for Oct. 19. The council denied the parking request and a couple councilmen suggested the events be banned, leading organizers to consolidate the fight with another Saturday in McCook.
The council abandoned banning the fights because Foley and the city's legal team determined municipalities do not have that right under the state's Boxing and Full-Contact Martial Art Act.
The act requires all MMA participants to be licensed, all athletes to pass medical tests before and after fights and all events to take place near a hospital with a neurosurgical unit. It regulates the fighting area, the spectator area and the equipment, and it says a doctor and emergency medical technician must be present along with an ambulance.
The act specifically overrides home rule, leaving cities across the state powerless to legislate the areas it addresses. Other aspects of MMA events, such as the alcohol sales, age limits and time restrictions Naperville now is considering, are fair game to be controlled by local ordinance.
“What I find odd is things are already in place to where you couldn't prohibit it from your town,” said Councilman Paul Hinterlong, who was the first to propose a ban on MMA fights, in which competitors combine aspects of boxing, wrestling and jiu jitsu.
Once the requirements prohibiting alcohol sales, setting age requirements, mandating police and paramedic presence and limiting the fights to daytime hours are written, they eventually will come back to the city council for approval.
While most councilmen said they favor additional restrictions, Grant Wehrli called them “a solution in search of a problem.”
“Just because I don't care for the sport,” he said, “doesn't mean I think we should make it go away.”