An amateur MMA fighter has died following a charity event that was held just outside of Edmonton over the weekend.
The event was put on by a UK-based company called Ultra MMA and was hosted at the Enoch Cree First Nations’ community centre just west of the Alberta capital.
The Enoch Community Centre sent out a Facebook post on Sunday in response to the tragedy.
“We are shocked to learn that an MMA fighter has died after this weekend’s fighting event held at the ECC,” the statement read. “Our condolences and prayers are with his family and loved ones, we are very saddened for their loss and shocked at this tragedy for the organizers and everyone involved. Our prayers are with you.”
Parkland RCMP confirmed to Daily Hive over the phone that an investigation is ongoing.
Ultra Events Canada, which is the Canadian arm of Ultra MMA, also released a statement about the death, saying that they would be offering support to his family and friends.
“Everyone at Ultra Events Canada was devastated to hear about our participant’s tragic death and our deepest sympathies go out to his family,” the organization said in a statement. “Ultra Events Canada will, of course, offer his family and friends any support we can at this very sad time.”
Later on in the statement, Ultra Events Canada clarified that the event was held under the “auspices of the Central Combat Sports Commission” and that out of respect to the family and an ongoing investigation into the cause of death, no further comments would be made at this time.
According to other competitors at the event who were interviewed by Global News, fighters went through a two-month training camp to participate that included two-hour-a-week sessions. Each fighter also had to pass multiple medical exams before they were allowed into the cage.
CTV News confirmed the man’s identity to be 33-year-old Trokon Dourash, who leaves behind a wife and two kids.
Dourash’s sudden death has also made its way to provincial politicians, with Alberta’s minister of sport and tourism, Joseph Schow, commenting on the topic at the legislature on Tuesday.
“If we’re going to compete in sports in Alberta, it has to be done safely,” Schow said. “If we’re going to look at ways to make things safer, we want to be collaborative and understand how we can do that without dictating to everyone, but we also want to make sure that it is a safe place to have sporting events.”
This is not the first time an amateur fighter has died after an event held in or near Edmonton. Back in 2017, 34-year-old Timothy Hague died just two days after being knocked out in a boxing match licensed by the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission.
A judge leading an inquiry into that death just recently laid out recommendations on how the sport should be regulated in Alberta and how to manage when head injuries are involved.