A Mixed Martial Arts event scheduled to take place in Meath has been cancelled after Shane Ross expressed his concerns regarding the safety of the event.
In a statement released by the Minister for Sport, Ross revealed that he found it "deeply troubling that any event promoter could contemplate running an event which would expose the participants to an unacceptable level of risk and injury.
"While I don't have the authority to stop this event I do ask the event promoters to consider cancelling it if they cannot implement these basic precautions in full."
According to RTÉ, Battle Arena, the organisers in charge of the event, have claimed that the fighters in question had undergone all the required check-ups, and asserted that a doctor, paramedics and an ambulance were in attendance.
However, in light of Ross' public concerns, the Claremont Stadium in Navan decided not to host the event any longer.
Minister Ross has previously shared his concerns for the safety of fighters during such events, with the death of Joao Carvalho informing much of his pronounced distaste for the sport.
