Late last month, police chief Jim Chu announced that the VPD had requested the UFC pay for extra policing because, according to a report in The Vancouver Courier, "residents complained of public drinking, rowdy drunks and public urination before and after the UFC event" held last June in Vancouver.
"We're going to talk to the promoters about paying for policing outside the venue in order to have extra patrols in the neighborhood to prevent what might occur in terms of neighborhood problems," Chu told the Courier. "Within a week or two before the event, we'll have a good idea of what we'll deploy within the stadium and outside."
The VPD didn't respond to a request for comment on the situation.
By all accounts, the UFC's first trip to Vancouver last year for UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin was a success: the tickets sold out in just 30 minutes, drawing a crowd of 17,669 and a gate of $4.2 million (USD).
However, an incident involving a gay couple on the same night of the event was blamed on the UFC being in town, despite no substantial proof of the two being connected in any way.
The Vancouver Canucks, who are the main tenants at Rogers Arena, are not responsible to pay for policing at their home games.
MMA Fighting
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