The State Government was set to overturn a ban on safety enclosures for Mixed Martial Arts on June 2.
Although legal in WA, MMA was the only state in the country that had a ban on caged fights.
Canning Vale resident and MMA fighter Daniel Jones said he welcomed the news.
“I can finally pursue this as a proper career,” he said.
“Right now I have to fly to the eastern states to compete but with the ban being lifted it will be much easier for me to fight professionally and to develop my career.”
Mr Jones said one of the best aspects of his sport was the mental power it gave him.
“Many people think it’s all about physical strength but there’s so much more to it than that,” he said.
“(The lifting of the ban) is great for me and for WA.
“We’ll have a lot more people coming over here now to compete.”
The move will pave the way for future UFC events to be staged in Perth.
The new rules not only aimed to increase safety and protection for MMA athletes but hoped to bring WA into line with the rest of the country and other jurisdictions around the world to prevent the sport from being driven underground.
The changes were also a broader push by the State Government to diversify the state’s economy with UFC events having the potential to attract millions of tourism dollars.
Member for Southern River Terry Healy said while MMA was not for everyone he wanted to make sure it took place in the safest environment possible.
“Removing the cage ban will not only protect athletes but it will allow them to compete in bigger competitions,” he said.
“This will contribute to building their careers in this sport.”
Shadow minister for sport John McGrath said the previous government placed the ban on what it considered a violent, aggressive and dangerous sport.
“We believed then and still believe now that the ban had the support of the majority of West Australians who were opposed to MMA fighting,” he said.
“It was not something most would welcome or enjoy.”
Mr McGrath said this position may have cost the state money but doing the right thing sometimes came at a cost.
“The right thing here is for a government not to promote or encourage violent sporting activities such as cage fighting.”
