The UFC-A tournament was one of the bigger summer events, though unlike things like SAMAS, the AB-C, and the Bare as You Dare competition, it was also something that carried a great deal of medical risk, both in the short term and the long term. Competitors in UFC matches were often physically knocked out and could suffer other injuries in the course of matches, and that was with human competitors. This had often meant in some sports, like boxing, there was the long term risk of various mental illnesses that related to competitors taking such a pounding, along with other risks.
They were medical issues that had to be dealt with and contained. Particularly as they were operating in a changing world where many people were bound to have some questions as to how much the UFC cared for the health of its fighters and how much were they trying to profit off of blood sports. This had meant that while the tournament was a summer event, it was also the longest running of all of Animalia's summer events and would even run even AFTER the summer ended. And that was something that Marcus Pennington had been made well aware of by the UFC-A's organizers and trainers like Brett Horne and Mario Domini.
And it was something that Marcus generally agreed to. He wanted the UFC-A to be able to have a long and stable run, which would be beneficial. It would let Animalians who felt some of that drive to directly compete and battle let that aggression out in a way that would be regulated and thus would avoid potential situations where other events beyond their control could frustrate them to the point of open aggression. Marcus hadn't seen that, but that didn't mean that was impossible. Anyone could be pushed over the proverbial edge, and he'd figured that the UFC-A would be the perfect way to make sure that edge wasn't reached. And he would also make sure that combatants would be kept in situations that would allow their health to be protected. And as he watched some of the opening rounds from his private box, he gave a good smile in that there were medical personnel on hand to deal with injuries and the combatants had the safety equipment to prevent the outright risk of injury. He held a tablet in one hand and was ready to advance competitors through the bracket as they finished a match, but also making sure that all matches would give the competitors reasonable time to heal and that would include any potential head injuries.
"Looks good, don't you think, Mr. Horne?" Marcus asked to the other man in the booth with him, the Styracosaurus Dinotopian who had joined to be part of the Mesozoic Fight Club and was for the moment an organizer for the UFC-A while they waited to see how many new Dinotopians might be willing to volunteer for the Mesozoic Fight Club now that the Dinotopian strains of the Animalia Virus were going onto the market.
Brett Horne slowly nodded as he looked through the glass and toward the two Animalians presently engaged in a match. It had actually bit small dog breed, he thought it was a terrier of some kind against a large domestic cat breed. The two were evenly matched in height and weight and it did allow for an interesting contest in combative styles. One was very agile and was more than willing to dive and dodge the practically blind attacks of the other. They had gloves on that would prevent them from clawing each other and specialized head gear that would make sure that there was no biting, and would force them to stay within the rules that had been set for the UFC-A and how it would compete.
"So far everyone's followed the rules and we haven't had to worry about serious injury," Brett responded, "which should be the goal of any combat sport."
Marcus nodded.
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Of course keeping the event safe was also a big thing, particularly as so many other things in the world often seemed to become unnecessarily combative. That was why the stands had one or two members of the Rhino Guard on hand. Crime hadn't been a major issue in Animalia, with most of the issues that they'd run into being speeders, parking violations, and the various low level things that most police departments wished would be the only crimes they'd had to deal with. However, there had been the occasional issues, such as with Heather's attack the previous fall or Mary Piper's kidnapping Jeremy later on the previous Halloween where Animalia felt it best to be prepared. Some people had interestingly enough called Animalia's handling of the prep work as being "over-zealous boy scouts" before the events occurred, only to praise them for having things like the Rhino Guard after the events happened.
However, the biggest legal/safety issue with the UFC-A tournament wasn't so much with Animalians but with those who had come from outside the Animalia/Lyre area to watch the matches. Many of them were the fairly typical UFC fans who simply wanted to enjoy a good fight, which was set up to be provided, but with so many, there was the potential for arguing between fans that could escalate, and that was something where the Rhino Guard could have a big impact. As often times, these sorts of fights wouldn't escalate when there was an Animalian that was easily more powerful than them that could pull them apart, and the threat of those things was there. Particularly with so many fans that had come with signs and other props to cheer on who they wanted to cheer on.
And in one section, as Wanda made her rounds to provide security, one of those potential arguments flared up. The Wooly Rhinoceros Animalian heard one man comment that the dog Animalian in the ring had no chance, that the cat Animalian would just twist and turn and tire the dog out. It was then answered by an argument that dogs had better endurance and could keep going for longer and that the jumping around was more likely to tire out the cat Animalian first. It made Wanda turn toward it from her patrol through the stands to look to the argument. She turned, just in time to see the first man throw a punch from where he was seated, catching the second man in the cheek and making him flail in his seat. The result lead to some screams and Wanda was quick to make her way toward the group.
"This is Wanda reporting some domestic disturbance in the stands," Wanda said as she touched the talk button on the walkie talkie that was clipped to the front of her uniform, "two overzealous fans arguing over who would win... Section E, Row 20, Seats E 20 and 21, I think."
"Any injuries? Do you need back up?" Sherry responded through the walkie talkie's system.
"No injuries, yet, but I think I can handle it," Wanda answered as she rushed up the steps, taking a couple two at a time, "may need some help for statements and so on."
"I'm on my way," Sherry answered.
She arrived to find the second man lunging forward at the first man, who responded with another wild punch. However, by this time, Wanda was close enough to prevent the two from going any further at each other, which seemed to come to visible relief to the others in the area. She caught the second man by the bicep and caught the first man's punch with her other hand.
"Alright, what's going on here?" Wanda demanded to both of them as she moved to hold the second man to her left while also lifting the first man onto his feet and moving both out of the stands. They both complied when they looked to her and the fact that the top of their heads were well below Wanda's head, making them look up to her. She thought she caught a slight whiff of alcohol, but didn't say anything on that for the moment.
She got them to a less crowded place just as Sherry arrived in the area. Both fans then essentially gave their take on what happened, and essentially blaming the other for the fight over their opinions on what would go on in the match. It left both Rhino Guard members with a bit of a frown over how small of a disagreement was enough to get two grown men, who were apparently friends to go all out on each other in the stands. Both further thought that it was alcohol that was a big part of what allowed the fight to happen. And a field sobriety test confirmed that. They weren't super drunk, but they were over the legal limit.
"Come on, where are you taking us?" the first man whined to Sherry as she lead him through the back paths and hallways that would lead to one of the Claw Coliseum's other entrances where they expected regular Animalia or Lyre PD officers to transport the two hooligans to a place where they could sober up and wouldn't be causing more trouble for those wanting to watch the matches.
"You're both drunk and started a fight in the stands over who you thought would win," Sherry answered, "as we said, you're under arrest for public intoxication and you have stated that you understand your Miranda Rights."
"But we didn't mean to," the second man whined.
"That is a different issue," Wanda sighed, "Don't worry, you'll be treated well and once you've both calmed down and sobered up, you'll be released."
"Aw, nuts," both men groaned.
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Meanwhile in the stands, another pair were presently watching with far more control over themselves than the two drunks that were being lead away. Heather and Regina were on a level where they could stand and observe the matches without being the way of people and where Regina's sail wouldn't be an impediment to her sitting down, as Spinosaurus's sail was firm and not something that could easily bend. In this, she needed either a firm bench with no back or with a chair that would have an open slot for her sail to slide into.
"So they're already opening up the island for Dinotopia Aquatica?" Regina asked.
"Apparently all the work that had been done for these guys hunting treasure to use had a lot of it ready," Heather gave a shrug, "thus... anything that would need to be done for other Dinotopians moving there would be marginal."
"And that includes this idea for a Dunk-o-loss-tee-us?" Regina wondered, "what marine reptile was that?"
"Dunkleosteus," Heather answered, "it was a armored FISH from well before the Mesozoic Era. Horizon's had Jeremy and a whole team working on how to get it to work... and ended up having Rex having to do a lot of negotiating with museums and scientists over access to the fossils."
"People still argue over that... even if we're proof that when properly conditioned the Animalia Virus can work in that regard? Literally bringing back extinct creatures and without the risk of a Jurassic Park sort of fiasco?" Regina wondered.
"My guess it's more to do with the number of fossils they'd need to complete the serum and see if it works," Heather shrugged again, "in theory... yes we are proof that it can work, but theory and practice can be different. For example, if someone wants to become a Dinotopian from the Cretaceous that Horizon doesn't have the bones for at the moment, they wouldn't need as many when compared to someone wanting to become a Dinotopian from the Triassic. Dunkleosteus is even older and thus more bones are needed... and since there hasn't been a person found with a regressive gene that would be fish-like, they've had to go the route that was offered as a counter to the "snake heart" gene that is a big part of Dinotopian strains."
"That's a mouthful," Regina commented.
"And why I'm here," Heather answered, "they think the tissue and blood tests have looked good... so I'd think it should be safe... but I'm the artist in my pairing with Jeremy. He's the scientist. Hopefully they all get back in time for school."
"Yeah that isn't too far away... isn't your one friend covering this?" Regina asked.
"Yeah... that's why I hope nothing goes wrong and she can come back before school starts," Heather answered, "in spite of all my mistakes... which actually includes attacking her and her boyfriend... Sophie proved to be the bigger person and really helped me learn the error of my ways as it were."
"All to let us pound each other next summer," Regina answered with a smirk and then cringed as she looked down to see the dog Animalian in the present match finally catch the cat Animalian and drive it into the wire of the cage, back first. "Hopefully they'll give us a more open arena and something with some give... something like that could break my back."
Heather nodded, knowing that was a reference to Regina's sail. Both had had some fairly heavy workouts in terms of preparing for the match that was being billed as the opening for the Mesozoic Fight Club, but that didn't mean that they weren't going to just let things go. In fact, while Regina was eager for something more exciting in her life, there was also the awareness that there was also the risk of injury in such things. And the last thing Regina wanted to do was actually break her back, again.