A rail collapsed at Vancouver's Rogers Arena during a UFC event Saturday night, sending fans crashing on top of each other and the arena floor, though no one was seriously injured during the incident.
As reported by USA Today, the incident occurred at the start of Mike Malott’s walkout for his fight with Adam Fugitt. As is usual, fans crowded around the railing to cheer on Malott before he began his walk. Once his music started, the railing gave way.
In a statement to USA Today's MMA Junkie, Rogers Arena, home to the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, said “no serious injuries were reported.”
“The safety of our fans is our #1 priority at Rogers Arena,” the statement read. “At tonight’s UFC event, as fans leaned over to greet the fighters, a railing fell down. Our arena staff worked quickly to relocate fans in the affected area and no serious injuries were reported. Venue security and staff remained on-site throughout the rest of the evening to ensure everyone’s safety.”
In video that quickly made the social media rounds, Malott can be seen heading toward the ring, but as soon as he begins high-fiving fans to his left and right, a rail holding those to his right collapsed, causing Malott to quickly sidestep the pileup at ground level.
Malott went on to defeat Fugitt by second-round submission.
Rogers Arena’s official statement echoes what UFC president Dana White said when asked about the incident during the UFC 289 post-event news conference.
“The arena handled it immediately, roped it off, got security up there, moved people to better seats, and handled it like a bunch of pros.” White said.
