Mike Malott was walking into the Rogers Arena for his UFC 289 main card fight with Adam Fugitt when cameras caught the scary sight of fans falling from the stands.
The fans appeared to plummet to the arena floor after a railing next to the arena entrance gave way. The fans appeared to be reaching out to Malott to give a high five prior to the fall. UFC commentator Jon Anik announced later on the broadcast that no one was hurt during the incident. The Malott and Fugitt fight proceeded without issue.
Several UFC fans captured the accident on Twitter.
UFC 289 marked the promotion’s first trip to Canada in four years. The UFC has held several events at the Rogers Arena without incident, though UFC fans were blamed for rioting in the city that followed Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup finals.
A spokesperson for Rogers Arena released a statement to MMA Fighting on the incident.
The safety of our fans is our No. 1 priority at Rogers Arena. 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.
Malott, a native of Burlington, Ontario, Canada, earned a second-round submission win over Fugitt to pick up his third straight UFC win on the pay-per-view main card.
