A local MMA event got out of control over the weekend, causing 15 arrests to be made.
An event from California-based amateur MMA promoter 559 Fights was paused on Saturday night after a massive brawl broke out among attendees inside the Visalia Convention Center, per the Fresno Bee.
At least 26 police officers responded to what they referred to as a brawl involving “about 100 people,” local reports state. Over a dozen attendees were arrested and three police officers suffered minor injuries due to the incident.
Fresno State’s student-run paper reported that the venue turned off the lights in an attempt to stop the fight. Eventually, the decision was made for the remaining two fights on the show to be cancelled due to the incident.
A statement posted by 559 Fights afterward said that the brawl “appears to have been an isolated incident involving a specific group of attendees.”
The MMA promoter, who has presented events in California since 2012, strongly condemned the incident.
“This behavior does not represent 559 Fights, our athletes or the overwhelming majority of our fans,” they said via social media.
