Mixed martial arts -- also known as ultimate fighting -- is considered one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
But the combination of jiu jitsu, wrestling and kickboxing is banned in many cities, including Vancouver, because it is deemed too violent.
But that could change after Friday night with an event that's being described as a test case for the sport.
Promoter Trevor Dueck has been granted a one-time special-event permit for an amateur fight Friday at the Edgewater Casino at the Plaza of Nations.
"It's a real sport. I think that's what we want to show them. It's not human cock fighting or anything of that matter, it's just like boxing. In some ways, it could be safer than boxing," he told CTV News.
"We want them to have a good time show that the stigma attached to MMA that's around this province or in Canada isn't true."
In B.C., mixed martial arts regulations are left to municipalities. While cities like Victoria and Prince George have allowed it, Vancouver has not.
City councillors and the Vancouver Athletic Commission will be watching closely.
If the test fight goes well, MMA could soon be regulated in Vancouver.
That's good news for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which has tentatively booked General Motors Place for a title fight in June, featuring current UFC champion Georges St. Pierre.
But some worry the violence won't stop when the fight ends.
"Clearly a bunch of testosterone-pumped young people coming out of a fight like that and going into the bars is a risk and the police recognize that as a risk," said Councillor David Cadman.
At a mixed martial arts event on the Musqueam Reserve last year, a 25-year-old contestant was shot in the leg. He was standing outside a community centre when he was hit.
Police said at the time that the shot came from someone in a crowd of males who later escaped in a vehicle.
A report from Vancouver city staff on how to regulate mixed martial arts is expected in the next few weeks.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Bal Brach
