Why Top MMA News Says: ‘The Score is No More’

This past week, Top MMA News broke the very unfortunate news that one of Canada’s top MMA promotions was closing their doors – The Score Fighting Series was ceasing operations. If you missed the news, you can read it HERE.

As expected, the news spread rapidly and was met with dismay by the Canadian MMA community. Losing a show of this caliber negatively affects fans, fighters, venues, the promotion’s staff, gyms, the entire sport of MMA. Hell, losing a promotion that was a pipeline for great Canadian fighters in great Canadian markets even negatively impacts the UFC. Jesse Ronson and Josh Hill would not be on the UFC’s radar, if it was not for the Score putting on events.

The following day, The Score issued a press release to refute the Top MMA News story. You can read it HERE. It basically said that The Score or the Trustee released some individuals, but no decision was made on Score Fighting Inc. Immediately, fans held their breath and crossed their fingers hoping it was true and web sites that copied our previous story, quickly removed their version and instead stated that the Score was alive and kicking because no decision had been made.

Well, sadly, that is not true. The Score Fighting Series is no more.

Here’s some proof:

There never will be a show called “The Score Fighting Series.”

Rogers Media president Keith Pelley has already stated that The Score will be rebranded under the SportsNet name. Logically, no Score Fighting Series show would ever be held again under that name.



The Score Fighting Series promoter Brendan Fyfe has been released.

Although Fyfe has not confirmed this to Top MMA News, a multitude of sources have confirmed this to us.

If you try emailing Fyfe’s Score email address, here is what you get as an auto-repsonse: Brendan Fyfe is no longer with The Score Television Network. Seems cut and dried that Fyfe is one of the “personnel changes” that the Trustee must have made.



The Score Fighting Series cancelled all dates booked with the Ontario Athletic Commission.

On January 15, the OAC confirmed there were six tentatively scheduled dates booked by the Score Fighting Series: Mar 29, May 3, June 21, Sept 27, Oct 25, Nov 29.

On January 31, the OAC confirmed that the Score had cancelled all dates scheduled for 2013.

So, if the show is not going to be called the Score Fighting Series any more and the show made ‘personnel changes’ that included laying off the head of the Score Fighting Series, and the show has cancelled all of its planned 2013 dates, then its reasonable to conclude that there will never be another Score Fighting Series.

Lastly, Top MMA News has received more texts, messages, tweets, etc… on this story more than anything previously written. Let me answer many of your comments right now. Top MMA News loves Canadian MMA, we are not glad that SFS is gone. Top MMA News took no joy out of breaking this story. The hits generated by this story, while substantial, are not even close to the views an SFS 8 lineup would have received in our upcoming events page and pale in comparison to a live Score Fighting internet stream or written play-by-play. I believe that one of Top MMA News’ mandates is to generate public awareness of upcoming Canadian fighters. For Top MMA News to help do this, the Canadian MMA community needs more, not fewer, Canadian shows like the Score Fighting Series to help this sport grow.