A flyer for the So You Wanna Fight event at the Cher-Ae Heights Casino on April 26, 2014. Image from Facebook
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An amateur mixed martial arts fighter was seriously injured during an event at the casino owned by the Trinidad Rancheria in California.
Steve "Thor" Watts, who recently turned 41, broke his neck and injured his spinal cord during his second match at the So You Wanna Fight event on April 26. He's recovering in a rehabilitation center but he doesn't know if he will ever regain lower body movement.
Despite the seriousness of the incident, the Cher-Ae Heights Casino plans to host another So You Wanna Fight event on November 8. The North Coast Journal tried to talk to tribal leaders about fighting rules and regulations but didn't receive return calls.
Mark Jacobson, the casino's marketing manager, said the tribe is working to have future fights sanctioned by the International Sport Combat Federation but it's not clear if that will happen before the event later this year.
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(The North Coast Journal 7/24)