Florida forces cancellation of MMA bout between fighters with Down's Syndrome and cerebral palsy
By Brian Hemminger
Sorry to break your hearts, considering how much you Maniacs were looking forward to it.
The planned "King of the Casino" bout featuring two fighters with disabilities between Garrett Holeve (Down's Syndrome) and David Steffin (cerebral palsy) at Seminole Immokalee Casino in Immokalee, Fla., was cancelled just minutes before it was supposed to take place when the state of Florida delivered a cease and desist letter to the promoters.
Florida's WINK News has the report:
It was a fight that was supposed to be a first of its kind. One both Garrett Holeve, 23, and David Steffin, 28, had been dreaming of, but five minutes before the first punch, the state presented the promoter with a cease and desist letter.
"He cried. It genuinely upset him," says Mitch Holeve, Garrett's father. "He's worked eight weeks in a training camp, training four and a half hours a day for eight weeks getting mentally and physically prepared to do this."
Garrett has downs syndrome and his opponent David has cerebral palsy. The fight was supposed to happen because the match was being held on tribal land, but a letter from the DBPR says the scheduled bout between the two amateur fighters is unsanctioned and against Florida Law.
"He's upset because he knows he's being told he can't fight because he has down syndrome and that hurts his feelings and that angers him" says Holeve.
According to the report, Holeve received medical clearance to compete and is now reaching out to the state's boxing commission, as well as the National Down's Syndrome Society.
Did Florida make the right call ... for once?
at this fight even being proposed in the first place....sideshow shyt