REGINA -- Mixed martial arts events will soon be legal in Saskatchewan, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship says thats good for athletes. The government is setting up an athletics commission that will have the authority to sanction professional combative sports, including MMA. "A provincial athletics commission will help ensure the safety of everyone involved in professional combative sport competitions," Saskatchewan Sport Minister Kevin Doherty said Wednesday. The move comes after the House of Commons passed a bill in June legalizing contact sports such as MMA. The legislation makes professional boxing and MMA contests legal in Canada when they have the authorization of a provincial athletics commission. Only boxing was allowed under the old prize-fighting law, leaving combat sports, including taekwondo, karate and MMA in legal limbo. Tom Wright, director of UFC operations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, says it means athletes wont have to move for their sport. Wright points out that MMA fighter Mitch Clarke is from Saskatchewan, but trains in Edmonton because he couldnt compete professionally in his home province. Wright also says having legal fights makes it safer for athletes. "Thats the cornerstone of protecting the health and safety of our athletes is to make sure that the sport is properly regulated. Now that an athletic commission is going to be set up in Saskatchewan, that will be the case for all organizations that want to hold a mixed martial arts competition," Wright said in a phone interview from Vancouver. "Particularly for ourselves, it paves the way for us to be able to bring the UFC to Saskatchewan." Wright says there is no timeline yet on when that might happen. Steps are underway to have the commission in Saskatchewan running by next summer. The commission will be responsible for tracking competitors fighting history and ensure safety protocols are enforced. The Saskatchewan Martial Arts Association will sanction and oversee amateur combative sports including mixed martial arts, kickboxing, modified Muay Thai and full-contact karate. The association said in a news release that it will immediately start sanctioning amateur combative sporting events. "By regulating amateur competitions, we help eliminate unsanctioned fights that put athletes at risk," said association president Tim Oehler. MMA is currently sanctioned at a provincial level in British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec, while it has been sanctioned on a municipal level within Alberta, New Brunswick and the Northwest Territories. The UFC has held 14 shows to date in Canada, with cards in Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver. Wright has said the UFC will hold a show in Halifax within the next couple of years. Tyus Bowser Jersey . 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He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record.South Africa thrashed England by nine wickets, with AB de Villiers crunching a 21-ball fifty, in the second T20I in Johannesburg, securing a 2-0 series triumph. De Villiers (71 off 29 balls) hit his fastest fifty in T20Is on Sunday and Hashim Amla was unbeaten with 69 off 38 as the home side chased down their 172-run target inside 15 overs. AB de Villiers smashed his fastest T20I fifty in South Africas series-clinching win England collapsed from 157-3 to being bowled out in 19.4 overs after Jos Buttler had smashed 54 off 28 balls, putting on 96 with Eoin Morgan (38 off 23).After England were put into bat, Jason Roy was dropped first ball by JP Duminy at cover, but couldnt make the most of the extra life in a tortured 15-ball stay at the crease, mis-timing his way to nine before being bowled by Kagiso Rabada (2-28). Reaction from South Africa hero AB de Villiers England had mustered only 10 runs from the first 2.5 overs but Joe Root (34) cracked his first ball for four, one of four he hit, and two sixes, in an enterprising 17-ball stay at the crease.Just as the runs were starting to flow, the introduction of Imran Tahir (1-25) in the eight over - fresh from his 4-21 in the first T20I - brought a double breakthrough, Root holing out at long off, and then Alex Hales (16) run out next ball to reduce England to 61-3. Jos Buttler was back on form for England with fifty Morgan and Buttler recovered things, targeting David Wiese (0-40) to particular good effect, Buttler powerfully pulling one six into the top tier at The Wanderers, and Morgan hitting back-to-back boundary clearers in the 13th over, which cost 17. Alex Hales is run out as captain Eoin Morgan calls for a second run but leaves Hales stranded by a distance It prompted Faf du Plessis to bowl Duminy in favour of Wiese completing his four overs and Buttler promptly despatched him for two further sixes, the second one straight down the ground again finding the top tier.ddddddddddddut a ball after bringing up his fifty with his fourth maximum, Buttler perished picking out the man at cover off the toe end of his bat, and England collapsed, losing seven for 14.Morgan was unfortunate to be run out next ball, with Ben Stokes striking the ball straight back to Kyle Abbott (3-26) who flicked it onto the stumps with the skipper stranded. Kyle Abbott celebrates the wicket of Eoin Morgan Stokes was next to fall, caught and bowled by Chris Morris (2-33), given on review having initially been thought to be a bump ball, while Moeen Ali picked out cover point later in the same over.South Africa had two in two again in the 19th over, Abbott finding himself on a hat-trick as Chris Jordan top-edged to mid-off and Sam Billings - back in the side for David Willey - pulled straight to square leg. Eoin Morgan says he is optimistic going into the ICC World T20 in India, despite Sundays defeat Topley survived, but Rabada wrapped things up soon after, bowling Rashid with a terrific yorker with two balls to spare in Englands innings.The torment continued for the visitors, and for Topley - whose fumbled run-out attempt in the final-ball defeat on Friday cost England - as De Villiers crunched his first ball for four, and smashed six straight later in the over.There would be greater punishment for Jordan, De Villiers blasting two further fours and sixes with the third over going for 22, and Amla hitting four fours in the 19-run fifth.De Villiers brought up his fifty, and South Africas hundred, inside seven overs, but finally fell in the ninth, failing to clear the cover boundary, picking out Root.Rashid thought he had Amla lbw next ball and although it was shown to be hitting the stumps on replay, the umpire didnt give the decision with Amla getting a good stride in to the leg-spinner.Amla notched his own half-century - off 27 balls - in the 12th over, and he and captain Du Plessis (22no) saw South Africa to a comprehensive win with 32 balls to spare.Join us for live coverage of the ICC World T20 live on Sky Sports in March. 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