Rogers Arena bleacher railing collapses during UFC 289 event on Saturday

No fans were seriously injured when a railing collapsed at Rogers Arena during the UFC 289 event in Vancouver on Saturday night.

The incident occurred as Canadian mixed martial artist Mike Malott was walking out from the tunnel to the octagon for his fight against Adam Fugitt.

As fans leaned over the railing to cheer and high-five Malott, the barrier gave way and sent more than a dozen spectators tumbling down to the floor, right in the vicinity of Malott, his security, and a handful of other arena workers.

“The safety of our fans is our #1 priority at Rogers Arena,” read a statement posted Saturday night on the official Rogers Arena Twitter account. “At tonight’s UFC event, as fans leaned over to greet the fighters a railing fell down.

“Our arena staff worked quickly to relocate fans in the affected area and no serious injuries were reported,” the statement continued. “Venue security and staff remained on-site throughout the rest of the evening to ensure everyone’s safety.”

Malott appeared to avoid the falling railing and went on to defeat Fugitt by submission in two rounds on Saturday night. Malott was named one of the performers of the night and received a $50,000 bonus.

Rogers Arena, like the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, is owned by the Aquilini Investment Group, of which Francesco Aquilini is the managing director. The facility opened in 1995 as General Motors Place before being renamed in 2010.

Aquilini purchased a 50% share in both the Canucks and their arena in 2004 — amid legal challenges from prominent businessmen and rivals Tom Gaglardi and Ryan Beedie — before acquiring the remaining interest in both entities two years later. Under Aquilini’s watch, the Canucks have missed the playoffs in seven of the last eight seasons.