UFC Has Strong Canadian Presence

In mixed martial arts, an impressive number of Canadian athletes are making a name not only for themselves, but for the Great White North, as well.

With at least one Canadian in all five divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and several prominent fighters competing elsewhere in the world of mixed martial arts, there is a strong presence of Canadian talent in the fight game.

Leading the charge is UFC five-time Welterweight Champion Georges “Rush” St. Pierre . St. Pierre, 28, is an intelligent fighter with technically strong kickboxing and a dominant ground game that has consistently been used to terrorize some of the best grapplers in the sport. Widely regarded as one of the world’s best fighters, St. Pierre has fought and beat the best in the world.

As St. Pierre continues to prove his dominance over the rest of the UFC’s 170-pound division, the future is uncertain for Canada’s first mixed martial arts icon. There is speculation that St. Pierre may take a leave of absence to pursue a spot on the Canadian Olympic wrestling team, as there is arguably nothing left for the St. Isidore, Quebec, product to prove within the Octagon.

St. Pierre is arguably the most important Canadian mixed martial artist because he is not only an electrifying athlete, but also a true gentleman who shows respect in victory and defeat—not that losing is anything St. Pierre is too familiar with.

TJ Grant , of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, shocked the world in his UFC debut with a win over former PRIDE FC fighter Ryo Chonan. One of the UFC’s younger welterweight competitors, Grant has looked good in his first three bouts, including winning “Knock-Out of the Night” honours for his first-round TKO victory over Kevin Burns at UFC 107. Grant, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brown Belt under Jorge Gurgel, is a rising star in the sport, and at 25, he shows a ton of potential to make waves in the UFC’s 170-pound division in the years to come.

It has taken Krzysztof “The Polish Experiment” Soszynski a while to make it to the UFC, but he is making the most of his experience. After bouncing from promotion to promotion, he reached the semifinals of the 205-pound division tournament. With three wins in his first four bouts with the organization, Soszynski poses a threat for most fighters in the light heavyweight division. Soszynski is a dangerous ground fighter who is capable of finishing fights by submission, being awarded “Submission of the Night” in back-to-back performances. Although born in Stalowa Wola, Poland (hence the nickname), Soszynski moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, at age 10.

Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout , of London, Ontario, has a habit of putting on great fights. This habit has proven profitable for Stout, as he has been awarded “Fight of the Night” honours four times. Stout, a former K-1 kickboxer, is one of the best strikers in the UFC’s 155-pound division, continually showcasing his crisp, quick stand-up ability every time he enters the Octagon. Stout’s most recent fight, coming in a unanimous decision win over Joe Lauzon, puts the 25-year-old on the right path toward an eventual title shot.

Patrick “The Predator” Cote, of Rimouski, Quebec, has held titles in nearly every organization except the UFC. From King of the Cage, to Maximum Fighting Championships, to TKO Major League MMA, Cote has been successful in every organization he has fought. Prior to appearing on The Ultimate Fighter 4, Cote was arguably the best to fight but not win inside the UFC. Thankfully, that has all changed, and Cote is viewed as one of the top fighters in the middleweight division.

One year removed from the sport, Cote looks to once again establish a run of dominance, reminiscent of the six-fight tear that lead to Cote’s first title shot—a UFC 90 square off with Anderson “The Spider” Silva. In a fight that was arguably closer than any of Silva’s previous tilts inside the Octagon, Cote was unfortunately stopped because of injury. With ample time to reach the pinnacle of the middleweight division again in the future, the 29-year-old possesses one of the hardest chins in the sport and a knack for throwing bombs.

Rory MacDonald, of Quesnel, British Columbia is one of the UFC's youngest athletes. with an undefeated record of ten wins and zero losses, MacDonald just happens to be one of their most promising fighters as well.

A former King of the Cage champion, MacDonald burst on to the international scene by way of a first round submission victory over Mike "The Joker" Guymon at Ultimate Fight Night 20 in Fairfax, Virginia.

At only twenty years of age, MacDonald shows unlimited potential for the future. Fortunately for MacDonald, he's got a very well respect Carlos Condit to contend with at UFC 115.

A win for MacDonald would mean a lot in terms of eventually becoming the third welterwieght champion in UFC history.