UFC 140: The 20 Greatest Canadian Mixed Martial Artists of All-Time

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is set to make its eighth appearance north of the border on December 10, with UFC 140: Jones vs Machida taking place from the Air Canada Center in Toronto.

It will mark the third time this year that the UFC has come to Canada, and the fight card is once again packed with many of Canada's best mixed martial artists.

Canadian fighters are as prominent as ever in the organization with the best talent in the world and are also in high spots in the many world rankings floating around in the universe.

I love keeping track of the top fighters in the world right now, but this stacked card has prompted me to look back and take a crack at my list for Top 20 Greatest Canadian MMA Fighters of All-Time.

20. Krzysztof Soszynski

Krzysztof Soszynski is 26-11 in his mixed martial arts career and a semifinalist on The Ultimate Fighter Season 8. He was born in Poland, but moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba with his family when he was 10 years old.

The 34-year-old had 30 professional MMA fights in various North American regional shows before he landed his spot on TUF 8. He has gained two "Submission of the Night" bonuses and one "Fight of the Night" bonus in the UFC. 

His record is 6-2 in the UFC, and he is known for his strong submission fighting style, and more specifically, a killer kimura lock.  

Soszynski still competes in the UFC and is set to face Igor Pokrajac at UFC 140.

Most Notable Wins: Lee Mein, Brian Stann, Stephan Bonnar, Goran Reljic

Most Notable Losses: Ben Rothwell (twice), Brandon Vera, Stephane Bonnar

19. Jonathan Goulet

Jonathan Goulet is 23-12 in his mixed martial arts career and made his UFC debut in 2005 at UFC Ultimate Fight Night 2, defeating Jay Hieron via TKO cut.

While he has been on the wrong end of some quick knockouts in the UFC, Goulet made his own name as a knockout artist in the province of Quebec on his way up, and at one time, was thought of as the No. 2-ranked welterweight in Canada behind only Georges St-Pierre.

Goulet retired from mixed martial arts in 2010.

Most Notable Wins: John Alessio, Tony Fryklund, Jay Hieron, Shonie Carter

Most Notable Losses: Duane Ludwig, Josh Koscheck, Dustin Hazelett, Mike Swick, Marcus Davis, Chris Clements

18. Ivan Salaverry

Ivan Salaverry held a deceiving 13-8 record in his mixed martial arts career and represented Canada with class in the early days of the UFC. He made his UFC debut at UFC 37 in 2002.

A middleweight born in Toronto, he struggled for a consistent climb during his UFC career, but he took on some of the best in the world in his time and always competed hard.

He held an equal five wins by knockout and submission and was only submitted one time in his entire career.

Salaverry retired from competition in 2008, but came back earlier this year for one fight as a last-minute replacement. He has his own MMA gym in Seattle, Wash.

Most Notable Wins: Andre Semenov, Tony Fryklund, Joe Riggs

Most Notable Losses: Akihiro Gono, Matt Lindland, Nate Marquardt

17. Claude Patrick

Claude "The Prince" Patrick is a 30-year-old fighter from Mississauga, Ontario who is just starting to become known in this country for his fighting talents.

He is 14-1 in his career and made his UFC debut in 2010 at UFC 115, where he submitted Ricardo Funch via guillotine choke. Nine of his 14 wins have come via submission.

Patrick trains with fellow UFC notables Sean Pierson and Mark Bocek and is currently on a 13-fight winning streak.

He is set to fight Brian Ebersole at UFC 140 as a replacement for Rory MacDonald.

Most Notable Wins: Ricardo Funch, James Wilks, Daniel Roberts

Most Notable Losses: Drew McFedries

16. Harold Howard

Harold Howard makes this list based on the fact that he was the first Canadian fighter to represent in the Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament.

He was a black belt in jiu jitsu and karate before he stepped foot in the Octagon at UFC 3 in 1994. He defeated Roland Payne in 0:46 seconds and was set to face Royce Gracie in the semifinals.

Gracie threw in the towel before the fight happened due to damage taken in his previous fight vs Kimo Leopaldo, and Howard found himself in the finals. 

Harold's mullet represented the Great White North with pride.

Most Notable Wins: Roland Payne

Most Notable Losses: Steve Jennum, Mark Hall

15. Rory MacDonald

Having Rory MacDonald on this list is kind of like having Sidney Crosby on a greatest Canadian hockey players list. He is certainly on his way to being in the top 10 or top five of any list when all is said and done, but we don't want to get way ahead of ourselves or him in expectation.

The 22-year-old MacDonald is 12-1 in his six-year fighting career to date, and his new-age hybrid fighting game is as good as any Canadian out there today. The raw skills of MMA aside, it is the ability to transition seamlessly between all the skills that is the key, and Rory is as good as it gets.

Look for him to land in a top five all-time spot when his career is done.

He was set to face Brian Ebersole at UFC 140 in December, but has been forced out of action due to injury. 

Most Notable Wins: Jordan Mein, Nate Diaz, Mike Pyle

Most Notable Losses: Carlos Condit

14. Ivan Menjivar

Ivan Menjivar was born in El Salvador and gained his Canadian citizenship later in his life, and there is no question he has done Canada proud in mixed martial arts.

Menjivar, a 29-year-old pioneer, fought in the regional shows in Quebec before making his UFC debut in 2004, and he has the distinction of being the first person to fight Georges St-Pierre.

He holds a record of 23-8 in his career and has competed in four different weight classes in his career from bantamweight to welterweight.

Menjivar is still active in the UFC and is on a two-fight win streak.

Most Notable Wins: Joe Lauzon, Charlie Valencia, Nick Pace

Most Notable Losses: Georges St-Pierre, Matt Serra, Urijah, Faber, Brad Pickett

13. Chris Horodecki

With all apologies to Ryan Ford and Jordan Mein, Chris Horodecki is the best Canadian fighter to never have fought in the UFC.

The 24-year-old has been fighting professionally from the age of 18 and has already fought some of the best fighters in his weight class.

He holds an 18-3 record and was trained by one of the best mixed martial arts trainers in the world, the late Shawn Tompkins. Horodecki is a quick and powerful striker with seven knockouts on his record.

Horodecki gained attention fighting in the International Fight League and World Extreme Cagefighting and is coming off a controversial draw vs. Mike Corey at Bellator 57.

Most Notable Wins: Bart Palaszewski (twice), Danny Downes, Ed Ratcliffe

Most Notable Losses: Anthony Njokuani, Donald Cerrone

12. Mark Bocek

Mark Bocek is 9-4 in his mixed martial arts career with seven wins by submission. He is the best submission fighter Canada has ever had in the UFC, along with Jason MacDonald.

His top game is so dominant, he has long been thought of as the best 155-pound fighter in Canada for quite some time now, and this country has Sam Stout.  

At 30 years of age, Bocek is just hitting his stride in his career, and he is starting to take on the best lightweights in the world.

Most Notable Wins: Alvin Robinson, Dustin Hazelett

Most Notable Losses: Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller, Ben Henderson

11. John Alessio

John Alessio is a true known pioneer for Canadian mixed martial arts who has faced the top fighters in his weight class throughout his career.

The 32-year-old welterweight has 43 professional fights on his resume and is 29-14. He made his debut in the UFC in 2000 at UFC 26 when he fought UFC Hall of Famer Pat Militech.

Alessio has fought for many of the major fight promotions over the years, including PRIDE, WEC, KOTC, MFC and DREAM.

Alessio is still competing in mixed martial arts regional shows.

Most Notable Wins: Thomas Denny, Alex Serdyukov, Pete Spratt, Chris Clements, War Machine

Most Notable Losses: Pat Militech, Diego Sanchez, Thiago Alves, Carlos Condit, Paul Daley

10. Joe Doerkson

Joe Doerkson is a veteran of 63 mixed martial arts fights in a career that began in 1999, and he makes his place on this list due to his experience and longevity in the sport.

The 34-year-old middleweight is 47-16 and a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu specialist with an incredible 33 submission wins. Born in Manitoba, he made his name in the regional shows of North America before he made his UFC debut in 2004.

Doerkson is still competing in MMA, fighting his last two fights for The Score Fighting Series in Ontario

Most Notable Wins: Lee Murray, Denis Kang, Patrick Cote

Most Notable Losses: Jason MacDonald, David Loiseau, Matt Hughes, Matt Lindland, Nate Marquardt

9. Denis Kang

Denis Kang is very high on this list based more on his exceptional success in the Pride Fighting organization of Japan rather than his record in Canada or the UFC.

The 34-year-old Kang is 34-14 in his career that has spanned from 1998 until today. He is a very well-rounded fighter who reached the Pride Grand Prix Finals in 2006, where he lost to Kazuo Misaki.

Kang made his UFC debut in 2009 at UFC 93 in Ireland and is still competing in MMA in a promotion in Korea.

Most Notable Wins: Murilo Rua, Akihiro Gono, Marvin Eastman

Most Notable Losses: Jason Miller, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Gerard Mousasi, Alan Belcher, Michael Bisping

8. Jason MacDonald

Jason MacDonald is a 36-year-old middleweight submission wizard and one of the most popular Canadian fighters of all-time.

He burst on to the world and UFC scene by submitting TUF 3 alum Ed Herman, but Canadian fans had been watching him for years in Canada's No. 1 MMA promotion, the Maximum Fighting Championships.

MacDonald then submitted Chris Leben to get a shot at Rich Franklin and the best of the best in the UFC for a couple years span in 2007-2008.

His record stands at 25-15 after a clean 40 fights, and he is still actively competing in the UFC. He also runs his own gym in Red Deer, Alberta.

Most Notable Wins: Ed Herman, Chris Leben, Joe Doerkson

Most Notable Losses: Rich Franklin, Yushin Okami, Demian Maia, Alan Belcher

7. Carlos Newton

Carlos Newton is a former UFC welterweight champion and has competed in the best mixed martial arts organizations all over the world.

He has a decieving 16-14 professional record and is high on the list due to having been one of a very few Canadian fighters to hold a UFC title.

The 35-year-old Canadian jiu jitsu champion has a very unorthodox style and is famous for his title fight with Matt Hughes at UFC 36.

Newton's losses are very deceiving, as they have come against some of the very best welterweights in the world.

Most Notable Wins: Pat Militech, Pete Spratt, Renzo Gracie

Most Notable Losses: Matt Hughes (twice), Renzo Gracie, Anderson Silva

6. Mark Hominick

Due to the fact that Mark Hominick competes in the lighter, lesser-known weight classes, he has only recently come into the consciousness of the mainstream MMA fan. They don't call him "The Machine" for nothing.

Hominick holds a 20-9 record in MMA and has held the Canadian featherweight title since shortly after he started fighting in 2002. The Shawn Tompkins protege has fought the best of the best in his weight class throughout his career and just recently lost his bid for the UFC title, going the distance with Jose Aldo.

Hominick is the best pure striker the country has ever had, and seven submission wins says he can also hang at a high level on the ground as well.

He is set to climb back into title contention with a fight against Chan Sung Jung at UFC 140.

Most Notable Wins: Yves Edwards, Leonard Garcia, George Roop

Most Notable Losses: Hatsu Hioki, Mike Brown, Jose Aldo

5. Patrick Cote

Patrick Cote has the most deadly right hand in Canadian history, and he has ridden it to No. 5 on this all-time list.

Cote is 16-7 in his career with six wins by knockout, and the 31-year-old from Montreal has faced the who's who of the 185-pound division.

His fearless come-forward style and bombing right hand made him a fan favorite for Canucks everywhere and led him to challenge for the UFC middleweight title.

Cote is currently on a three-fight win streak outside of the UFC, and he is this high on the list based on his showings in fights against world-class fighters.

Most Notable Wins: Jason MacDonald, Scott Smith, Kendall Grove, Ricardo Almeida

Most Notable Losses: Tito Ortiz, Chris Leben, Anderson Silva, Alan Belcher

4. David Loiseau

David Loiseau was the man in Canadian mixed martial arts from 2000 to 2007, and long before Tristar Gym teammate Georges St-Pierre came on the scene.

"The Crow" has a high-flying, unpredictable style capped off by his post-win back flip that has also been adopted by the current UFC welterweight champion.

He holds a record of 20-10 in his career, with 13 of those wins by knockout. The only knock on Loiseau is his inability to deliver in the big fight.

The 31-year-old is still fighting outside the UFC and is the current Tachi Palace Fights middleweight champion.

Most Notable Wins: Shawn Tompkins, Tony Fryklund, Evan Tanner

Most Notable Losses: Jeremy Horn, Rich Franklin, Mike Swick

3. Gary Goodridge

Gary Goodridge was in the prime of his career long before the era of the sophisticated athlete. Goodridge was an old-school fighter, and when you look at the glory days of Pride Fighting Championships, "Big Daddy" was Canada's star.

Goodridge participated in Pride 1 in 1997, and the super-heavyweight was a staple in the organization throughout its entire existence and beloved by Japanese MMA fans.

He is also famous for his knockout of Paul Herrera due to elbows at UFC 8. Goodridge has competed in 47 MMA matches with 24 wins and 38 kickboxing matches with 12 wins.

Goodridge is the godfather of MMA in Canada and the best big man to ever come out of Canada. The 45-year-old is retired from mixed martial arts.

Most Notable Wins: Paul Herrera, Jerry Bohlander, Oleg Taktarov, Valentjin Overeem and Don Frye

Most Notable Losses: Don Frye (twice), Mark Coleman, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem

2. Sam Stout

Sam Stout has been thrilling mixed martial arts fans all over North America since he made his pro debut, and had six knockouts in nine fights before entering the UFC in 2006.

Since his entry into the top organization in the world and his UFC Top 100 all-time fight against Spencer Fisher, he has gained world recognition with his exciting, straight-ahead style.

"Hands of Stone" is yet another Shawn Tompkins-trained fighter on this list, and he has a record of 17-6 in his career. He has also won three "Fight of the Night" bonuses as well as one "Knockout of the Night" bonus in his last five UFC bouts.

At 27 years old, Stout is one of the longest standing Canadians in the UFC and is hitting his stride.

Stout is on the cusp to crack the world lightweight top 10 for the first time in his career.

He is set to fight Thiago Tavares at UFC 142 in January.

Most Notable Wins: Spencer Fisher, Matt Wiman, Joe Lauzon, Yves Edwards

Most Notable Losses: Kenny Florian, Spencer Fisher, Jeremy Stephens 

1. Georges St-Pierre

There is absolutely no disputing who the best mixed martial artist in Canadian history is, and that is current and longtime UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

GSP is a phenomenal athlete in an era when the art has transcended into sport, and he has evolved his game and his legacy with it.

St-Pierre is 22-2 in his dominant career and is currently on a nine-fight winning streak as the UFC 170-pound champion.

The Montreal native comes from a Kyokushin karate background, but his strength and wrestling is some of the best the UFC has ever seen.

The 30-year-old champion has avenged both losses on his resume, and not only is he Canada'a best of all-time, he can truly be considered one of the world's best fighters of all time.

GSP is set to defend his title vs Nick Diaz in February of 2012.

Most Notable Wins: Jason Miller, Matt Hughes (twice), BJ Penn (twice), Matt Serra, Jon Fitch, Jake Shields

Most Notable Losses: Matt Hughes, Matt Serra

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and correspondent for MMACanada.net.

Catch him on Facebook and Twitter at wakafightermma.