By Dwight Wakabayashi
With Canadian lightweight T.J. Grant set to fight Gray Maynard for a title shot this month at UFC 160, and the UFC set to touch down in Winnipeg for the first time in the promotion’s history on June 15, things are going to get very busy and fast for the Canadian fighters in the UFC.
It has been a fairly solid year for Canadian fighters thus far, with Canadians (Including honourary Canadian Francis Carmont) going 8-5 in the 13 fights they have been in so far in 2013. Of those eight wins, only two have been by stoppage, while three of the five Canadian losses have come by stoppage. So far this year, five fighters have had to pull out of bouts due to injury: Rory MacDonald, Roger Hollett, Mitch Gagnon, Sean Pierson and Yves Jabouin.
As far as impact in 2013 so far, Lethbridge, Alta., newcomer Jordan Mein has been the most prominent Canadian to date with his debut TKO win over veteran Dan Miller in March followed quickly by his Fight of the Night loss to Matt Brown earlier this month. Mein stepped in on a short turnaround for Dan Hardy, and almost stopped the contender with a liver shot before getting stopped in the end. Mein is the only Canadian fighter who has already fought twice this year.
Of course, our reigning welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has been front and centre as well, claiming victory in his long-standing feud with Nick Diaz, with a decisive win at UFC 158 in March. After all the talk and hype leading up to the fight, GSP simply outclassed Diaz from start to finish, like he has so many other challengers before him. MMA aside, he then landed his first major motion picture role as a villain in the next Captain America movie. Johny Hendricks is next in line at 170 pounds, and we should find out later this year if anyone will beat GSP in 2013.
Cole Harbour, N.S., native Grant just keeps on moving up the ranks and he secured the biggest fight of his life this month by destroying Matt Wiman at UFC on FOX 6 in January. Grant gained a KO near the end of the first round with a devastating barrage of elbows and punches.
Next up, Grant will take centre stage later this month as he will face Gray (The Bully) Maynard at UFC 160 in Las Vegas to determine who will get the next shot at Benson Henderson and the lightweight title. Grant is currently No. 6 in the UFC’s Official Rankings. It’s the first time in the promotion’s history that a Canadian fighter has been ranked this high in the division and it’s a huge opportunity for Grant to vault himself up to superstar status.
In other Canadian highlights from the first third of 2013, UFC 158 was held in Montreal in March and was packed with Canadian talent. John Makdessi outstruck the dangerous Daron Cruickshank, Patrick Cote made a successful welterweight debut and TUF alum Mike Ricci beat Colin Fletcher. On the downside of the card, Canadians Antonio Carvalho and Nick Ring lost, while Mitch Gagnon, Rory MacDonald, Sean Pierson, Yves Jabouin were all forced off the card due to an injury.
Big things were expected of the young MacDonald in 2013, but the injury has stalled his year, He is now set to face Jake Ellenberger in July.
London, Ont.’s favourite Sam Stout gained a solid, bounce-back decision win over Caros Fodor in February, and transplanted Canuck Francis Carmont edged out Lorenz Larkin in April.
There have been a couple of disappointments early this year as well, as Ivan Menjivar was beaten fairly easily by Urijah Faber in the biggest fight of his career at UFC 157 in February. Many were expecting a bit more of a battle in that one, and the Tristar veteran was not at his best. Ryan Jimmo made the biggest splash of any Canadian in the UFC in 2012 with his seven-second debut against Anthony Perosh. He took on James Te Huna in February in his second tilt in the Octagon and rocked him early before fading and losing a decision.
Now it will be full steam ahead for Canada as the promotion will touch down in Winnipeg on June 15 for UFC 161 from the MTS Centre. Seven Canadians are set for action on the card including the UFC debut of women’s bantamweight Alexis Davis, Port Colborne, Ont. Davis will become the first Canadian female to compete in the Octagon when she faces Rosi Sexton to open the main card. Jimmo, Stout, Jabouin, Pierson, Clarke and Roland Delorme will fill out the preliminary card in what should be an excellent night for mixed martial arts fans in Manitoba.
The UFC has committed to at least three events north of the border in 2013 (and possibly more). The Winnipeg show will keep them on pace with two in the books. Toronto is expected to get a September date, but nothing is set in stone yet and a fourth show has not been confirmed.
The Canadian fight news does not stop there. The top fight club in the world just announced the plans to tape The Ultimate Fighter: Canada vs. Australia later, hopefully later this year, with UFC president Dana White hinting to Sportsnet’s Showdown Joe Ferraro that the show will be taped in Montreal. The complete plans and details are yet to be finalized but if true, the UFC will be spending a lot of time in Canada in the remainder of the year.
The fight game is heating up in the Great White North and Canadian fans are in for a fantastic spring and summer with some of our own set to bloom.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report UFC and regular contributor to Sportsnet.ca’s UFC section. Follow him on Twitter @wakafightermma.
