No Canadian has ever won The Ultimate Fighter, but that streak has an excellent chance at coming to an end on TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia.
Eight of the most talented Canadian mixed martial artists (four welterweights and four middleweights) will go up against an all-star team of Australians with two six-figure UFC contracts up for grabs.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Watch the TUF Nations season premiere Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 10 p.m. EST on Sportsnet 360 and visit sportsnet.ca for weekly previews, recaps and blogs
Team Canada is led by UFC star Patrick “The Predator” Cote. The knockout artist has been one of this country’s most talented fighters for the better part of a decade. With notable wins over Kendall Grove, Ricardo Almeida and Jason MacDonald among others, Cote has found success at both middleweight and welterweight. He earned a title shot in 2008 and was famously the first fighter ever to get out of the second round against Anderson Silva in the UFC.
Cote recruited the likes of Muay Thai coach Kru Ash, jiu-jitsu coach Fabio Holanda and former Olympic wrestler David Zilberman to assist the Canadian squad.
If you’re unfamiliar with any of the fighters, here’s a closer look at the members of Team Canada on TUF Nations:
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
The oldest member of Team Canada is a judo black belt and submission specialist, who owns the very successful apparel and equipment company Hayabusa Fightwear. Training with a talented stable of fighters at the Hayabusa Training Centre in St. Albert, Alta., Harris says he continues to learn and evolve his fighting ability every day. All 10 of his pro wins have been by submission.
The Frenchman has honed his skills under Firas Zahabi at the Tristar Gym for years. He has explosive power and excellent finishing instinct with five of his eight wins coming by knockout. He has high-level experience and his last three pro bouts were under the Bellator banner.
Considered one of the top young MMA talents in Canada, Theodorou is one of the most outgoing personalities in the sport today. The Score Fighting Series and Bellator veteran thrives on pushing a furious pace for a middleweight and also holds titles is Extreme Cage Combat and North American Allied Fight Series.
An extremely athletic fighter, Westcott has gone undefeated since losing his pro debut back in 2007. Five of his eight wins have come within the first minute of the first round. The aggressive fighter is solid in the clinch and never stops working if he gets the fight to the ground.
WELTERWEIGHTS
Laprise is a standout from Team Tomkins in London, Ont., and a teammate of UFC veterans Sam Stout and Mark Hominick. His demeanour outside of competition certainly doesn’t scream “I fight for a living” but in the cage he’s a force to be reckoned with. He is unbeaten in his pro career stopping five of his seven opponents.
Following a two-year absence from competition due to injuries, Johnson returns to the cage looking to TUF Nations as a way to get his career back on track. The energetic Tristar Gym product is just 29 years old, but has 30 pro fights and experience going up against the likes of current UFC contenders Rory MacDonald and Josh Thomson.
At just 21 years old, DesRoches, who currently holds a rank in the Canadian Army, is the youngest member on Team Canada. Although he’s only had four pro fights he’s won all of them in the first round, knocking out three of his opponents.
The Quebecer grew up idolizing Georges St-Pierre and now has the opportunity to train with his MMA hero on a regular basis at Tristar Gym in Montreal. A talented judoka, all four of his four pro fights have ended with him submitting his opponent in the first round with a rear-naked choke.
