TUF Nations hub: News, video, recaps, blogs

Patrick Cote led Team Canada, which was comprised of eight of the top Canadian mixed martial artists, on TUF Nations. (Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty)

Mike Johnston April 15, 2014, 1:16 PM

A double dose of UFC history will occur Wednesday in Quebec City as the first two Ultimate Fighter winners hailing from Canada will be crowned at the TUF Nations Finale.

Chad Laprise faces Olivier Aubin-Mercier in the welterweight finals before Elias Theodorou and Sheldon Westcott battle for the middleweight tournament championship. After the TUF Nations winners are crowned, fans will enjoy a fight between the two coaches, Patrick Cote and Kyle Noke. Then, in the main event, talkative middleweight stars Michael Bisping and Tim Kennedy settle things in the Octagon.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Watch the live TUF Nations Finale Wednesday with a UFC Central preview at 4 p.m. EST, prelims starting at 5 p.m. EST and the main card at 7 p.m. EST on Sportsnet 360

The UFC Central team is in Quebec to get you set for the first Canadian UFC event of 2014.

Here is everything you need to know heading into the TUF Nations Finale, including videos, news, features, episode recaps and fighter blogs.

News and features

— Westcott wants to be face of MMA in Alberta
Sheldon Westcott says his blue collar fighting style is indicative of people from Alberta. With a win at the TUF Nations Finale, the St. Albert native hopes to become the face of MMA in his home province.

— Kaufman fights for UFC spotlight
Sarah Kaufman has been overlooked in the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division, something she will look to change at the TUF Nations finale on Wednesday.

— Things get intense at the weigh-ins
Michael Bisping and Tim Kennedy did plenty of jawing but kept the peace as they made weight Tuesday ahead of their main event showdown at the TUF Nations Finale.

— Bisping gets in Kennedy’s face
Michael Bisping didn’t pretend to be in a jovial mood when the two headliners faced off at a press event.

— Quebec fans hold soft spot for Cote
Georges St-Pierre may be the king of MMA in Quebec but Patrick Cote is also UFC royalty in La Belle Province ahead of his match against Australian Kyle Noke.

— Stout, Noons ask to move up to welterweight
A lightweight bout between Canadian Sam Stout and K.J. Noons has been switched to welterweight.

— Kaufman, Smith look to steal show
Sarah Kaufman and Leslie Smith put on a memorable bout the first time they met, and fight fans should expect more of the same when they fight at the TUF Nations finale.

— Bocek, Kaufman get new opponents at the last minute
A pair of injuries resulted in two Canadians getting new opponents days before the TUF Nations Finale.

Videos

— Trash talk continues for Bisping, Kennedy
Michael Bisping can’t wait to shut Tim Kennedy up and then forget about him altogether.

— Two-time Olympic gold medallist on potentially transitioning to MMA
Olympic bobsled champ Kaillie Humphries opens up about being a UFC fan and the respect she has for fighters.

— Firas Zahabi 1-on1
Renowned MMA coach Firas Zahabi discusses training Olympic champ Kaillie Humphries and updates us on George St-Pierre’s recent knee surgery.

— Chad Laprise 1-on-1
Laprise doesn’t expect his opponent Olivier Aubin-Mercier to change his style much from what people saw of him on the show.

— Olivier Aubin-Mercier 1-on-1
The Tristar Gym product says his time on TUF Nations helped grow his confidence as a fighter and person.

— Elias Theodorou 1-on-1
Our TUF Nations blogger talks about having to shed 20 pounds in the days leading up to his fight.

— Sheldon Westcott 1-on-1
The middleweight finalist explains how he went from a track and field athlete to a mixed martial artist.

— Kyle Noke 1-on-1
Team Australia’s coach talks about his time on TUF Nations and his opponent Patrick Cote.

— Vik Grujic 1-on-1
The popular TUF Nations middleweight talks about training with the Alliance MMA team in San Diego ahead of his fight with Nordine Taleb.

— Richard Walsh 1-on-1
The Australian looks to rebound from a disappointing exit from TUF Nations.

— Chris Indich 1-on-1
Indich explains how much he enjoyed his experience on the show and visiting Canada for the first time.

— Sarah Kaufman 1-on-1
The Canadian women’s bantamweight star talks about all the opponent changes she has gone through and her rematch with Leslie Smith.