By Dwight Wakabayashi
In the first of a two-part series of the best moments of the year in Canadian MMA, we first look at the top five Canadian moments in the UFC.
Canadians have been heavily involved in mix and landscape of the UFC in 2012 with more shows being held and more prominent fighters coming from north of the border than ever before in the sports history. Canucks were involved in 38 fights in 2012 and with many great moments in the cage, here are my top 5 Canadian moments of 2012.
5. Grant cracks the elite with win over Dunham – UFC 152, Sept. 22, Toronto
It was a big step up to the contenders of the division when Cole Harbour, N.S., native T.J. Grant stepped up to face Evan Dunham at UFC 152 in Toronto. Grant had many supporters in the house and he took full advantage of the opportunity as he battered Dunham for three solid rounds, taking home a unanimous-decision win. It was a dominant win for Grant and not only cemented his place as the best lightweight in Canada, but one of the very best in the world.
4. MacDonald announces arrival in Penn rivalry – UFC on FOX 5, Dec. 8, Seattle
People have been waiting for Kelowna welterweight Rory MacDonald to appear among the very best in the welterweight division. MacDonald raised his profile largely with this year’s rivalry with legend BJ Penn and then stamped his arrival when he beat him handily at UFC on FOX earlier this month. It is a great moment for Canadian MMA, as it shows that we have young fighters ready, waiting and good enough to step in and take the mantel from our best aging and retiring fighters.
3. Jimmo debuts with seven-second KO – UFC 149, July 21, Calgary
It was literally a smashing debut for Edmonton light-heavyweight Ryan Jimmo at UFC 149 on basically his home soil. Jimmo has been dominating north of the border for years and many were anticipating his UFC debut. Jimmo knocked out veteran journeyman Anthony Perosh in seven seconds with one straight right hand punch to the jaw and made for one of the best moments of the year. What does Jimmo have in store for an encore when he faces James Te Huna in February?
2. The Machine retires – Dec. 11
Christmas will be bittersweet for Canadian MMA fans this year as one of our all-time favourites Mark Hominick retired from competing in the UFC Octagon on Dec. 11. It wasn’t an in-the-cage announcement or public, emotional farewell, but it has to be considered one of the most noteworthy moments of the year considering his status and standing in the community and country. He retires with a professional record of 20-12 and has some of the best fights and moments of any Canadian in the UFC.
1. GSP returns – UFC 154, Nov. 17, Montreal
Everything about Georges St-Pierre’s comeback was a chilling success and it is a clear-cut winner of the Canadian UFC moment of the year. Whether you want to break it down to an actual moment in the fight or not there is no doubt that his return delivered the story and performance that was needed to turn the momentum of the UFC’s year around. GSP fought fresh and hard and survived a devastating head kick on his way to beating Carlos Condit and defending his welterweight title.
Friday: The top five Canadian moments outside the UFC
Dwight Wakabayashi is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report UFC and regular contributor to Sportsnet.ca’s UFC section. Follow him on Twitter @wakafightermma.
