What's at stake for Canadians fighting on UFC Vancouver card?

As the UFC readies for its second trip north of the border this year, make no mistake, the Canadian contingent will be fighting for more than cheers on home soil.

Because when the lights turn bright for Saturday's Fight Night inside Rogers Arena, the seven Canadians set to compete — four on the main card, two of whom are ranked — could gain much more than adoration from friends and families with a victory. Between those looking to inch toward a title shot, those hoping to reach ranked status and those just starting their UFC journey, expect plenty of impressions to be made during the promotion's seventh trip to Vancouver — a city that's historically been kind to fighters donning the red and white.

With that being said, he's what's at stake for each of the Canadians heading into UFC Vancouver on Oct. 18.

Mike "Proper" Malott (12-2-1)

The Burlington, Ont., native will have the unenviable task of taking on Kevin Holland, albeit following a 2-2 showing from the long-time 170-pound veteran in 2025. As for Malott, "Trailblazer" will be his second opponent of the year after he knocked out Charles Radtke at UFC 315 in Montreal five months ago. The victory marked the 33-year-old's second consecutive victory since his 3-0 start in the UFC was disrupted by Neil Magny last January via third-round TKO.

Meanwhile, Malott has been a mainstay of UFC events in Canada for the last couple of years and will undoubtedly be hoping for a repeat of his previous appearance in Vancouver when he saw his hand raised at UFC 289 in 2023 after securing a guillotine choke in the second round against Adam Fugitt, earning a $50,000 performance bonus along the way.

Now, fighting on home soil once more, a win over the No. 15-ranked welterweight in Holland would open up Malott's path to true contender status. Easier said than done, however, as Holland is a 27-fight UFC vet with plenty to prove himself, having lost three of his last five bouts — most recently falling to Daniel Rodriguez via unanimous decision in July. Since starting strong in the UFC, Holland's momentum has steadily petered out and he has a sub-.500 record since 2021.

Both fighters much prefer to finish their bouts before the final bell, so expect plenty of action early.

Aiemann Zahabi (13-2)

If we're talking about making impressions, the Montreal native definitely knows a thing or two. Zahabi enters Saturday on the heels of defeating UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo in his hometown at UFC 315, no less, subsequently sending the Brazilian legend back into retirement.

The 37-year-old's sixth consecutive victory not only improved his UFC record to 7-2, but it also pushed him up to No. 9 on the bantamweight leaderboard, as he owns one of the longest active win streaks in the division.

Now Canada's lone male ranked fighter on the UFC roster faces another South American 135-pounder who presents an equally unforgiving challenge. Marlon "Chito" Vera, a former title challenger, will surely enter Saturday — his first fight of 2025 — hungry to get back into the win column. The Ecuadorian is in the midst of just his second multi-fight losing skid in the UFC after consecutive decision losses to Sean O'Malley (in their title fight) and Deiveson Figueiredo last year. Despite his recent slump, however, Vera owns numerous impressive wins, including victories over former champions Frankie Edgar and Dominic Cruz, as well as a win over O'Malley before he held the belt.

The task for both fighters is simple: For Zahabi, taking down the No. 7 contender in the 135-pound ranks would signal he's ready to make serious noise atop the ladder, while Vera can remind folks not to look past him by stalling the Canadian's momentum. The last time Zahabi fought in Vancouver he TKO'd Aori Qileng in just over a minute.

Jasmine Jasudavicius (14-3)

Without a doubt, the closest Canadian to a title shot ahead of action in Vancouver is the St. Catharines, Ont., native. Jasudavicius is not only the highest-ranked Canadian fighting on Saturday, she's also the top-ranked fighter from north of the border in the UFC right now and the lone ranked female representing Canada.

The 36-year-old is up to No. 5 among 125-pound contenders after her impressive first-round submission win over former strawweight champ and flyweight title challenger Jessica Andrade at UFC 315. That victory earned Jasudavicius a well-deserved performance of the night bonus while improving her record to 8-2 since debuting in 2022.

She's now in the midst of a five-fight win streak as she readies to take on No. 2-ranked Manon Fiorot for the Canadian's second fight of 2025. The 35-year-old from France is coming off her first UFC loss, a unanimous decision in Montreal against Valentina Schevchenko for the incumbent's first title defence since regaining the belt.

If Jasudavicius can stack a second consecutive loss on Fiorot's otherwise spotless UFC record, she'll have as good a case as anyone to compete for the belt moving forward. Good thing for her, if there's anyone who raises their game when competing on home soil, it's Jasudavicius. She's 4-0 when competing in Canada for the UFC, a run that began with a UD victory over No. 10-ranked Miranda Maverick in Vancouver two years ago.

Kyle "The Monster" Nelson (16-6-1)

It goes without saying that the Huntsville, Ont., native is hoping to course correct in his first fight of 2025. What started as a promising 2024 for Nelson following a first-round TKO win over Bill Algeo, ended on a sour note after the Canadian was finished by Steve Garcia within four minutes when they met last September, on top of the fact that he showed up 2.5 pounds overweight.

It abruptly put an end to the 34-year-old's four-fight unbeaten streak and his UFC record fell to 4-5-1. One of his four wins was a UD victory at UFC 289 in Vancouver. In an effort to put the Garcia loss behind him, Nelson jumped up a division, hoping the 155-pound ranks would suit him better. His first test back at lightweight — he has fought in the division on occasion in the past — will be Matt Frevola. The American is amid a slump of his own after a lacklustre 2024, having lost back-to-back fights by KO, giving both fighters plenty of motivation to turn things around.

Charles "Air" Jourdain (16-8-1)

Similar to Nelson, Saturday will be Jourdain's first fight of 2025. He was meant to take on Ricky Simon in June, but had to withdraw due to an eye injury. Meaning, the last time the Quebec native stepped into the Octagon was on home soil when he submitted Victor Henry as part of Edmonton's Fight Night card almost a full year ago. Jourdain's second-round victory snapped a two-fight skid and marked his third win in his past five bouts as he improved to 7-7-1 under the UFC banner. It was also the 29-year-old's first UFC win in Canada after having lost at UFC 297 last January in his only other bout for the promotion north of the border.

Jourdain gets set to take on Davey Grant, who's also found his form of late. Despite a similar record as the Canadian at 8-6 in the UFC, the English bantamweight is on a two-fight win streak and has won four of his past five bouts.

Kyle "Killshot" Propelec (18-9)

It wasn't clear whether Prepolec would stick around after stepping in as a short-notice fill-in against Benoit Saint Denis for UFC 315, ending what was nearly a six-year hiatus from the promotion. Especially after it ended in a second-round submission loss, dropping him to 0-3 in the UFC.

But as the Windsor, Ont., native noted earlier this week, fighting in the UFC is "the craziest rollercoaster of your life," and now that he's back on, he doesn't seem ready to get off again. A ride that's included being a last-second replacement on two occasions, moving up a weight class and even getting cut, hence the lengthy absence.

None of which, however, has deterred Prepolec from his second stint in the UFC. In fact, the 36-year-old said "this is probably the best I've felt in a very long time," as he continues his search for a first win with the promotion.

Standing in his way on Saturday will be Drew Dober. The always entertaining lightweight enters the bout on a three-fight skid, having lost four of his last five, the most recent two of which have come via TKO. Not a total surprise considering only seven of his 25 UFC appearances have gone the distance.

Momentum fades away just as fast as it arrives, so it'll be up to Prepolec to make the most of his second chance.

Melissa "Scare" Croden (6-2)

If you're worried you don't know much about the 34-year-old from Crowsnest Pass, Alta., there's a good chance you'll learn plenty right away during her first UFC fight. Croden, the latest debutant under the banner, will open Saturday's festivities on the preliminary card when she takes on Brazilian Tainara Lisboa, who's 7-3 in MMA and 2-1 in the UFC.

Croden has worked her way toward the biggest stage by building a reputation with her fists. All her professional victories have come via stoppage, including back-to-back TKO wins in LFA. She previously won the PAWFC bantamweight title in 2022 via third-round TKO.

Her first UFC test comes against "Thai Panther," who'll be motivated to get back into the win column after fellow Brazilian Luana Santos submitted her in May to snap a five-fight winning streak.