Back in 2004, renowned welterweight champion, Matt Hughes, said it was a shame he lost in a “fistfight” to a Canadian. He wasn’t wrong. At that time, Canada hadn’t produced many successful UFC fighters, but in the past 10 or so years, that has changed significantly.
Now, you’ll find some of the best UFC fighters in the world heil from Canada, with much success attributed to one of the big training camps in the country, Firas Zahbi’s Tri-Star team. The team comes from Montreal in Quebec, but that’s a team.
In the search for the best. Here are our top 5 famous Canadian UFC fighters.
1. Carlos Newton
Carlos Newton is a former UFC welterweight champion and a serious threat to the division, at that. He won his title back in 2001 against Pat Miletich, a UFC hall of fame inductee.
Born & Brought up of Carlos Newton
Newton was born in Anguilla and migrated to Toronto as a kid. He began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu there. Newton created his fighting technique “Dragon Ball Jiu-Jitsu” after combining numerous styles of martial arts.
He won the UFC Welterweight Championship in 2001 with this distinct style, defeating Pat Miletich with a bulldog choke.
Milestones of Newton
Newton (15-14) is an Impact FC fighter and former UFC Welterweight Champion. Newton was the second UFC Welterweight Champion in history and the promotion’s first Canadian champion. Newton won the championship after defeating Pat Miletich at UFC 31. Newton’s most recent bout ended in a decision loss against Brian Ebersole.
However, in one of the craziest UFC fights in history, Newton was knocked out by Matt Hughes. After both men fell hard, Newton was declared unconscious, automatically securing a win for Hughes (despite much confusion). That turned out to be a major reason, Newton lost his title after that well-known incident around the knockout in his fight.
While Newton’s career continued, it just wasn’t the same after that, but he still makes our top list of famous Canadian UFC fighters.
2. Nick Ring
About Nick Ring
Nick Ring (born February 10, 1979) is a Canadian professional boxer and mixed martial artist best known for participating in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s middleweight division. Ring has been a professional MMA combatant since 2002, competing in a variety of promotions.
The Downfall of Nick Ring
While Nick Ring hasn’t been the longest career within UFC terms, he did make quite an impact in a very short time. While injuries kept him out for the finale, Ring did enjoy a short-lived yet successful career.
In fact, he faced several serious illness issues, leading to his being pulled out of the match. While his record with the company wasn’t the best, fans do look back on his UFC performance in awe.
Ring sustained a knee injury that kept him out of competition for more than three years. During this period, Ring began a professional boxing career, going 4-1 with three knockouts. He ultimately returned to MMA by signing with Bellator.
At Bellator 9, Ring faced Isidro Gonzalez and submitted him with a guillotine choke in 39 seconds. Ring subsequently won his next two fights, both in the first round, against Chester Post and Yannick Galipeau.
The Ultimate Fighter
After his fight against Tito Ortiz, Ring continued his time on a hit show called The Ultimate Fighter. Ring was said to have been given a position in Bellator at the same time as The Ultimate Fighter.
It’s a reminder, though, that injuries happen to the best of us, and it’s something you want to keep in mind when looking at betting odds for the UFC and deciding which wagers to place on a fight.
3. Mark Bocek
About Mark Bocek
Mark Andrew Bocek (born October 24, 1981) is a retired Canadian MMA fighter who participated in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Lightweight division. Bocek was a professional fighter for 10 years, from 2004 to 2014, and he previously participated for King of the Cage.
The Downfall of Mark Bocek
Mark Bocek (9-3) is a UFC lightweight Champion. Bocek’s three losses have all come in the UFC, and all have come against top-tier competition. Bocek is a two-time submission of the night winner, having won over Dustin Hazelett and Joe Brammer. Bocek will begin the main programme at UFC 129, taking on former WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson.
Dana White put a lot of trust and faith in fighter, Mark Bocek, believing he had the potential to do great things in the Canadian UFC realm. While Bocek’s run endured many ups and downs, he did put in some seriously memorable performances.
It’s his stumble against Frankie Edgar that we think kept him from gaining momentum within the organization, but it didn’t stop him from competing at his best. While his career spanned over 10 years, it’s his sporadic appearances that probably were his greatest downfall.
4. Mark Hominick
About Mark Hominick
The current top contender for Jose Aldo’s Featherweight championship is Mark Hominick (20-8). In his most recent fight, Hominick defeated George Roop by TKO in 88 seconds to become the No. 1 contender. Aldo and Hominick will now compete in the UFC 129 co-main event. Hominick is the most dangerous fighter Aldo has ever faced. This conflict was sought to be explosive.
While Hominick might not boast the best MMA record, he is another Canadian fighter that earned a list of honours for the wars that played out between him and his opponents within the UFC. His debut came in a fight against Yves Edwards, and he won in a bout via submission.
After a decent amount of time spent with World Extreme Cagefighting, Hominick came back to the UFC but battled to pick up his momentum amongst the best of the best in the MMA world at that time. Even so, he did walk away with the fight of the night several times.
5. T.J. Grant
About T.J. Grant
Interestingly, Grant is a fighter that spent a chunk of his career outside of the UFC, but he still managed to score 21 wins out of 26 fights during his time in the cage. While most of his UFC bouts went the distance, Grant became way too submissive in the latter part of his career.
While Grant was one of the UFC’s biggest “what-ifs,” he is still one of Canada’s finest fighters. Grant began his career as a welterweight before moving to the lightweight class in 2011. Grant earned a championship shot in 2013 after defeating No. 3 lightweight contender Gray Maynard. Grant, however, was forced to withdraw from his next fight due to an injury and never fought again.
While he earned a knockout of the night twice along with a fight of the night honour against, he didn’t put on the most exciting shows, but T.J. Grant always did his best to put on a performance for the fans.
Favourite FAQs
1. How many UFC champions have come from Canada?
Previous Canadians to compete in a UFC championship include:
- John Alessio
- Carlos Newton
- Georges St-Pierre
- David Loiseau
- Patrick Cote
- Mark Hominick
2. Who is the most well-known UFC fighter?
Conor McGregor is without a doubt the most well-known UFC fighter of all time. Even non-UFC fans recognize him, and he is not only the most well-known, but also one of the finest. McGregor has only had a few losses in his career and has dominated the octagon virtually every time he has faced an opponent.
3. Who has the hardest punch in UFC?
Ngannou holds the record for the hardest punch ever thrown at 129,161 units, with Dana White putting that statistic into context.
4. Is MMA legal in Canada?
As things now stand, MMA events are not illegal, are not prohibited throughout Canada, and will most likely be hosted in markets that can handle huge crowds.
Suggested Reads: Top Ten Amazing Facts About Kickboxing A Fan Should Learn
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