7 best Canadian UFC fighters of all time

Written by Compose.ly Staff

The Great White North is home to many of the most hard-hitting UFC fighters the sport has ever witnessed. With representatives from many of the nation's provinces, there's no shortage of Canadians who have dominated the MMA scene. Below are the most memorable Canadians to compete in the UFC.

7. Carlos Newton, Welterweight

Born in Anguilla, Newton moved to Toronto as a child. There, he began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Blending many forms of martial arts, Newton coined his fighting style "Dragon Ball Jiu-Jitsu."

Using this unique style, he won the UFC Welterweight Championship in 2001, defeating Pat Miletich with a bulldog choke. However, in one of the wildest UFC matches to date, Newton — looking to defend his title — lost to Matt Hughes after both fighters were knocked unconscious.

• Record: 16-14-0

• Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

• Career: 1996-2016

6. Denis Kang, Middleweight

Kang's mastery of Brazilian jiu-jitsu quickly turned heads as he entered the fighting world.

Though he lost his debut fight, he bounced back quickly, winning his following match in a unanimous decision against Xavier Foupa-Pokam. After a shaky beginning, Kang won 23 fights in a row, cementing his legacy as one of Canada’s best UFC fighters.

• Record: 35-16-2

• Hometown: North Vancouver, British Columbia

• Career: 1998-2012

5. T.J. Grant, Lightweight

While Grant ended up being one of the UFC's biggest "what-ifs," he remains one of Canada's top fighters. Beginning his career as a welterweight, Grant switched to the lightweight division in 2011.

In 2013, Grant battled his way to earn a title match, beating No. 3 lightweight contender Gray Maynard. However, Grant was removed from his next bout due to an injury and never fought again.

• Record: 25-5-0

• Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia

• Career: 2006-2013

4. Rory MacDonald, Welterweight

Rory MacDonald (aka The Red King) is a Canadian UFC legend. MacDonald won his debut fight against Mike Guymon in the first round. Throughout his career, he was one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC and took home three Fight of the Night bonuses.

• Record: 23-10-1

• Hometown: Montreal, Quebec

• Career: 2005-2022

3. Joe Doerksen, Middleweight

Doerksen proved to be one of Canada's most resilient fighters before his retirement in 2015. "El Dirte" had many impressive victories during his career, including a notable one over fellow countryman Patrick Côté.

• Record: 51-16-0

• Hometown: New Bothwell, Manitoba

• Career 1999-2014

2. Patrick Côté, Welterweight

Starting with his debut match against Tito Ortiz, "The Predator" went on to dominate in the middleweight division. He quickly established himself as one of MMA's most tenacious fighters, eventually rising to be a championship contender.

In 2008, after winning the first two rounds in his championship match against Anderson Silva, Côté suffered a right leg injury, and the ref declared a TKO. Unfortunately, after his surgery, Côté never quite regained his former dominance.

• Record: 23-11-0

• Hometown: Rimouski, Quebec

• Career: 2002-2017

1. Georges St-Pierre, Welterweight

The debate for Canada's UFC GOAT remains largely uncontested, and many consider St-Pierre the world's best-ever MMA fighter. He received his nickname "Rush" for his tendency to bring opponents down in the first round.

St-Pierre's reign is one of the most renowned in UFC history. The now-retired, three-time UFC champion (two in the welterweight division and one in the lightweight) dominated the league, collecting momentous wins over opponents like Matt Hughes, B.J. Penn, Michael Bisping and Matt Serra.

• Record: 26-2

• Hometown: Saint-Isidore, Quebec

• Career: 2002-2013

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