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Nick Campbell questions the local MMA scene, UFC’s dedication to Canada
- Updated: May 28, 2016
UFC president Dana White once said Canada was the mecca of mixed martial arts.
That’s no longer the case.
Canadian MMA took a major hit when former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre announced a sudden hiatus in late 2013. St-Pierre has been on the sidelines since, and despite recent return rumors, he will likely never step inside the Octagon again. The amount and star-power of Canadian UFC events decreased ever since St-Pierre’s departure, with flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and other non-Canadians headlining most recent cards.
The regional circuit, although it has gotten better in the past year or so, has been suffering, as well. Not necessarily because of St-Pierre’s departure — there isn’t a clear reason why local MMA in Canada has been suffering, but there is a major decrease in events across the country. Promising Canadian organization Maximum Fighting Championship is no more, and WSOF Canada doesn’t appear to be putting on any more events, either.
There is lots of talent in Canada, no doubt. And a large portion of that talent deserves to be in the UFC. The difficult part is showcasing that talent. With a lack of local events, less and less Canadian fighters are being signed to the UFC. The promising Canadian fighters worthy of UFC shots aren’t being discovered. And that leads to less and less UFC events in Canada. It’s a full circle.
But with a stacked UFC Fight Night coming up in Ottawa, Ontario next month, one would imagine several prospects have been signed to the organization to debut on the UFC’s first trip to the nation’s capital.
Wrong.
In fact, zero Canadians have been signed to the UFC to debut at UFC Fight Night 89 in Ottawa next month. That’s an issue, if the organization is wanting to revive Canadian MMA.
In a recent interview with BloodyElbow.com’s The MMA Circus, Canadian light heavyweight Nick Campbell, who fights at Saturday Night Fights: Round 11 in Regina, Saskatchewan on Saturday …
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