Canadian UFC fighters to watch this year
Image Source: UFC
Canadian fighters have featured regularly in the UFC since the promotion’s inception. While the nation is typically overshadowed in mixed martial arts by its American neighbours, there still tend to be exciting prospects from Canada featured in almost all of the UFC cards.
In 2024 so far many Canadians have already fought in the UFC’s headline events. Jasmine Jasudavicious was triumphant against Priscila Cachoeira at UFC 297 in January and Kyle Nelson secured his eighth first-round finish in the Atlantic City UFC Fight Night in March.
In the remainder of the year, there could still be many more significant moments for Canadians. Here we will look at the stars to watch for; those who have upcoming fights pencilled in, and others whose long-anticipated returns to the Octagon have not been confirmed yet.
Gillian Robertson – Canada’s youngest female fighter
Gillian Robertson is one of just three female UFC fighters that hail from Canada and of them, she is the youngest. She was victorious alongside Jasudavicious at UFC 297 and will make a swift return to action on the undercard of Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler at UFC 303.
Putting Canada on the map! 🍁
🌎Welcome to the Top 15 in the world, @JasJasudavicius and @Savage_UFC! pic.twitter.com/ZCryVc0TuB
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) January 30, 2024
The return of the iconic Irishman as a slight favourite in MMA betting at odds of 1.8 will undoubtedly capture a majority of the attention from the spectators. However, some Canadians may be interested in how their nation’s warriors perform before they allow themselves to divulge into the biggest event of the late June night.
The headline fight will very much take the theme of a farewell tour for one of the promotion’s greats, while for Robertson, an admirable career so far could be about to spiral into a legendary one if a win is secured against Michelle Waterson-Gomez.
The Canadian’s upcoming opponent is ranked in the top 15 of the strawweight division and arguably will provide the toughest test yet for the 29-year-old. A Robertson victory would show that she can compete with the top female fighters which could be the catalyst for more big fights later in 2024 and beyond.
Hakeem Dawodu could make his return
Hakeem Dawodu is arguably the leading active Canadian fighter in the UFC despite his current streak of back-to-back losses. He has entered the Octagon in each of the last six years which means he will likely secure a potential rebound fight sometime this year.
His eventual return will be huge as another loss would surely spell the end of his competitiveness in the featherweight division and could ultimately draw the curtain on his time in the UFC.
One of Canada’s most legendary fighters Tanner Boser was stripped of the promotion last year and a successful Dawodu return is now a must if the country is not to lose another strong piece of representation in 2024.
— Mean Hakeem (@meanhakeemko) May 14, 2024
If Dawodu secures a return matchup in 2024 it will certainly make for the biggest fight of the year in terms of Canadian participation. It is one that Canucks simply cannot afford to miss — nobody wants Dawodu’s UFC career to end prematurely and a blockbuster do-or-die occasion could await.
Ultimately, Canada’s UFC stars in both the male and female sectors of the sport could face career-defining fights this year.
Wins for Robertson and Dawodu could put them on the brink of interrupting the top 15 rankings within their divisions — the eyes of Canadian fans should be firmly placed on the talented pair this year.
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