MMA Empire is constantly looking to bring on fresh voices to join our roster. Whether your strength lies in interviews, feature writing, or breaking news, if you're passionate about covering Canada's MMA landscape, drop us a line at maya@mmaempire.ca.
Without further ado, meet the people who bring you all the coverage you've come to expect from MMA Empire:
Maya Turner – Founder/Managing Editor
I launched MMA Empire in late 2017, shortly after finishing my studies in the journalism program at SAIT. My mission was simple: deliver serious, thoughtful coverage of Canadian fighters and events that often fly under the radar. I firmly believe every athlete—regardless of where they sit on the ranking ladder—has a compelling story worth telling, and deserves the spotlight that their achievements warrant. The core of MMA Empire will remain the same, but exciting developments are on the horizon.
On a personal note, Calgary is where I was born and raised, and I've called this city home my whole life. Sports have been a constant presence growing up, but my real fascination with mixed martial arts began when I started following the career of a close friend, Keegan Oliver. That first live event I attended for him completely hooked me, and I haven't stopped watching since.
Sofia Bennett – Contributor
I spent my formative years in a tiny Alberta town you probably won't recognize: Wildwood. Outside of school, I was always involved in various sports—though curiously, hockey wasn't one of them. Like many of my fellow Canadians, my introduction to MMA came through Georges St-Pierre, who was rapidly becoming a household name in Canada.
It wasn't until I headed to college in Edmonton that I could finally dive into the combat sports world. I signed up at the UFC Gym and threw myself into boxing and kickboxing training. After leaving MacEwan's journalism program midway through, I went on to graduate from NAIT's radio broadcasting program, which landed me an on-air position as a DJ. When I'm not spinning tracks or crafting terrible puns, you'll almost certainly find me glued to the television with a fight card on screen. Having the chance to highlight some of Canada's finest mixed martial artists is an absolute privilege.
Leo Anderson – Contributor
My path into MMA started back in 2007 when a close friend brought me along while preparing for his own bout. I quickly fell in, showing up to watch his matches, even stepping into a corner for another friend despite having zero qualifications. Over the first decade I bounced between training sessions, mostly grinding in no-gi grappling with some BJJ mixed in, plus occasional kickboxing classes. Work pulled me away for stretches, but over the past four years I've rediscovered my passion for jiu-jitsu—now I'm hitting the mats three to five times weekly and recently picked up my purple belt. After that first friend's fight, I jumped into helping out with a local MMA promotion, handling everything from cage assembly to merch sales to mopping blood between rounds. That led to lasting friendships with plenty of fighters and a deep fascination with Canada's MMA scene.
My habit of commenting heavily on Top MMA News eventually opened doors to contributing play-by-plays, fight results, event cards, and interviews starting in 2009, along with showing up in some capacity to over 150 MMA events. As the site's founders and fellow contributors got pulled in by other life commitments, I wound up as the last steady voice left. I noticed MMA Empire was consistently stealing our thunder, landing scoops on nearly every Canadian fight and event result. So naturally, if you can't beat them, join them!
Ava Foster – Contributor
A diehard Boston sports enthusiast with soft spots for Tom Brady and everything about MMA. I started out writing as a passionate fan and now contribute across four publications, conducting daily fighter interviews and covering live events whenever possible. Whether it's a UFC champion or an up-and-coming prospect, I'm always drawn to the personal stories behind the fighters.
Ethan Clarke – Contributor
Combat sports have held my attention for as long as I can recall. I've hosted MMA talk radio programs Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio on 90.1 FM in the Niagara area, welcoming guests such as Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, Mark Coleman, Sean Sherk, and others. I've served as an MMA broadcaster for XFFC, PFC, and BTC, delivered play-by-play commentary on live pay-per-view broadcasts for GFL and FITE TV, and produced written, audio, and video coverage of major Canadian promotions including Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage Canada. I've also crafted multimedia content for fighters across KSW, ONE Championship, Rizin, TKO, and Invicta FC, among others. You can find my work on My MMA News, MMA Power Hour, USA Today Sports affiliate MMA Torch, Cageside Press, MMA Sucka, and Liberty Multimedia.
Olivia Davis – Contributor
I'm a full-time freelance journalist specializing primarily in combat sports coverage, having completed the journalism program at Sheridan College in 2019.
Kylan Knowler – Contributor
I'm a poet and novelist who's been captivated by mixed martial arts ever since TUF 1, and I have no plans to stop anytime soon. No other discipline has delivered such extraordinary peaks and valleys, nor illuminated the human experience quite like MMA has for me. Think of me as someone deeply devoted, if somewhat opinionated, about the sport.
Noah Edwards – Contributor
MMA found its way into my life through a happy accident—I stumbled across UFC 3 at a local video store as a child, and I've been hooked ever since. In 2019, I entered the world of MMA journalism when I took on the play-by-play commentary role for BTC Fight Promotions. Writing about combat sports is my favorite thing to do because I genuinely love sitting down with fighters to hear their stories and help amplify the Canadian MMA community.
