For Canadian MMA, 2021 proved to be a remarkable year. Multiple promotions made their return following extended absences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a wave of Canadian fighters delivered standout results on the international stage.
With so many memorable moments and performances packed into a single year, the time has come to honour the best of the best with the inaugural MMA Empire Canadian MMA Awards.
Male Fighter of the Year: Yohan Lainesse
It's hard to imagine a more complete year than what Lainesse put together in 2021. He opened with a commanding decision victory over fellow unbeaten prospect Troy Green, then captured the CFFC welterweight title by defeating Evan Cutts. That championship run earned him a spot on Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS), where he delivered a highlight-reel first-round knockout of Justin Burlinson to lock up a UFC contract. A 3-0 record, a title belt, and a UFC deal — that combination is nearly impossible to surpass.
Honourable mentions: Caio Machado, Serhiy Sidey, James Clarke, Austin Russell, Adam Assenza
Female Fighter of the Year: Jasmine Jasudavicius
A contentious split decision loss to Elise Reed for the CFFC women's strawweight title capped off 2020 for Jasudavicius, but she channelled that frustration into a relentless 2021 campaign. She got the ball rolling with a dominant decision over Ashley Deen at CFFC 93, a result that earned her a fall appearance on DWCS. She made the most of it, outpointing Julia Polastri to claim a UFC contract. With her promotional debut already booked for Jan. 22 against Kay Hansen, Jasudavicius is primed to carry her 2021 form straight into the Octagon.
Honourable mentions: Lupita Godinez, Julia Budd, Corinne Laframboise, Diana Belbita, Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels
Fight of the Year: Kyle Prepolec vs. Michael Dufort at Samourai MMA 1
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2021 delivered plenty of memorable bouts, but few stacked up against the five-round thriller between Prepolec and Dufort that capped the Samourai MMA 1 main card in November. The bout remained razor-thin throughout—Prepolec ultimately secured a split decision, though the outcome could've swung either way. What truly set this fight apart was how both warriors traded blows from opening bell to final horn. After controlling the early exchanges, Prepolec seemed to cruise through the second round, only to face a furious rally from Dufort over the last three rounds that left even the judges scrambling for clarity. In the end, Prepolec and Dufort delivered a spectacular performance to close out the debut Samourai MMA showcase.
Honourable mentions: Lucas Neufeld vs. Josh Kwiatkowski at BTC 10, Evan Piercey vs. Mohamad Ali at Unified MMA 40, Albaraa Atmeh vs. Devon Lozej at BTC 11, Mitch Strazzella vs. Glen Cuevas at BFL 68, Josh Kwiatkowski vs. John Nguyen at BFL 68
Upset of the Year: Chad Anheliger defeated Muin Gafurov on DWCS
Walking into what would be the defining moment of his career, Anheliger sat as a +370 underdog—roughly a 21 per cent shot against Gafurov. Yet none of those external doubts rattled him. He went on to secure a split-decision victory over the heavily favoured opponent. Beyond the eye-popping odds, the magnitude of Anheliger's triumph grew even more impressive given it took place on the DWCS stage and directly led to a UFC contract. It's hard to argue for a more fitting upset of the year. Fans can look forward to his UFC debut on February 19, when he faces Jesse Strader.
Honourable mentions: Alex Martinez defeated Loik Radzhabov at PFL 2021, Dylan Schellenberg defeated Christian Tremayne at BFL 70, Terry Lemaire defeated Isaiah Ferguson at HR MMA 117, Nate Small defeated Amear Bani at BTC 12, Austin Russell defeated Indroop Virk at BFL 69
Comeback of the Year: Maged Hammo defeated Neal Anderson at Unified MMA 40
Hammo's stunning victory over Anderson might have qualified for upset of the year or submission of the year on its own, but the context surrounding the finishing sequence elevates it to something truly remarkable. With the Unified MMA featherweight title hanging in the balance, Hammo had dropped three rounds and was staring at elimination unless he could force a finish. He delivered exactly that, securing Anderson's back late in the fourth round and drawing the tapout. Had the fight remained a standard three-round contest, Hammo probably would've lost a 30-27 unanimous decision, but his championship poise carried him through for the year's most spectacular comeback.
Honourable mentions: Ariel Zuniga defeated Harley King at BTC 13, Mateo Vogel defeated Garrett Armfield at CFFC 95, Chris Chapman defeated Ali Charkie at Unified MMA 41, Terence Jeffers-Harris defeated James Foster at BFL 68
Professional Debut of the Year: Tyrell Giselbrecht defeated Jerico MacPhee at Unified MMA 40
The 2021 season delivered no shortage of professional debuts, making this particular winner among the hardest to choose. MacPhee entered the matchup as one of Canada's most promising young prospects and was the clear favourite. Giselbrecht paid no mind to any of that pressure, exploding from the opening bell with a first-round TKO finish. Adding to the moment, he celebrated his professional debut victory surrounded by family and friends right there in Edmonton.
Honourable mentions: Ali Charkie defeated Lorenzo Celis at Unified MMA 40, Ramil Kamilov defeated Tyrell Giselbrecht at Unified MMA 42, Cody Chovancek defeated Josh Martiniuk at BTC 13, Oguzhan Yalcin defeated Caleb Ermine at BFL 70, Nathan Small defeated Amear Bani at BTC 12
Knockout of the Year: Sean Birmingham defeated Darian McTavish at MFL 19
If you thought this knockout was going to be obvious, think again. On an under-the-radar MFL 19 card stacked entirely with amateur fighters, Birmingham dropped one of the most brutal finishes we've seen in recent memory. Three seconds. That's all it took. Hit play and witness it unfold.
Honourable mentions: Josh Hill defeated Jared Scoggins at Bellator 272, Yohan Lainesse defeated Justin Burlinson on DWCS, Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz defeated Graham Park at Unified MMA 42, Bobby Poulter defeated Keanan Kellar at BFL 68, Izzudeen Atmeh defeated Isaiah Metituk at BTC 11
Submission of the Year: Serhiy Sidey defeated Gio Platon at BFL 68
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This category had some fierce competition, but Sidey's story pushed it over the top. Before stepping into the cage, he visualized himself finishing Platon with a triangle choke—and when the moment arrived, he executed it flawlessly. Platon came out swinging with his trademark aggressive pace and scored a takedown, yet Sidey stayed composed, sunk the triangle tight, and forced the submission to claim the BFL bantamweight title.
Honourable mentions: Tyler VanKill defeated Davis Rapagna at BTC 10 , Christian Larsen defeated Grayson Wells at Unified MMA 41, Kyran Cameron defeated Keanan Kellar at BFL 66, Phil Engeroff defeated Dylan Schellenberg at Unified MMA 41, Frederik Dupras defeated Patrick Connors at Samourai MMA 1
Event of the Year: Unified MMA 42
If you're looking for the standout fight card Canada had to offer in 2021, it's safe to say the final event was the cream of the crop. The card featured compelling bouts including Graham Park facing Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz, Shane Campbell stepping into the cage against Hubert Geven, and KB Bhullar going head-to-head with Brandt Dewsbery. Beyond the match-ups, the night also delivered plenty of excitement — multiple spectacular finishes and crowd-enraging exchanges that kept fans on the edge of their seats. And to cap off an already memorable evening, renowned kickboxer Simon Marcus stepped into the MMA arena for his very first bout. A truly perfect finale to close out 2021.
Honourable mentions: Samourai MMA 1, Unified MMA 40, BFL 67, BFL 66, BTC 13
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