Every month, MMA Empire will bring you a comprehensive list of any and all Canadian fighters who will be competing in MMA events outside Canada. Check back every week to keep up to date with all the results.
March is another busy month for Canadian fighters as there are plenty of matchups south of the border and abroad scheduled for the next several weeks. Additionally, MMA is set to return in Canada with Rise FC 6 and BFL 66 set for March 13 and March 19 respectively.
March's domestic cards — Rise and BFL — closed out the month's slate on home soil. BFL especially remained the anchor of the western Canadian scene, and its March card kept the regional pipeline moving.
March 2021 was one of the year's first truly international months for the column — cards in Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi all in four weeks. For Canadian fighters the U.S. regional circuit was just starting to refill after the pandemic slowdowns of 2020, which made every booking count double.
CFFC 93 – Philadelphia – March 12
TV: UFC Fight Pass – 8 p.m. EST
185 lbs – Aaron Jeffery defeats Collin Huckbody by Unanimous Decision (40-36, 40-36, 40-36) ***Jeffery wins Middleweight Title FIGHT PREVIEW
125 lbs – Jasmine Jasudavicius defeats Ashley Deen by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) FIGHT PREVIEW
170 lbs – Yohan Lainesse defeats Troy Green by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) FIGHT PREVIEW
155 lbs – Ryan Rizco defeats Adam De Freitas by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) FIGHT PREVIEW
Jeffery's shutout of Huckbody — 40-36 across the board — was the month's most dominant Canadian result. Winning a five-round main event with that scorecard is the kind of performance that turns a prospect into a name.
Five-round regional main events are also where fighters prove they can carry a card — a credential that matters when the bigger promotions come looking.
UFC Fight Night 187 – Las Vegas – March 13
TV: Main Card: TSN – 8 p.m. EST/Prelims: UFC Fight Pass – 5 p.m. EST
205 lbs – Ryan Spann defeats Misha Cirkunov by TKO (Punches) in Round 1, 1:11
145 lbs – Dan Ige defeats Gavin Tucker by KO (Punch) in Round 1, 0:22
145 lbs – Charles Jourdain defeats Marcelo Rojo by TKO (Punches) in Round 3, 4:31
Cirkunov's first-round TKO loss to Spann was the month's hardest UFC result for Canada — a light-heavyweight main card fight that ended quickly and badly. For a veteran trying to hold roster position at 205, early losses like this are the ones that hurt most.
Brave CF 48 – Bahrain – March 18
TV:
135 lbs – Tariq Ismail (6-1) vs. Nkosi Ndebele (3-1) *Cancelled*
Ismail's cancelled Bahrain bout was the month's first disappointment — Brave CF's cards were one of the few international outlets running steady through that period, and losing a spot there meant another stretch without cage time.
Cancellations were still common in early 2021 — travel and testing logistics meant any international booking could evaporate on short notice.
UAE Warriors 18 – Abu Dhabi – March 20
TV: Youtube
135 lbs – Vinicius de Oliveira defeats Xavier Alaoui by TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in Round 2, 3:42 *** de Oliveira wins Bantamweight Title
128 lbs – Corinne Laframboise submits Malin Hermansson by Armbar in Round 2
Alaoui's second-round TKO loss to de Oliveira in Abu Dhabi was a tough regional result — the head-kick finish underlined how unforgiving the UAE Warriors platform can be, even when the promotion is giving Canadian prospects real opportunities.
The UAE Warriors cards stayed one of the more reliable paydays for Canadian fighters through this stretch — the volume of Canadian bookings on their Abu Dhabi shows says a lot about where the regional market actually was.
UFC 260 – Las Vegas – March 27
TV: TSN
185 lbs – Marc-Andre Barriault (11-4) vs. Abu Azaitar (14-2-1)
125 lbs – Gillian Robertson (9-5) vs. Miranda Maverick (8-2)
135 lbs – Randa Markos (10-10-1) vs. Luana Pinheiro (8-1)
UFC 260 was the month's biggest stage for Canada — Barriault, Robertson and the rest of the Canadian contingent on one pay-per-view made it the card to watch. Multiple Canadians on a single UFC PPV is when the country's MMA depth actually shows on paper.
