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.
Last month the majority of the Canadian fights took place in the major promotions like the UFC, Bellator, and ONE Championship. This month will be focused on prospects and veterans looking to get to or get back to the big shows.
That prospect-heavy framing held up — March's ledger is mostly regional cards and developing fighters, with a UFC loss, a Brave CF title win and a PFL Challenger submission carrying the month. Months like this are the tell of a healthy scene: when the big-league results thin out, the regional volume has to carry the load.
CES 66 – Rhode Island – March 4
TV:
145 lbs- Vladimir Kazbekov defeats Joey Gomez by TKO (Punches) in Round 1, 0:18
Kazbekov's 18-second TKO in Rhode Island was the month's fastest Canadian finish — a first-round blitz on CES's New England stage is exactly the kind of result a featherweight needs to get noticed.
Tuff-N-Uff 127 – Las Vegas – March 4
TV: UFC Fight Pass
135 lbs- Tracy Love submits Ethan Herrod in Round 1 *Amateur
Love's first-round submission in Las Vegas kept the month's amateur ledger moving — Tuff-N-Uff cards have been a steady development spot for Canadian fighters working the Vegas regional scene.
ONE Championship: Lights Out – Singapore – March 11
TV:
145 lbs- John Lineker defeats Bibiano Fernandes by KO (Punch) in Round 2, 3:40
***Lineker wins Featherweight Title
Lineker's KO of Fernandes for the ONE featherweight title was the card's headline — for the column the result mattered because it was the biggest stage carrying any Canadian-adjacent name that night.
Brave CF 57 – Bahrain – March 11
TV:
135 lbs- Brad Katona defeats Hamza Kooheji by Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
***Katona wins Bantamweight Title
Katona's split-decision win for the Brave CF bantamweight title was the month's biggest Canadian result — a belt on the Bahrain promotion's stage, earned on the narrowest possible scorecard, is the kind of credential that reshapes a career.
Cage Wars 51 – New York – March 11
TV:
125 lbs- Nate Russell defeats Xi Lau by TKO (Punches) in Round 1, 2:35
***Russell wins Amateur Flyweight Title
135 lbs- Diego Dejesus defeats Scott Rodrigues by Unanimous Decision
***Dejesus wins Amateur Bantamweight Title
145 lbs- Alex Gluzman defeats Nyein Maung by Unanimous Decision
Russell's TKO for the amateur flyweight title and Dejesus's result gave Cage Wars another double-Canadian night — regional title fights are the building blocks the next tier gets built on.
UFC Fight Night 203 – Las Vegas – March 12
TV: TSN
125 lbs – JJ Aldrich defeats Gillian Robertson by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Robertson's shutout loss to Aldrich was the month's lone UFC result for Canada — a clean sweep on the cards against a veteran contender, and the kind of outcome that stalls a flyweight run.
Throne MMA 2 – Walker, MN – March 12
TV:
145 lbs- Kelton Sneve (3-0) vs. Thomas Dirckx (3-0) *Cancelled*
***Amateur featherweight title fight (vacant)
Sneve's cancelled title bout in Minnesota was the month's amateur disappointment — a vacant belt fight falling through costs a prospect exactly the kind of credential a career needs.
PFL Challenger Series 5 – Orlando – March 18
TV: FuboTV
155 lbs- Michael Dufort submits Arut Pogosjan by Rear-Naked Choke in Round 2, 4:02
Dufort's second-round rear-naked in Orlando was the month's sharpest Canadian submission — the Challenger Series is the PFL's proving ground, and a finish there is a direct audition.
Rage in the Cage 17 – New York – March 19
TV:
135 lbs – Tim Fargo defeats Thomas Anilowski by Split Decision
***Fargo wins vacant Amateur Bantamweight Title
145 lbs- Chris Henhawk defeats Samy Makamba by Submission
165 lbs- Vlad Sidey defeats Jake Schojan by TKO
170 lbs- Nate Mason defeats Luke Stella by TKO
Fargo's split-decision title win gave the month another Canadian belt — vacant amateur titles are how the next generation of regional champions gets started.
Combat Night Pro – Orlando – March 19
TV:
135lbs- Michael Imperato (9-4) vs. Steven Koslow (5-0) *Cancelled/Imperato Injury*
Imperato's injury cancellation in Orlando was the month's second lost booking — injury scratches at this level are the quiet tax on regional careers.
UAE Warriors 28 – Abu Dhabi – March 26
TV: YouTube
125lbs- Corinne Laframboise submits Carolina Jiminez by Triangle Choke in Round 1, 4:13
***Laframboise wins Women’s Flyweight Title
135lbs- Jesse Arnett defeats Gadzhimurad Gasanguseynov by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-27)
Laframboise's first-round triangle for the women's flyweight title was the month's second Canadian belt — a submission championship on the Abu Dhabi stage is a real credential, and it came by finish.
Oktagon Prime 5 – Slovakia – March 26
TV:
155 lbs- Mate Sanikidze defeats David Moon by Decision
Moon's decision loss in Slovakia closed the month's European ledger — Oktagon's cards have been a steady outlet for Canadians willing to travel, and losses there still feed a record.
Maverick MMA 18 – Pennsylvania – March 26
TV:
135 lbs- Olivier Poisson (9-4) vs. Bill Markle (4-1) *Cancelled*
***Amateur Bantamweight Title Fight (vacant)
Poisson's cancelled title fight in Pennsylvania was the month's third cancellation — a vacant amateur belt shot falling through is the kind of booking that stalls a career's momentum.
Unified MMA 43
The month's domestic cards — Unified, BTC and BFL — closed March out on home soil. The Alberta and B.C. scenes kept producing the volume that feeds everything above them.
