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.
Canadian fans were absolutely spoiled last month with a huge slate of action across the three major MMA organizations. May will be much slower, but we’ll still have a handful of intriguing matchups.
After April's deluge, May 2022 reads like the calendar's exhale — but a slower month still produced a MacDonald submission on the PFL stage, a Godinez UFC win, and a busy amateur ledger across the Northeast. Thin slates are when the regional circuit carries the column, and this one did.
PFL 3: 2022 – Arlington – May 6
TV: TSN
170 lbs – Rory MacDonald submits Brett Cooper by Rear-Naked Choke in Round 1, 2:23
155 lbs – Genah Fabian defeats Julia Budd by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
MacDonald's first-round rear-naked of Cooper was the month's headline Canadian result — a former UFC title challenger submitting a UFC veteran in two minutes is exactly the kind of statement a PFL season needs to open with.
In the season format a first-round finish is also worth playoff points — winning early isn't just loud, it's the math that decides the bracket.
Fabian's result on the same card kept the month's PFL ledger moving.UFC 274 – Phoenix – May 7
TV: UFC Fight Pass
170 lbs – Lupita Godinez defeats Ariane Carnelossi by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
Godinez's near-shutout of Carnelossi was the month's lone UFC win for Canada — 30-26s on two cards is about as dominant as a decision gets, and it kept the strawweight's momentum pointed upward.
247 FC: Flood City Fight Night 2 – Johnstown, Penn. – May 14
TV:
150 lbs – Nayimi Ferdaws (3-0) vs. Joe Nelson (3-0) *Amateur* *Cancelled*
Ferdaws's cancelled amateur bout in Johnstown was the month's first scratch — 247 cards have been a steady Pennsylvania outlet for Canadian amateurs, and losing a booking there costs cage time.
K4 Fighting – Buffalo, N.Y. – May 14
TV:
135 lbs – Ligrit Sadiku defeats Joe Nelson by TKO (Punches) in Round 1, 1:16 *Amateur*
Sadiku's first-round TKO of Nelson in Buffalo was the night's amateur finish — K4's New York cards have been a reliable border outlet, and a quick stoppage there feeds a record.
Proving Grounds Fights – Washington – May 20
TV:
205 lbs – Keanan Patershuck defeats Christopher Gamby by TKO in Round 1 *Amateur*
***Patershuck wins Amateur Light-Heavyweight Title
Patershuk's first-round TKO for a belt in Washington was the month's amateur title result — a belt by finish on a Pacific Northwest card is the credential prospects at 205 are built on.
Fighting Alliance Championship 14 – Minnesota – May 20
TV: YouTube
145 lbs – Kelton Sneve defeats Anteze Howard by TKO (Punches) in Round 2, 2:56 *Amateur*
Sneve's second-round TKO in Minnesota was the month's upper-Midwest result — FAC's cards have been a consistent stop for Canadian amateurs working the border circuit.
CFFC 109 – Philadelphia – May 27
TV: UFC Fight Pass
135 lbs – Teshay Gouthro defeats Efren Escareno by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Gouthro's decision over Escareno was the month's CFFC result — a bantamweight taking a scorecard win on the Philadelphia stage keeps the promotion's Canadian pipeline producing.
Decision wins at this level are the unglamorous wins a career actually runs on — not every night ends in a finish, and scorecard wins against durable opponents are the ones that build records.
Ultimate Warrior Challenge 34 – Tijuana – May 27
TV:
170 lbs – Tyler Vankill submits Hiram Furukawa by Rear-Naked Choke in Round 1, 1:23
Vankill's first-round rear-naked in Tijuana was the month's most far-flung finish — a Canadian welterweight submitting on a Mexican card is the kind of geography the column tracks.
Combate Global – Miami – May 29
TV:
135 lbs – Jackie MacLean defeats Blanca Medina by TKO (Punches) in Round 2, 3:53
MacLean's second-round TKO in Miami closed the month's U.S. ledger — Combate's cards have been an occasional Florida outlet, and a finish there rounds out a solid month.
Unified MMA 45
Unified's May card was the month's lone domestic entry — Edmonton's promotion stayed the anchor of the Alberta scene through the spring stretch.
