Canada and Canadian fighters have had another prominent year in the UFC with overall fighter success, big star power and strong fan support for the number one fighting promotion in the world. The feeling is positive north of the border heading in to 20…
Canada and Canadian fighters have had another prominent year in the UFC with overall fighter success, big star power and strong fan support for the number one fighting promotion in the world. The feeling is positive north of the border heading in to 2013, but how can you really measure impact and success in any given year without breaking down the various numbers of the game.
Here is a 2012 breakdown, by the numbers, of the impact that Canada has had on the UFC.
Three out of 31 total events were held in Canada
Three of the top six gate attendance shows were held in Canada
24 Canadians fought in the UFC
Canadian fighters were on 17 of 31 fight cards
Canadians were involved in 38 fights out of over 300, for approximately 10 percent
Win-loss record of 22-15 with one No Contest ruled in Clements vs Riddle for a 58% winning percentage
Eight finishes in 38 fights for a 21% finish percentage
Three Fight of The Night bonuses—Mark Hominick, Sam Stout, Georges St-Pierre
The most fights by a Canadian in 2012 is three by Sam Stout and Antonio Carvalho
One title fight in 2012—Georges St-Pierre vs Carlos Condit
UFC 154 from Montreal generated 700,000 pay-per-view buys to make it the second most highly watched pay-per-view event held this year along with UFC 145: Jones vs Evans and behind UFC 148: Silva vs Sonnen, which pulled in 1,000,000 buys.
It was also the third most highly watched pay-per-view held in Canada behind UFC 124 Montreal and UFC 129, which each had 800,000 buys.
These numbers should only go up in 2013 as there are already plans for four events to be held in Canada next year, with many up-and-coming fighters waiting in the wings to join the ranks and land a UFC fight.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report UFC and regular contributor to Sportsnet.ca’s UFC section. Follow him on Twitter @wakafightermma.
A lot of fighters say that once the cage door closes, they enter a state of temporary hypnosis, not unlike sleepwalking, that more or less shuts their brain down until the fight is over. Hence why they often need to be reminded what round it is, whether or not they won the last round, etc. It’s a familiar feeling — the combination of nerves, adrenaline, and the tiniest bit of fear — to anyone who has ever spoke in public or performed on a stage, and an example of how our own psyche subconsciously protects us from harm whether we want it to or not.
Clearly, this is the case for Sam Stout, who was jibber-jabbed into oblivion by John Makdessi at UFC 154. Stout’s runaway locomotive-esque strategy of “forward, forward, FORWARD” was picked apart by Makdessi with sharp combinations and simple head movement, resulting in easily some of the greatestpunchfaces of the night. But if you were to ask Stout how things went down, you’d probably think he fought the reincarnation of Kalib Starnes that night (Author’s note: Kalib Starnes is dead, right? I vaguely recall hearing something about a jogger accidentally running right off a cliff and just assumed the worst).
He wasn’t fighting. He was running the whole time. I wanted to fight, I came to fight and I didn’t get the fight I wanted.
I usually like to come out and put on an exciting fight and it takes two guys to do that, to do those kinds of fights. And you know John, he ran, he kept on moving the whole time and I was expecting him to fight me a little more.
A lot of fighters say that once the cage door closes, they enter a state of temporary hypnosis, not unlike sleepwalking, that more or less shuts their brain down until the fight is over. Hence why they often need to be reminded what round it is, whether or not they won the last round, etc. It’s a familiar feeling — the combination of nerves, adrenaline, and the tiniest bit of fear — to anyone who has ever spoke in public or performed on a stage, and an example of how our own psyche subconsciously protects us from harm whether we want it to or not.
Clearly, this is the case for Sam Stout, who was jibber-jabbed into oblivion by John Makdessi at UFC 154. Stout’s runaway locomotive-esque strategy of “forward, forward, FORWARD” was picked apart by Makdessi with sharp combinations and simple head movement, resulting in easily some of the greatestpunchfaces of the night. But if you were to ask Stout how things went down, you’d probably think he fought the reincarnation of Kalib Starnes that night (Author’s note: Kalib Starnes is dead, right? I vaguely recall hearing something about a jogger accidentally running right off a cliff and just assumed the worst).
He wasn’t fighting. He was running the whole time. I wanted to fight, I came to fight and I didn’t get the fight I wanted.
I usually like to come out and put on an exciting fight and it takes two guys to do that, to do those kinds of fights. And you know John, he ran, he kept on moving the whole time and I was expecting him to fight me a little more.
Sour grapes much, Sam?
Now we’re not going to sit here and belittle a seasoned veteran like Stout, but suffice it to say, he’s sounding a little bitter. The loss to Makdessi, who was dangerously close to getting the boot from the UFC, dropped Stout to 7-7 in the UFC career and just 2-2 in his last four. Considering his current 1-2 run came after the most impressive finish in his UFC career, one can imagine that he is growing quite frustrated trying to replicate that success. He continued:
He, you know, ran and ran and ran and then timed when he wanted to land a jab and wasn’t — he didn’t really do anything that I thought was very, nothing devastating. A couple jabs in the face, nothing that really hurt me. You know, obviously I got a little lumped up, but yeah.
It takes two to fight and make an exciting fight. I’m disappointed that it wasn’t and you know, I wanted better for the fans
Although we’re sure Sam’s feeling disappointed in the fight, we have a feeling it’s for completely different reasons. We hate to even bring this up, but ever since Shawn Tompkins’ death, the three most well known and sucessful members of his team (Stout, Hominick, Horodecki) have gone 1-6-1 with 1 NC. It really shows what kind of influence Shawn had as both a trainer and a friend, and all the more heartbreaking to see how it has affected those close to him. The numbers don’t lie.
That being said, did anyone see this fight the way Sam saw it?
Oftentimes, the preliminary portion of UFC events feature quality names and outstanding competition. At UFC 154, that rang true once again, as notables like Matt Riddle, Ivan Menjivar, Sam Stout and former title contender Patrick Cote all competed on t…
Oftentimes, the preliminary portion of UFC events feature quality names and outstanding competition. At UFC 154, that rang true once again, as notables like Matt Riddle, Ivan Menjivar, Sam Stout and former title contender Patrick Cote all competed on the undercard.
After seven fights that had much at stake, as many fighters had their arm raised in victory. In the fast-paced world of mixed martial arts, you’ve got to be looking ahead to your next fight the moment after the decision is read.
Here is a look at what’s next for the preliminary card winners.
Before the UFC 154 main card fireworks kick off on pay-per-view, FX is presenting four bouts of preliminary action from Montreal’s Bell Centre, including a battle between fellow Canadian strikers Sam Stout and John Makdessi, and Patrick Cote‘s Octagon return against Alessio Sakara. Your good friend Anthony Gannon will be piling round-by-round results after the jump, starting at 8 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
Before the UFC 154 main card fireworks kick off on pay-per-view, FX is presenting four bouts of preliminary action from Montreal’s Bell Centre, including a battle between fellow Canadian strikers Sam Stout and John Makdessi, and Patrick Cote‘s Octagon return against Alessio Sakara. Your good friend Anthony Gannon will be piling round-by-round results after the jump, starting at 8 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
Sup, y’all. It’s time to get this shit poppin’ up in here. I’m your host/liveblogger for these here undercard fights this evening, and if there’s a sudden absence of posting allow me to apologize in advance. It’s because the Sam Adams and awful wings I just consumed are instigating a rebellion that needs to be squashed, Longshanks style.
But I’m not going to allow this to get me down. We got some fights to watch, and I intend to have some fun this weekend as I may very well be walking into a human resources nightmare/firing Monday morning.
I have a semi-private bathroom at work. Technically, it’s “public.” But it’s a lovely little john, one throne, directly behind my work station. So naturally I consider it mine, and look upon anyone who dares enter it as a threat to my security. Occasionally, some selfish interloper will be in there when I have to handle my handle, and I’m forced to set them straight. I’ve taken to memorizing all of my co-worker’s shoes so I know who the intruder is and can take the appropriate course of action. The other day, a Vietnamese fellow I know pretty well was in there. I decided it would be fun to get all Platoon on his ass. “La Dai! La Dai! Get the fuck out of the shitter,” I shouted as I burst into the room. I heard him jump, and then he started yelling, loud. Like he was really pissed. We’re pretty cool, he’s one of the very few fellow MMA fans I work with, so I figured it was all good to get a little derogatory.
Well, what I didn’t know, but do now, is that he came to this country as a young child, adopted by an American family, after being displaced in the war. Apparently, that little bit of trauma took the humor out of it for him. I still think it was funny as shit, and I apologized whole-heartedly, but you know how PC all this shit is. Hopefully if he rats me out I’ll just get some sensitivity training or something.
But whatever, I won’t let it spoil my weekend because right now I’m watching fights on Facebook while simultaneously playing the Kevin Bacon game in my head, and I gotta tell ya, it just doesn’t get any better than this. Patrick Cote to Randy Couture in The Ultimate Fighter 4, Randy to Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables, Stallone to Robert De Niro in Cop land, and De Niro to Kevin Bacon in Sleepers. How do you like them apples, bitches? It always comes down to either Sleepers or A Few Good Men, doesn’t it.Sure, I had to mix a television show into a movie themed game, but shit man, it’s the undercards. Gotta give a fellow a little latitude. Eh, fuck that game anyway. It ceased being fun with Sleepers. I mean shit, a movie with Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt, and De Niro? It’s almost as if the casting director assembled the actors with the sole intention of destructing the greatest parlor game since Charades.
Anyway, forget all this babbling nonsense, its fight time. And while this may not be the best undercard ever assembled, it aint half bad. We have a main show of Patrick Cote vs Alessio Sakara, Chad Griggs is taking his pimp-ass mutton chops down to 205 to face Cyrille Diabate, and if you ever watched Oz you know damn well Cyrille is no one to trifle with. Also, we have Antonio Carvahlo vs Rodrigo Damm in a desperate struggle for relevance, and Sam Stout vs John Makdessi in a pretty decent stand up affair.
First, let’s get the Facebook results out of the way:
Darren Elkins busts Steven Siler up for a unanimous decision W.
Ivan Menjivar defeats Azamat Gashimov by first round armbar.
Matt Riddle defeats John McGuire by unanimous decision.
First up is Rodrigo Damm vs Antonio Carvahlo
Round 1: They touch gloves and it is on, yo. Carvahlo is in stalk mode. Damm attacks with a right, answered with a leg kick by Carvahlo. Damm with a left hook, blocked. They trade leg kicks. Carvahlo misses a high kick. Damm lands a powerful low kick, and answered by Carvahlo. Lots of leg kicks, and Rogan has a hard-on. Damn throws one, checked. Damm misses a straight right, while Carvahlo misses a low kick. Damm sticks a jab. Carvahlo with another low kick, and Damm’s leg is looking jacked up. Front kick by Carvahlo, Damm answers with a stiff jab. Carvahlo ends with another leg kick. Close round, 10-9 for Carvahlo.
Anderson Silva is icing down Damm’s leg, and it looks like chopmeat.
Round 2: Carvahlo attacks the leg, misses. Then hits it. And again. Damm sticks a nice front kick to the body. Carvahlo goes high, blocked. Man, Carvahlo lands to the leg again. Then to the inside. Damm with another front kick. Carvahlo misses a high kick and falls down. Damm jumps on him, but they scramble and now they’re back up. Damm misses a kick. So does Carvahlo. Damm charges forward, lands a decent left. Carvahlo is bleeding from the shnoz. Damm lands a shot, Carvahlo with another leg kick. Damm responds, then sticks a nice jab, fallowed by a front kick. Damm’s leg is getting busted up, but he’s getting the better of the punching exchanges. 10-9 Damm.
Round 3: Brittany is SO fine. Carvahlo with a head kick, misses. Goes low, lands inside, misses outside. Damm with a front kick, not much on it. The natives are getting restless. Carvahlo lands to the leg again. Damm answers. Damm with a stiff jab, knocks Carvahlo’s mouthpiece out. The camera zooms in on Damm’s leg, and it is fuuucked up. Damm charges forward, lands a good one. They trade hard leg kicks. Damm with another stiff shot to the mug. Good head movement by Carvahlo, avoids Damm’s combination. Carvahlo with a left. Inside leg kick by Carvahlo. Carvahlo misses a hige overhand right, and a high kick. Damm connects with a right. Carvahlo with a straight right, misses a flying knee. Good fight, gotta give that last round to Carvahlo.
The decision is in and it’s split, 29-28 x 2 for Carvahlo, 29-28 for Damm.
Sam Stout and John Makdessi are next, and Makdessi is on a two fight losing skid. He needs this one. Stout is coming off a fairly meaningless decision win over Spencer Fisher. You never know which Stout is going to show up. If the sluggish Stout shows, Makdessi has a good shot here. If Stout is on point, he has a habit of winning FOTN checks.
Round 1: Stout rocking a very stylish hairdo, looking suave. Here we go. Stout with a left jab. Makdessi avoids a few shots. He goes to the body. Stout with a nice hook, Makdessi answers with a stiff jab. Stout misses, Makdessi counters nicely. Stout to the body. Makdessi with another nice jab. Oh nice, Makdessi lands a side kick, and Stout whiffs a left hook. Makdessi with anothe rjab, Stout answers with a good straight right. Stout with a leg kick, finishes to the body. Stout with another leg kick, Makdessi goes to the grill, and again. Stout with an uppercut, skims. Makdessi with another nice jab. Stout shoots in, stuffed. They trade jabs, Makdessi’s lands better. Stout goes hard to the body, lands a jab, misses a right. Makdessi lands a jab that whacks Stout’s head back. Stout misses a combo. Damn, another nice jab, Stout answers with a hard low kick. Tough round to score, I’ll go with Makdessi 10-9.
Round 2: Stout with a low kick, Makdessi with a head kick, not much on it. Another nice jab by Makdessi. Stout attacking, but Makdessi moving very well. Stout misses a right, Makdessi lands a counter. Stout charges forward, lands a decent right hand. Stout shoots, stuffed again. Stout with a jab, Makdessi with a straight right. Stout goes low, then lands a right. Makdessi with the inside leg kick. Stout sticks a jab. Makdessi lands a hook. Another sweet jab. They trade, both land a couple good ones to the head. Makdessi ducks an overhand right, lands a jab. They trade leg kicks. Good exchange, Makdessi lands about four nice shots to Stout’s one. Body kick by Makdessi blocked. Stout misses a jab, Makdessi answers with his own. Stout gets stuffed again. Nice action, Makdessi again, 10-9, but close.
Round 3: Switch kick by Makdessi, not much on it. Damn, then lands a decent hook kick. Followed by a leg kick. Stout pawing, trying to get something going here. He lands a left. Stout to the body, clips Makdessi’s chin. Stour eats a shot as he stalks. Makdessi with a very good left, knocks Stout’s new hairdo around. Stout with a jab, eats another jab. Stout with a hard leg kick. Another jab by Makdessi, and then lands two good shots in a row. Stout to the body. Makdessi slips a punch, lands two of his own. He’s just doing a better job of countering than Stout is of attacking. Stout with a jab. Makdessi sticks another jab. They trade hooks. Makdessi slipping and moving, and landing shots. The round ends, and I give the edge to Makdessi.
The decision is 30-27, 29-28, and 30-27 for John Makdessi. Good win, he looked great.
Cyrille Diabate vs Chad Griggs is next, and rumor has it they have a bet where the winner gets to sleep with the loser’s girl, while the loser has to French kiss Anthony Perosh’s toe. Main objective in life: Do Not Fucking Lose.
Round 1: It’s on. Diabate is so damn long. Diabate lands a bomb and Griggs goes down. Diabate jumps on him, works to side control. Griggs pushes him off, gets up, but Diabate hurls his ass to the ground, Hendo style. Diabate back to side control, and Griggs is looking rough. He works his way to his feet, but eats a nasty knee, and another. Griggs up, but Diabate drags him down again. Diabate gets on Grigg’s back, and scores himself a sweet rear naked choke.
Less than two and a half minutes into it, Cyrille Diabate gets the submission victory.
Ivan Menjivar and Azamat Gashimov are up from the Facebook portion.
Round 1: Azamat sticks a shot, gets the takedown. Menjivar with a tight guard, looking for an arm. Azamat with a hammer fist, Ivan goes for another arm. Oof, Menjivar lands an upkick, and Azamat is back in Menjivar’s guard. Azamat trying to work some ground and pound. Menjivar with a nasty armbar, belly down baby. Azamat taps.
That was sweet, and Azamat’s arm looks like it’s damaged.
Patrick Cote and Alessio Sakara are up next, and it’s hard to imagine that the loser of this one won’t end up on the unemployment line. Sakara has been around forever, fighting exclusively in the UFC since 2005, but at 6-6 with a No-Contest, and riding a two fight losing skid, his job could be on the line. Cote isn’t setting the Octagon on fire either, dropping his last four, but he’s tearing up the regional circuit, and any time the UFC rolls into Canada they give him a ring, losses be damned. Not too sure how long that hometown favorability will continue though. Cote needs a win very badly.
Round 1: The Predator does not look good, he’s a tad flabby in the midsection. Here we go. Cote opens with an inside leg kick. Sakara opens up a combo, Cote covers up well. Cote with a few decent shots, Sakara is hurt. But Sakara comes back with some devestating elbows. Cote is down, and Sakara is bashing him in the side of the head with cartoon hammer fists. And it’s over, the ref steps in and saves Cote.
Okay, a couple of those were to the back of the head, not so much the side, but hey man, that shit happens.
There is some controversy here. The officials are discussing it. I counted three shots clearly to the back of the head during the replay. The crowd is letting Sakara have it. The decision is in, and it’s a disqualification win for Patrick Cote. That’s a bitch for Sakara, he had Cote badly hurt from the elbows. But those were brutal illegal shots. Anyway, Cote gets a much needed W.
Well, that’s it for me. I want to thank all two of you for joining me. Be sure to stick around the CP for the main card, up next.
Sam Stout is ready to gain his footing in the UFC lightweight division. As a seasoned veteran in one of the organization’s most competitive weight classes, “Hands of Stone” has faced a path filled with peaks and valleys. Every time the 28-year old Onta…
Sam Stout is ready to gain his footing in the UFC lightweight division. As a seasoned veteran in one of the organization’s most competitive weight classes, “Hands of Stone” has faced a path filled with peaks and valleys. Every time the 28-year old Ontario-native has managed to gain momentum, a setback has followed in some form or fashion.
Following the roughest year of his life where he lost mentor, coach and close friend Shawn Tompkins, Stout has not only regained his focus as a professional fighter, but is ready to push ahead in order to take his career to the next level.
His first step back onto the right track came in his trilogy bout with Spencer Fisher at “UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida” in Atlantic City. With their first two throwdowns going the distance and each fighter claiming a victory apiece, the final installment was winner take all. For Stout, the fight meant more than simply closing the door on his battles with Fisher, but finally moving in a positive direction after a year of dark times.
Stout displayed a diverse attack in the trilogy’s final three rounds. In addition to his usual style of “stand and bang”, he found success in the wrestling department, as he took Fisher down time and time again throughout the fight.
When the final bell sounded, Stout found victory on the judge’s cards. It was the step he needed at the perfect time, and with Mark DellaGrotte in his corner, Stout felt his confidence return.
“I was definitely feeling more comfortable in that fight,” Stout told Bleacher Report. “Having Mark DellaGrotte in my corner was a big confidence booster. That is something I always had with Shawn Tompkins because I had a lot of confidence in him. I knew he knew what he was doing. I knew that every fight I went into he had already played it out in his mind a million times and thought about it as much as he could. Having Mark in my corner was a big help to my confidence and I think that showed in my last fight.
“There are some world class wrestlers in the division and guys who have come from great wrestling pedigrees. It’s something I’ve really been working diligently on for the past few years. In my last fight against Spencer Fisher I decided to kind of throw it into the mix. I’ve been telling everyone for a long time I’ve been working on my wrestling and going out and using it in my last fight has really given me a lot of confidence in that department. I’m feeling really good about it now and fans can expect to see more wrestling out of me for sure.”
The next opportunity Stout will have to display his improved skill set will come this Saturday night when he steps into the Octagon to face Tri-Star product John Makdessi at UFC 154. Where “The Bull” got off to a quick start in the UFC, he has struggled as of late, and Stout believes having logged more time on the sport’s biggest stage will factor heavily into the matchup.
“I believe experience is a big thing in this game,” Stout said. “I believe it 100%. Being prepared is one of the biggest things you can do in a fight. I don’t believe he is going to bring anything I haven’t seen before. I’ve watched all his fights in the UFC, really studied him, and I’m coming in with a good game plan. I think the difference in our experience is going to show in this fight.
“John is predominantly a stand-up fighter. I don’t believe he has anything I’ve never seen before. He is good, tricky, and throws a lot of interesting techniques with spinning backfists and spinning back-kicks. He throws stuff I’m typically used to seeing on a day-to-day basis but I think I’m going to have an answer for anything he brings to the table.”
While the fight with Makdessi will hold no bearing on the current title picture, it doesn’t stop Stout from setting his sights at the top of the division. For the past seven years he has competed in the 155 pound weight class and believes the time has come to make his run towards the top. Stout understands what it will take for him to get there and that it is a journey taken one step at a time. The next obstacle on his path is Makdessi, and Stout intends to bring more to the cage than the Montreal native can handle.
“I’m bringing a really diverse game plan,” Stout said. “It’s not just going to be standing and trading for three rounds. I know fans love those fights but it’s about me maturing as a fighter. I’ve been trying to do that and I really want to keep John Makdessi guessing. I want to confuse him and that’s what I plan to do in this fight.
“I’m 28-years old, and while that is still young, I’ve been fighting for the UFC for seven years now. I believe I’m just now starting to come into my prime and it’s time for me to make that title run. I can’t afford any losses on my record.
UFC 154 will feature nine Canadian fighters in eight different fights on Saturday night, not including French fighter turned honorary Canadian Francis Carmont, who lives and trains at Tristar in Montreal. They were all on hand this afternoon at th…
UFC 154 will feature nine Canadian fighters in eight different fights on Saturday night, not including French fighter turned honorary Canadian Francis Carmont, who lives and trains at Tristar in Montreal.
They were all on hand this afternoon at the Sheraton Hotel to pose for photos and talk to the media as part of a special press opportunity and Community Works event. While the other fighters conducted interviews, Nick Ring and Patrick Cote both got a nice Movember trim as part of the community program.
Many of the veteran Canadians on this card cut their teeth and paid their dues in this sport in this very city (long before the lights of the UFC came calling on them), and the feelings of nostalgia were front and center for many.
Featherweight Mark Hominick let us in on why.
“Being in Montreal is a nostalgic feeling. George St-Pierre, Patrick Cote, Sam Stout and myself were all champions in our respective divisions in the TKO organization, which was basically the Canadian champions at the time. So there’s definitely a feeling of nostalgia and a feeling of comfort.”
His voice clear in excitement, he continued.
“It was almost like I got off the plane and I felt at ease. You know, I’ve been here before, and I’m just excited. I’m kinda enjoying this week and getting back to my roots and it felt like that in my training as well. I think I had to go back to my roots and remember what got me here.”
Hominick‘s teammate, lightweight Sam Stout, was an undefeated 7-0 in his TKO fights in Montreal. He was also on the first three UFC cards held in Montreal, where he went 1-2 with two Fight of the Night performances in his win over Matt Wiman and his loss to Jeremy Stephens.
Always a fan favorite in Canada, Stout will be facing Montreal fighter Jon Makdessi, and he isn’t sure who the crowd will be pulling for on Saturday night.
“I’m interested to find out how that’s all going to play out. I’ve fought in the Bell Center a lot more than he has, so I’m not sure if the crowd’s gonna be a Montreal crowd or a Canadian crowd, so it’s really difficult to predict whether they will be cheering for him or cheering for me, or if they are going to be split down the middle. I’m prepared for either and if the crowds booing.
“I feel really at home here. I feel really comfortable with the city and fighting in the Bell Center.”
Don’t be surprised if Stout picks up his seventh UFC fight bonus one way or the other.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and guest blogger for Sportsnet.ca UFC.
