UFC executive Dave Shaw lauded the performance of his Canadian compatriots at the recently concluded UFC Edmonton. Shaw had every reason to be pleased as the previous UFC event in Toronto, Canada, had been a major letdown for the Canadian fighters.
Seven Canadian fighters took to the octagon at UFC Edmonton. The Canadian flyweight Jamey-Lyn Horth kicked off the event with her showdown against Ivana Petrovic. She won by split decision, leaving a positive example for the others on the card. But the following Canadian, Chad Anheliger, failed to keep the winning run going as he lost his fight via a unanimous decision.
The next one in line, Charles Jourdain, revamped the Canadian spirits with a submission victory over Victor Henry. His win also marked the beginning of a three-fight win streak for the Canadian UFC athletes, as Aiemann Zahabi and Mike Malott both claimed victories over their rivals.
The last two Canadian fighters on the card put up a score of 1-1 with Marc-Andre Barriault losing his fight and Jasmine Judavicius winning hers. A look at the entire fight card of UFC Edmonton reveals that the Canadian combatants featured on the night scored 5-2.
Dave Shaw, a Canadian by birth, appreciated the commendable performance of his nation's fighters during the post-event press conference. He said,
"So, I guess 6 and 2 [actually 5-2], yeah. Excellent, I mean after the Toronto [event in] January. Yeah, some good performances tonight, even with Barriault losing... Some good performances. It was great to have some good momentum for the Canadian athletes today."
Check out Dave Shaw's comments below (11:21):
How had Canadian fighters performed in the previous UFC event held in Canada?
Dave Shaw's comments specified that the last UFC event ended with misery for most Canadian fighters and fans. Well, it was none other than UFC 297, which was held at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and featured a total of eight Canadian fighters.
But unlike UFC Edmonton, UFC 297 had begun on a negative note for Canadian fighters as the first one in line, Malcolm Gordon, tasted defeat in the very first fight of the night. The score for Canadian fighters after the early prelims of UFC 297 stood at 1-2, with Jasmine Judavicius being the only victor.
The UFC 297 prelims card also ended with a similar score for the Canadian athletes. Two of them, Brad Katona and Charles Jourdain, lost their fights while Gillian Robertson stood as the lone winner. However, the main card of the event proved to be a disaster as both fighters, Mike Malott and Marc-Andre Barriault, lost their encounters. UFC 297 ended with a score of 2-6 for the Canadian combatants.
A comparison of the UFC Edmonton and UFC 297 fight cards showcases that Shaw has indeed enough reasons to be pleased.