Canadian UFC fighters dominated their opponents at UFC 289, which took place in Vancouver on Saturday. The stands of Rogers Arena were filled with a patriotic crowd cheering on six fighters with Canadian roots. In the opening fight, Diana Belbiţă, who lives in Stoney Creek, Ont., fought Brazilian Maria Oliviera. Belbiţă scored a late takedown in the second round and opened the third by landing a series of heavy punches. The crowd roared as she earned a unanimous decision victory. Belbiţă was born in Romania but moved to Canada four years ago.
Belbiţă’s teammate, Kyle Nelson from Huntsville, Ont., entered his fight against undefeated American Blake Bilder as an underdog but found success in the second round. He began targeting Bilder’s leg with strikes, then landed several flurries in the third round as the two exchanged blows in the center of the cage. Nelson would go on to win in a unanimous decision. Upon winning, he said, “That was the highlight of my career. I’ve never felt a crowd like that.”
Aiemann Zahabi from Montreal earned his third consecutive win in the UFC when he knocked out Aori Qileng, from China, in a matter of minutes, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Zahabi, brother of renowned trainer Firas Zahabi, said he hopes the event will inspire the next wave of Canadian mixed martial artists.
Gatineau, Que.’s Marc-Andre Barriault and St. Catharines, Ont.’s Jasmine Jasudavicius also won their fights, despite both being considered sizable underdogs. Jasmine Jasudavicius said, “Everyone in Canada, they were ready for this UFC. And I felt the whole country on my back going into that fight, and I felt I had to represent that country. This was for us.”
The event’s headliner was UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes, who successfully defended her title against Mexico’s Irene Aldana. Canadian UFC legend Georges St-Pierre attended the fight and sat cageside. The co-main event saw Brazil’s Charles Oliviera defeat Beniel Dariush.
Mike Malott, from Burlington, Ont., finished his opponent in the second round. Malott landed a combination of punches that sent his opponent, Portland, Ore.’s Adam Fugitt, crashing to the mat. He then secured a guillotine choke that forced Fugitt to submit. Malott, who improved to a 10-1-1 mixed martial arts record, with all of his wins coming by either knockout or submission, said he hoped to inspire the next generation of Canadian fighters. The win earned him a $50,000 US bonus.
The crowd erupted into a deafening roar of cheers, and Malott yelled into the microphone just minutes after his big win, “Let’s set one thing straight, this show was for us! This is a Canadian show!”
It was an outstanding performance by the Canadian UFC fighters in Vancouver, with all six showing their potential in the arena. The event was cheered on by a patriotic crowd that filled Rogers Arena. The event is sure to inspire the next wave of Canadian mixed martial artists.
Credit: cbc.ca
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