Saturday’s Full Fight Card Preview
Saturday night at will see the Netherlands take on the United States in the main event, but before the headliners do battle at the Rogers Arena, these Canadian athletes will step into the Octagon looking to deliver crowd-pleasing wins for the Vancouver fans.
Mike Malott
Division: Welterweight
Birthplace: Waterdown, Ontario, Canada
Professional Record: 12-2-1
Streak: Won eight of last nine
The Scoop: When “Proper” Mike Malott steps into the Octagon, fans know to expect a finish. The Canadian welterweight has gone to the scorecards just once in his UFC career and has finished 11 of his 12 career wins. The 33-year-old returns to action this weekend against the always-dangerous Kevin Holland in a matchup that leaps off the bout sheet as a potential Fight of the Night contender. But this fight is more than that for Malott. It’s a chance to break into the welterweight top 15. Canada hasn’t had a welterweight contender since the days of Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald. Could Malott be next?
RELATED: Malott’s Vancouver Interview
Aiemann Zahabi
Division: Bantamweight
Birthplace: Laval, Quebec, Canada
Professional Record: 13-2-0
Streak: Six-fight win streak
The Scoop: Zahabi has quietly been building one of the best active win streaks in the featherweight division, and in his last three outings, he took Javid Basharat’s undefeated record, defeated divisional vet Pedro Munhoz, then moved up to featherweight and defeated UFC legend Jose Aldo. Now Zahabi faces seventh-ranked former title challenger Marlon Vera in Vancouver. It’s a long-awaited chance to break into the 135-pound rankings, and one the 37-year-old plans on taking with both hands.
UFC VANCOUVER: View The Fight Card | Buy Tickets | VIP Experiences
Jasmine Jasudavicius
Division: Women’s flyweight
Fighting Out Of: St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Professional Record: 14-3-0
Streak: Five-fight win streak
The Scoop: On a night of opportunity for a host of Canadian fighters, Jasudavicius arguably has the biggest test, and potentially the biggest prize, ahead of her. Jasudavicius takes on French former title challenger Manon Fiorot in a huge bout for her and for the women’s flyweight division. Getting her hands on the elusive French contender will be no picnic – Fiorot had won 12 straight before losing a decision to champ Valentina Shevchenko last time out, and she’ll be keen to rebound in style. But if Jasudavicius can shut her down and claim her sixth successive win, big things could be on the horizon.
Kyle Nelson
Division: Lightweight
Birthplace: Huntsviille, Ontario, Canada
Professional Record: 16-6-1
Streak: Won three of last four
The Scoop: It’s been more than a year since we’ve seen “The Monster” inside the Octagon, and with the Octagon back on Canadian soil, it’s the perfect time for Nelson to return. He’ll be doubly determined to claim the victory, having lost to Steve Garcia after missing weight last time out. That weight miss has prompted a move up to 155 pounds, where he’ll take on Matt “Steamrolla” Frevola in a matchup that should deliver plenty of action.
MORE: Nelson Starting Fresh
Charles Jourdain
Division: Bantamweight
Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Professional Record: 16-8-1
Streak: 3-2 from his last five
The Scoop: Jourdain will make the walk to the Octagon for the 16th time as he gets ready to take on England’s Davey Grant. It’s a bantamweight clash between two fighters who possess a lot of offense and love to come forward. Both men are equally happy striking it out on the feet as they are taking it to the mat and grappling for submissions, so this fight could go anywhere. With Grant on a two-fight win streak, and with Jourdain looking to build some momentum after his second-round submission of Victor Henry last November, this one looks set to deliver an exciting, action-packed bantamweight battle for the Vancouver fans.
Kyle Prepolec
Division: Lightweight
Birthplace: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Professional Record: 18-9-0
Streak: Won three of his last four
The Scoop: More than five years removed from his first UFC stint, Prepolec accepted a short-notice call as he stepped in to take on French contender Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 315. The fight didn’t go his way, but it opened the door to a second UFC run for the Ontario native. Now that he’s had a full camp to prepare, he’s ready to go again, and he’ll do so on home soil against the hard-hitting Drew Dober on Saturday night. On paper, it’s a matchup with Fight of the Night potential, and with Dober on a three-fight skid, and Prepolec still chasing his first UFC win, the action in this one could get lively in a hurry in a must-win bout for both men.
Melissa Croden
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Professional Record: 6-2-0
Streak: Two fight win streak
The Scoop: Fighting out of Calgary, Croden is ready to step out under the UFC lights for the very first time, and she does so in good form and with a dangerous resumé. “Scare” has finished all of her six career wins to date, with five of them coming via knockout or TKO, and she heads into her Octagon debut on Saturday night against three-fight vet Tainara Lisboa, having claimed back-to-back TKO finishes under the LFA banner. With Saturday night seeing the Octagon returning to Canada, the timing couldn’t be better for Croden’s debut. Now all she has to do is win.
RELATED: Croden Already A Winner
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