Canada has been producing fighters at a steady clip for years, but 2026 feels different. The talent pool is younger, the finishes are coming earlier in fights, and several of these names are training under coaches who have already built UFC champions.
What makes this group worth paying attention to is that none of them appear close to hitting a ceiling. They are still getting better, and the records back that up. Tommy Morrisson sits unbeaten at 10-0 under Firas Zahabi at Tristar. Mike Malott has knocked out two straight opponents in the UFC welterweight division.
Charles Jourdain has submitted his last two opponents since dropping to bantamweight. Jasmine Jasudavicius just choked out a former champion. Adam Posener holds the BFL welterweight title at 6-0.
Why Canadian Gyms Keep Producing UFC-Level Talent
The fighters on this list train at 3 different gyms, and that matters more than geography. Tristar in Montreal has been developing world-class talent since the Georges St-Pierre era, and Firas Zahabi’s system for building fighters from the ground up is why someone like Morrisson at 10-0 already looks ready for the next step.
Syndicate MMA in Vancouver, where Posener trains, has housed multiple UFC fighters and produced Tabatha Cavalcanti, who climbed into the UFC’s bantamweight top 10 in 2025 and was named a breakout candidate for 2026 by UFC.com. They are outputs of the coaching infrastructure, which treats fighter development as a pipeline rather than a gamble.
Canada has fewer gyms than the United States or Brazil, but the concentration of talent at top camps is disproportionate to the country’s size. When a prospect comes out of Tristar or Syndicate with an unbeaten record, the industry assumes the fighter has been pressure-tested in training rooms alongside veterans who have already competed at the highest tier. That assumption is why UFC matchmakers tend to move Canadian prospects through the ranks faster than their records alone might justify.
Tommy Morrisson: The Tristar Product
Tommy Morrisson holds a 10-0 professional record and trains at Tristar Gym in Montreal under Firas Zahabi. His teammate Aiemann Zahabi has called him a “huge prospect,” and that kind of praise from inside one of the most respected camps in the sport holds weight. Morrisson has not lost a round in several of his recent outings, and his grappling continues to sharpen under the Tristar system.
He is young enough that a UFC call-up in 2026 feels plausible if he continues to win. Tristar has a long history of preparing fighters for the promotion, and Morrisson appears to be on that same track. At 10 wins with no defeats, the conversation around him is starting to pick up outside of Canadian regional circuits.
Mike Malott Keeps Punching Through the Welterweight Ranks
Mike Malott now sits at 13-2-1 and has strung together 3 solid performances in a row. He knocked out Charles Radtke at UFC 315 and then earned a unanimous decision over Kevin Holland at UFC Vancouver. Before that, he defeated Trevin Giles by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 246.
Holland is a known commodity in the welterweight and middleweight divisions, so beating him cleanly on the scorecards says something concrete about where Malott is as a fighter.
His striking has improved noticeably since his early UFC appearances, and the knockout power has always been there. At welterweight, he has enough size and pressure to cause problems for most of the ranked fighters in that division. A top 15 opponent would be a reasonable next step.
Charles Jourdain and the Move to Bantamweight
Charles Jourdain decided to drop to bantamweight, and so far it has paid off. His record sits at 17-8-1, and he is riding a 2-fight submission streak. The most recent of those was a guillotine choke finish of Davey Grant at a UFC Fight Night card in October 2025.
Jourdain has talked openly about feeling more confident at 135 pounds, and the results support that. He was always active and aggressive at featherweight, but he appeared to absorb too much damage in exchanges. At bantamweight, his speed advantage is more pronounced, and he has been able to dictate where the fight takes place.
Two submissions in a row from a fighter previously known for wild striking exchanges tells you something about his growth on the mat.
Jasmine Jasudavicius: Finishing at the Highest Level
Jasmine Jasudavicius, from St. Catharines, Ontario, has compiled a 14-3 record and put together one of the best wins of her career at UFC 315. She submitted Jessica Andrade with a rear-naked choke. Andrade is a former strawweight champion and one of the most physically imposing fighters in the women’s division. Submitting her is a legitimate statement win.
Jasudavicius has solid wrestling and an improving submission game that pairs well with her cardio. She grinds opponents down over 3 rounds and tends to find the finish late. At 14 wins, she is experienced enough to compete with ranked opponents and still young enough in her career to keep climbing.
Adam Posener: Unbeaten and Defending Gold
Adam Posener is 6-0 as a professional and went undefeated as an amateur on the Canadian regional scene. He currently holds the BFL welterweight title and is scheduled to defend it on February 19. He trains at Syndicate MMA, a well-regarded gym that has housed several UFC fighters over the years.
At 6-0, Posener is earlier in his career than anyone else on this list. That makes him harder to evaluate precisely, but his unbeaten record across amateur and professional competition suggests a high floor. A strong title defense could accelerate the timeline toward a contract with a larger promotion.
Additional Markets and Betting on Canadian Fighters Before the Lines Move
Method-of-victory props and moneyline bets on rising Canadian fighters tend to provide better value early in the week, before public money pushes the odds. Sites like BestFightOdds.com and DraftKings list round totals and finish props for most UFC cards, and checking the best sportsbook promos across platforms can lower your initial risk on those wagers.
With fighters like Jasudavicius and Malott finishing opponents at a high rate, the submission and KO props carry real upside when you catch them before the market corrects.
What to Expect for the Rest of 2026
These 5 fighters are at different stages of their careers, but all have shown upward momentum over the past 12 months. Morrisson and Posener are still building on the regional level. Malott, Jourdain, and Jasudavicius are competing inside the UFC and winning against proven opposition.
If the first few months of 2026 are any indication, Canadian fighters will be on a lot of main cards before the year is done.