Canadian fighters go undefeated at Vancouver UFC event

Canadian UFC fighters swept their opponents in Vancouver on Saturday, each fuelled by the cheers of the patriotic crowd that filled the stands of Rogers Arena.

UFC 289 featured six fighters with Canadian roots, including the highly-touted Burlington, Ont. prospect Mike Malott who 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. Malott then pounced on him, swiftly securing a guillotine choke that forced Fugitt to submit.

The crowd erupted into a deafening roar of cheers.

"Let's set one thing straight, this show was for us!" Malott yelled into the microphone just minutes after his big win. "This is a Canadian show!"

Prior to his fight, Malott said he hoped to inspire the next generation of Canadian fighters.

"Being able to represent my country on the world stage, it's been a dream come true since I was a little kid playing on the swingsets," he said on Saturday.

Malott improved to a 10-1-1 mixed martial arts record, with all of his wins coming by either knockout or submission. The win earned him a $50,000 US bonus.

In the opening fight, Diana Belbiţă — who lives in Stoney Creek, Ont. — fought Brazilian Maria Oliviera. After a tightly contested opening round, Belbiţă scored a late takedown in the second, which was followed by the roar of the crowd cheering for the Canada-based fighter.

Belbiţă, who was born in Romania but moved to Canada four years ago to rejuvenate her MMA career, opened the third round by landing a series of heavy punches. The effort earned her a unanimous decision victory over Oliviera.

"I really think that was the best decision of my life, coming to Canada," said Belbiţă.

Her teammate, Kyle