5 most iconic UFC moments in Canada

The Great White North has hosted many massive UFC events over the last two decades. As such, there have been some truly iconic octagon moments on Canadian soil that'll forever be etched in MMA folklore.

At UFC 289 in Vancouver this past Saturday, Amanda Nunes, arguably the greatest female fighter of all time, drew the curtains on her illustrious career after defending her title with a dominant performance against Irene Aldana.

The Lioness' den, full of gold 🏆 #UFC289 https://t.co/1ea5U6Eh2t

Some of the biggest names in UFC history have put on stunning performances in Canada over the years, creating many milestone moments, which have been ranked below.

On that note, here are the five most iconic UFC moments in Canada.

#5. Max Holloway wins maiden UFC title – UFC 206

Max Holloway joined the UFC at just 20 years of age and remained the youngest fighter in the promotion for a very long time. His record was just 4-0 when he joined the organization in 2012, and four years later, he got his first shot at gold.

Just one month after Conor McGregor became a two-division champion at UFC 205, Holloway took on former lightweight king Anthony Pettis for the interim featherweight title in the main event of UFC 206 in Toronto, Canada.

Holloway vs. Pettis poster [Image via @espnmma on Instagram]

Anthony Pettis missed weight for the bout, making him ineligible to win the title. Nevertheless, Max Holloway put on a hell of a show for the fans in attendance at the Air Canada Center, picking apart the former champion by weaponizing his cardio as he always does.

Pettis clearly struggled with the weight cut, and as such, just couldn't keep up with 'Blessed' on the feet. Towards the end of the third round, Holloway turned up the pressure, and a perfectly-placed body shot saw 'Showtime' crumble to the canvas, handing the young Hawaiian his first title win.

Holloway boasts a tremendous record in Canada. One year before his title fight against Pettis, he beat Charles Oliveira in a Fight Night headliner in Saskatoon. He also recorded two title defenses on Canadian soil, against Brian Ortega and Frankie Edgar.

Hawaii's own @BlessedMMA! #UFC206 #AndNew https://t.co/8k322jHY9T

#4. Alexander Gustafsson pushes Jon Jones to the absolute limit – UFC 165

Going into UFC 165 in Toronto, Jon Jones was being touted as the best pound-for-pound fighter ever. Fresh off stoppage victories over Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen, Jones was a massive betting favorite heading into his fifth title defense against Swedish contender Alexander Gustafsson.

The bout that ensued turned out to be the toughest fight of Jones' career.

One of the best title fights of all time!

Extended highlights of Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson incredible first fight at UFC 165 👊

Eight years ago #OnThisDay! https://t.co/JTYC8IRSYr

Alexander Gustafsson, who was largely counted out before the fight, showed tremendous heart and grit to push the then-champion to the absolute limit. His high-output boxing and evasive movement were proving to be difficult for Jon Jones to deal with early on, and the fight was razor-close heading into the championship rounds.

Jones pulled ahead in the final two frames, but Gustafsson's early success meant nobody was quite sure which way the judges would lean after the final bell. Ultimately, 'Bones' came away with a narrow decision win, with the final scorecards reading 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 in favor of the champion.

Jones was clearly outclassed in the first two rounds and even got taken down by the Swedish challenger. If Gustafsson had the cardio to win at least one more round decisively, he would've pulled off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.

Their fight has since been inducted into the Hall of Fame, and rightfully so.

Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson pushed each other to the brink eight years ago today at UFC 165.

In two days, their instant classic bout will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. https://t.co/OAcauyxine

#3. Georges St-Pierre exacts his revenge, reclaims welterweight title – UFC 83

After finishing Matt Hughes and winning the welterweight title back in 2006, Georges St-Pierre was expected to reign over the division for a long time. 'Rush' was a massive betting favorite heading into his first title defense against Matt Serra, who pulled off one of the greatest upsets of all time.

St-Pierre racked up two more wins to claim the interim belt, setting up a title unification rematch with Serra at UFC 83 in Montreal, Canada.

Twelve years ago today, the roof came off the Bell Centre in Montreal when @GeorgesStPierre was introduced at UFC 83 😳 https://t.co/rLBl32Q7G4

This was the very first time Georges St-Pierre fought in his home country under the UFC promotional banner and he received a boisterous reception from his compatriots. He put on a flawless performance, unifying the titles and avenging his defeat to Matt Serra.

St-Pierre was dominant right from the get-go, suffocating Serra with his relentless top pressure. Towards the end of the second round, 'Rush' had his American counterpart in a bad position on the mat as he slammed knees into his midsection.

Serra had no answer for the bone-crunching knees and the referee stepped in, making St-Pierre a two-time undisputed champion. This kicked off a historic run – nine title defenses – before ultimately vacating the belt in 2013.

#UnDiaComoHoy hace 1️⃣5️⃣ años, Georges St-Pierre 🇨🇦 se tomaba la revancha noqueando 💣💥 a Matt Serra 🇺🇸 en #UFC83 y recuperando así el Título UFC 🏆 del peso wélter

🎥 @UFCEspanol

#ESPNKnockOut https://t.co/Z0ec2rlYan

#2. Jon Jones makes a statement – UFC 140

Jon Jones' patented nastiness makes him one of the most unique fighters to ever grace the octagon. The longtime light heavyweight king is known for his in-cage meanness and disregard for his opponents, which has produced some jaw-dropping finishes.

His submission victory over Lyoto Machida, in particular, is the best of his career.

When Jon Jones murdered Lyoto Machida like it was nothing https://t.co/atAUctwsqf

Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida squared off at UFC 140 back in 2011 in Toronto, with the former looking to defend his belt for a second time. Machida, widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world at the time, was coming off a stunning front-kick KO win over Randy Couture, so the hype surrounding this matchup was undeniable.

Machida enjoyed a lot of success in the opening frame, catching Jones multiple times whenever he blitzed forward. He caught the champion flush on the chin on four occasions in the opening five minutes, but couldn't finish the fight, with 'Bones' staying safe and maintaining his distance.

The second round started with more of the same, until Jones stunned Machida with a hard elbow, opening a gash on the Brazilian's face. He then dropped Machida with a step-in hook, and as 'The Dragon' tried to scramble back up, the champion latched on to a standing guillotine choke.

Jones pressed Machida against the cage as he tightened his grip, and referee John McCarthy did a good job of realizing that Machida had been choked unconscious. As McCarthy stopped the fight and broke Jones' grip, the lifeless challenger came crashing down to the mat.

Dec10.2011

10 years ago today,

Jon Jones choked Lyoto Machida to unconsciousness. https://t.co/Eib7D6NQwQ

#1. Georges St-Pierre defends his title with 55,000+ Canadians in attendance – UFC 129

As mentioned earlier, Georges St-Pierre defended his welterweight title nine times after beating Matt Serra in their rematch. Four of the Canadian icon's title defenses happened on home soil – against Josh Koscheck, Jake Shields, Carlos Condit, and Nick Diaz.

His championship defense against Jake Shields remains the most iconic of the lot, with over 55,000 Canadian fans in attendance.

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Georges St-Pierre and Jake Shields squared off in the main event of UFC 129 at Rogers Center in Toronto. At the time, this was a record attendance for the promotion, a testament to St-Pierre's star power in the Great White North. This record has since been broken by two stadium shows in Australia.

Shields put up a decent effort against St-Pierre but struggled to overcome the champion's well-rounded skillset. 'Rush' came away with a unanimous decision win, marking his sixth title defense.

His walkout at UFC 129 remains one of the greatest moments in Canadian MMA history.

Rewind ⏮ to this legendary walkout at UFC 129, where @GeorgesStPierre entered the Octagon in front of 55,000 in Toronto! https://t.co/il2qCJ7Dju