The 5 best UFC fighters from Canada

#1 Georges St-Pierre

Georges St-Pierre is probably the greatest MMA fighter of all time

Simply put, GSP is not just the best fighter in the history of Canadian MMA, but he’s also probably the best fighter in the history of MMA, period. His dominant Welterweight title run from 2008 through to 2013 already put him high in the conversation for being the greatest, but his return from retirement and Middleweight title win has put him right at the top of the mountain.

The successor to Frank Shamrock’s style of being world-class in every single area of MMA – from wrestling to jiu-jitsu to striking – St-Pierre was able to beat his opponents with a variety of different attacks, including huge takedowns and stifling top control, and a slick boxing game that usually saw him deploy the best jab in the MMA world. And he had a ton of heart too, as was demonstrated in his gutsy wins over BJ Penn, Carlos Condit and Johny Hendricks.

Perhaps his greatest accomplishment? The fact that he ran through what was essentially three different generations of contenders at 170lbs. His initial rise to the top saw him tear through the likes of Frank Trigg, Karo Parisyan, Sean Sherk and Matt Hughes; his early title run saw him get past tremendous fighters such as BJ Penn, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves and Josh Koscheck, and later on he overcame the challenge of hungry fighters like Jake Shields, Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz and Johny Hendricks.

Anderson Silva and Demetrious Johnson might have more title defences to their name but neither man made world-class opposition look quite as overmatched as GSP did in his prime. His opponents simply couldn’t come close to matching him. How much longer he can last now – especially at a blown-up 185lbs – is anyone’s guess, but to see him fighting again is in itself a pleasure. He’s the best fighter Canada has ever produced by a mile.

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