Laprise Lands Fight at UFC Fight Night Halifax
Chatham-Kent fighter and The Ultimate Fighter Nations winner Chad Laprise has landed his first “official” fight in the UFC at UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs Saffiedine on October 4th, in Halifax.
Laprise (9-0) will take on Cuban fighter Yosdenis Cedeno, who now fights out of Miami, Florida in a lightweight match-up that is sure to see some heavy hands flying as both these men love to stand and throw strikes and carry lightning in their fists.
This will be the true debut fight for Laprise since defeating Olivier Aubin-Mercier in Quebec City to take home the TUF title in April, while Cedeno (10-3) has had a win and a loss in his first two times inside the UFC Octagon, and is coming off a first round TKO of Jarrod Sanders this past July.
The event will be the first ever held in Halifax and is shaping up as a brilliant showcase for the best mixed martial artists that Ontario has to offer. Fellow TUF winner and fan favorite Elias Theodorou (9-0, fighting out of Toronto) will also make his much anticipated debut against tough Brazilian Bruno Santos (14-1), and the always exciting Mitch Gagnon (fighting out of Sudbury) will take on undefeated American Aljamain Sterling (10-0).
The local feel doesn’t end there as PEI phenom Jason Saggo, who gained legions of fans fighting in Ontario, will face American fighter Paul Felder. Saggo gained a big first round knockout over Josh Shockley in his UFC debut at UFC 174 in Vancouver this past June.
All these exciting fights have been added to a card that will headline Canadian welterweight star Rory MacDonald vs. Tarec Saffiedine, in a battle to see who will remain in contention for a title shot in the very near future. MacDonald is ranked as the #2 contender in the welterweight division behind only Robbie Lawler, who will be taking on champion Johny Hendricks in a rematch in early 2015. MacDonald is coming off a masterful performance in a win over Tyron Woodley in June, and a solid win will ensure he stays right in line for the next title shot.
Saffiedine is ranked #10 and is coming off a vicious war with Hyun Gyu Lim in January.
The event will take place at the Halifax Metro Convention Centre and will be a treat for Canadian fight fans reeling and recovering from the announcement of cancelled shows in Toronto in September and Montreal in December. The event is the only UFC show in Canada for the remainder of 2014.