MM-Eh! News and Notes from Canada

Elation still resounds in the voice of Mark Bocek (Pictures) two days after his first UFC victory, a unanimous decision over Douglas Evans (Pictures) in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

"I feel good," he told Sherdog.com. "I'm glad I got to fight a tough opponent, and it worked out the way I thought it would in my mind."

After having lost his UFC debut to Frank Edgar (Pictures) in July, Bocek was very aware of the importance this fight had on his future standing with the world's biggest MMA organization.

"This fight was huge -- this fight was everything, and I had to win this one," he stated emphatically.

"I managed to out-wrestle him, put him on his back, get some submission attempts, ground and pound a bit, cut him with an elbow and got that unanimous decision."

After the fight, standing in the middle of the Octagon, Bocek said he wasn't nervous at all. "I knew I'd get the decision -- I knew I controlled it," he said. "The judges would have made a really big mistake if they didn't raise my arm."

For this match Bocek had spent considerable preparation time at Team Quest Temecula in Southern California. He was the only fighter from that camp who earned a win on this card, as both Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (Pictures) and Soa Palelei (Pictures) ended up on the losing end of their bouts.

He's pragmatic about that aspect of the fight game though.

"That's the way it goes," Bocek said. "They all trained really hard and were ready, but they all faced tough opponents and it doesn't always work out in your favor. That's part of the game."

He knows that Team Quest is a good fit for him. "I had a blast training down there," he said. "Dan Henderson (Pictures), Ryan Parsons and Marcelo Garcia (Pictures) cornered me and helped me out so much. It was a great training camp down there, and I can hardly wait to go back."

The lightweight from Toronto then said that nothing has been decided yet about his next step but that an appearance in the UFC event in Montreal in April would be good for him.

He has ideas for whom his opponent should be.

"Maybe Jorge Gurgel (Pictures) or someone like that?" he said. "I've fought two wrestlers so far, and it'd be nice to get into it with another jiu-jitsu guy."

UFC in Montreal Confirmed

Ending months of speculation, UFC President Dana White confirmed at the UFC 79 weigh-ins that his organization would indeed be making its Canadian debut in April. Although no official date was given, it's rumored to be April 19.

Jason MacDonald (Pictures) and Patrick Cote (Pictures) are both likely to be on the card, and as it's nearly four months away, it's certainly not unreasonable to expect Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) to make another appearance.

Mixed Results for Fabiano and Horodecki at IFL Grand Prix

The International Fight League held its inaugural Grand Prix at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., on Saturday, and Wagnney Fabiano (Pictures) emerged with the championship of the newly created featherweight division. The transplanted Brazilian, now living in Toronto, used his outstanding wrestling to outmatch opponent LC Davis (Pictures) and secure an armbar with only 22 seconds left in the first round.

In a bout that must have shocked IFL fans and brass alike, Team Tompkins' Chris Horodecki (Pictures) sustained his first defeat in his rematch with Team Quest's Ryan Schultz (Pictures). Schultz was able to trap Horodecki's left arm beneath him and pound away on his face until the ref was forced to intervene.

Rumble In The Cage ‘Season's Beatings 2' Results

Dan Chambers (Pictures) def. Jacob MacDonald (Pictures)
Martin Desilets (Pictures) def. Jared Kilkenny (Pictures)
Tommy Pariseau def.Tim Tamaki
Jordan Mein def. Dave Pariseau (Pictures)
Justin Tavernini def. Eric Leclerc