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Every Wednesday, Administrative Editor Jordan Breen welcomes a member of the mixed martial arts media into “Press Row” on the Sherdog.com blog. This week, Breen is joined by The Fight Network's John Pollock.

This Saturday night, the UFC comes to Canada's capital of Ottawa with a high-stakes welterweight bout between Rory MacDonald and Stephen Thompson. Breen and Pollock look at how the UFC's business north of the American border has changed in recent years, from Dana White calling Canada “the mecca of MMA” to cards reduced in size and scope, and why the “Great White North” has cooled off so much as a territory. The two look at MacDonald's awkward exchanges with the media, whether or not a third MacDonald-Robbie Lawler fight is the biggest bout Canadian MMA fans could expect as well as Canada's new, surprising MMA star Brock Lesnar, and the bizarre circumstances surrounding Lesnar representing the maple leaf at UFC 200.

Breen and Pollock also examine how the changing MMA business over the last several years has hurt regional promotions, especially in Canada, leading to a dearth of quality up-and-coming prospects and why it was easier to potentially find “the next Georges St. Pierre” in years past.

Grab your credential and get a seat in “Press Row.”

The above file can be saved in MP3 format here.

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