Sherdog’s Top 10: Canadian Mixed Martial Artists

3. Patrick Cote

A former Maximum Fighting Championship titleholder who fought for UFC gold at 185 pounds, Cote has been a consistent presence on the mixed martial arts scene since 2002.

“The Predator” started his career 5-0 with four finishes, drawing the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his Octagon debut at UFC 50 on Oct. 22, 2004, when he moved up in weight to challenge former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz as a short-notice fill-in for Guy Mezger. Cote fought well, and though he wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision, it was clear to everyone that he had a bright future ahead of him.

Cote lost his first four fights in the UFC before steadying himself with victories over Scott Smith, Jason Day, “The Ultimate Fighter 3” winner Kendall Grove, Drew McFedries and former Pancrase champion Ricardo Almeida. That five-fight tear resulted in his being awarded a title shot against Anderson Silva at UFC 90 on Oct. 25, 2008. His bid to dethrone “The Spider” was thwarted by a knee injury in the third round. Cote has gone 10-5 since his ill-fated defeat to Silva and remains a dependable competitor on the UFC roster.

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