We announced just over a week ago that Squamish, British Columbia’s Cole Smith had signed with the UFC. Well, now he has an opponent. “The Cole Train” will take on veteran Mitch Gagnon in his Octagon debut.
Smith steps in for the injured Brian Kelleher at UFC Ottawa on May 4.
Smith (6-0) is coming off his most dominant performance to date. A first-round submission victory over highly ranked Canadian Tyler Wilson at BFL 59. The 30-year-old turned pro in 2016 and amassed an impressive undefeated record.
The Sound Martial Arts product fought all but one of his professional bouts under the Battlefield Fight League banner, where he was the promotions bantamweight champion.
Smith will do the majority of his training in Squamish but will take advantage of his connections in Las Vegas, as well as utilize the UFC Performance Institute.
Gagnon (12-4) is coming off two straight losses, after going on a four-fight winning streak. The 34-year-old last stepped foot inside the Octagon at UFC 206 in 2016 where he lost a decision to Matthew Lopez. Prior to that, he lost to former champion Renan Barao at UFC Fight Night 58.
Inactivity has been a problem for Gagnon, as his last two fights were in 2014 and 2016.
UFC Ottawa (UFC on ESPN+ 8) goes down on May 4 from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main event features a battle in the lightweight division, as Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone takes on “Raging” Al Iaquinta.
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