It’s finally fight week in Quebec, and the biggest 100% Quebec-based matchup in years is set to headline Samourai MMA 21. Fight fans across the province haven’t felt this much excitement around the local MMA scene since the famous Charles Jourdain vs. Alex Morgan fight in 2018.
Outside of the main event, there are also several other fighters worth highlighting as prospects to keep an eye on.
Antoine Chaput (7-2) vs. Michael Dufort (17-6) – Lightweight Title
I’ll start by preaching for our Quebec parish: if this fight isn’t a UFC eliminator, then we might as well stop sending Quebec fighters to the organization. This matchup is the perfect example of a fight between a young rising star with nothing to lose and a veteran looking to send one final message to the major promotions.
Let’s start with Antoine Chaput. The 24-year-old is riding a five-fight winning streak, with four of those victories coming by way of finish. Better known for his grappling abilities, Chaput has quietly developed into one of the best strikers in his division at Samourai MMA, picking up back-to-back knockouts over Theoren Thorn and, more recently, Fernando Donoso. Before that, he submitted another well-known prospect, Kaecy Raddon, via D’Arce choke. Raddon was 5-1 at the time of the fight.
In short, unlike many fighters, the Team360MMA member has consistently increased the level of competition he has faced, and that progression culminates with this matchup against Dufort. Chaput is a fairly reserved fighter who doesn’t say much, and hasn’t really engaged in Dufort’s trash talk. Instead, he has carried himself with a quiet confidence that says a lot about his mindset heading into the fight.
At 32 years old, this is probably Michael Dufort’s last opportunity to impress the UFC. The PFL veteran made the bold decision not to re-sign with the major American promotion to continue pursuing his UFC dream. Since then, Dufort has picked up four consecutive finishes at Samourai MMA, although several observers, myself included, have pointed out the average level of competition he has faced.
It’s important to note, however, that Dufort has essentially cleaned out his division in Canada. Finding opponents at his level on the local scene has therefore become increasingly difficult. Dufort is an excellent grappler, and both his rear-naked choke and guillotine are lethal. That said, his chin has raised some questions over his last few fights, with his most recent Brazilian opponents managing to rock him on multiple occasions. Still, Dufort always seems to find a way out of trouble and eventually comes back to find a submission later in the fight.
In the buildup to this matchup, the veteran has fully embraced the trash talk, pointing to Chaput’s inexperience and emphasizing that, unlike his young opponent, he has already experienced the big leagues. This should be a classic matchup between Chaput, the striker with the highlight-reel knockouts, and Dufort, the world-class grappler whose chin can occasionally let him down. For this fight, I believe Chaput will be able to crack Dufort on the feet. However, I expect Dufort, as he so often does, to survive through his takedowns and eventually find a submission victory.
Maxim Côté (3-1) – Welterweight
Maxim Côté is a name we’re hearing more and more on the Samourai MMA circuit. After a perfect amateur run and some impressive wins at Montreal Fight League, the 29-year-old made the jump to the professional ranks, suffering a knockout loss in 2024.
Since then, Côté has put together three consecutive victories, including two knockouts and a submission. But you shouldn’t simply look at his record; Côté is one of the best grapplers in the Quebec MMA scene.
He also boasts an intriguing physical frame for the division, allowing him to impose himself physically on his opponents and get them to the ground. Once there, he can choose between overwhelming them with ground-and-pound or hunting for a submission.
A regular at Montreal gyms, Côté is also a familiar face at grappling competitions throughout the region. He’ll face the biggest challenge of his career so far in Joshua Sierra (4-2), a well-rounded fighter who will look to prevent Côté from taking the fight to the ground.
Valentyn Bulat (3-0) – Bantamweight
The Canadian MMA ecosystem benefits from excellent cooperation between its various promotions. It’s therefore fairly common to see fighters move from one organization to another. That’s the case with Ukrainian fighter Valentyn Bulat, a regular on BFL cards who is now stepping into Samourai MMA.
Bulat is a well-rounded fighter and a former amateur champion who has also competed in kickboxing. Since turning professional, he has dominated his opponents through excellent control, solid leg kicks, and competent wrestling.
He isn’t the most flashy fighter, but his game is extremely effective, and he has proven to be very good at winning minutes inside the cage. His opponent, Nichollas Pestilli (3-1), is also a veteran of kickboxing competition. It will therefore be interesting to see how Bulat approaches this new challenge in his new promotion.
Honorable Mentions
Mehdi Zeidvand (7-0) – Lightweight
Former Samourai 145-pound champion Mehdi Zeidvand recently announced that he is making a permanent move up to lightweight in an attempt to become the first two-division champion in Samourai MMA history.
His first challenge will come against Brazilian veteran Nonato Junior (18-14-1), a journeyman who has faced some of the best prospects from around the world. Zeidvand gets an honorable mention because, unfortunately, he is too old to qualify for our prospect rankings.
Chris Droege (1-0) – Middleweight
I decided to put the spotlight on Droege because he is coming into enemy territory against a fighter Samourai MMA is heavily invested in, Gabriel Tabet (1-0). Tabet is an excellent grappler who, like Droege, is a regular competitor on the grappling scene. He also put together a beautiful keylock submission in his professional MMA debut last May.
However, Droege is a multiple-time amateur champion in the United States, with a notable victory over James Lledo, one of the best amateurs on the East Coast. Droege is also a very capable ground fighter, which should make this an especially interesting matchup in scrambles and submission attempts.
Milan Parobek (0-0) – Bantamweight
Parobek is 1/2 of the Parobek twins, both of whom are 6-0 as amateurs and are set to make their professional debuts in the coming weeks. Milan accepted the opportunity at Samourai MMA 21 on short notice and will face local fan favorite Vince Nikiforov (0-0).
Nikiforov may not have the strongest amateur record, but he has a style the crowd loves and is covered in tattoos. In short, quite the character. Still, I have a feeling this could be Parobek’s coming-out party. He was an excellent grappler on the amateur scene, and this could be the opportunity that puts his name on the map.
