Ultimate Fight Experience is returning to Goderich this month

Hlib Hancharov from Niagara Topp Team. He had the fastest submission in less than 20 seconds and won $100 and a backpack. Seen here with Shaun Garrity of Huron BJJ (right).

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) was once considered a niche martial art, but now BJJ is one of the fastest-growing sports on the planet, with millions training across North America and gyms popping up in nearly every city.

According to Shaun Garrity athlete and owner of Huron BJJ, the talent pool is rising fast in Ontario, and the demand for high-level events outside Toronto is bigger than ever.

On October 18, the Ultimate Fight Experience 3 (UFEX) will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Goderich with a stacked card of nearly 25 all No-Gi BJJ fights. This event is sure to give local athletes a chance to showcase their skills on a big stage.

“It means so much that this event is coming to Goderich,” said Garrity.

“If we don’t host this, we remain stagnant, trying to keep up with the schools that have 15 tournaments at their fingertips. If I don’t host this, we’re never going to catch up to the Toronto teams, and we will always be average.”

This is Huron BJJ’s third event of the year. The local BJJ school hosted an event in March, in June and now in October.

According to Garrity, UFEX isn’t just another tournament, but full-scale entertainment featuring a professional announcer, food, drinks live music and even a five-minute hot dog eating contest with $500 on the line.

With each show costing around $10,000 to run, featuring multiple cameras, full lighting and live streaming, UFEX draws fighters from 29 gyms across the province, and those fighters will be in Goderich mid-October.

The UFEX event not only brings entertainment to town but helps grow the regional BJJ scene. It creates a unique entertainment experience blending sports, competition and showmanship.

Garrity is working hard to put BJJ on the map, through events like UFEX to introduce the sport to a wider audience and garner the respect these local BJJ athletes deserve.

“The more I host these shows, the more people will have an understanding of BJJ,” added Garrity.

“We want to give these shows to the community three times a year so people can have something to do and then gain an understanding of BJJ. We’re just this little town, but we have a competitive team and we’re making waves.”

Admission to the event costs $50: hbjj.ticketbud.com/ufex3