When the Professional Fighters League signed Olivier Aubin-Mercier two years ago, it did so in the hope that he might finally unlock the rest of his potential.
The 33-year-old Canadian will open his 2022 campaign against American Top Team’s Natan Schulte at PFL 1 this Wednesday at Esports Stadium Arlington in Arlington, Texas. Aubin-Mercier enters the cage on the heels of back-to-back victories. He last appeared at PFL 7 on Aug. 13, when he laid claim to a three-round unanimous decision over fellow Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Darrell Horcher.
As Aubin-Mercier makes final adjustments ahead of his forthcoming battle with Schulte, here are five things you might not know about him:
1. MMA met him with little resistance.
Aubin-Mercier took out his first four opponents in 5:39 combined. None of the four fights reached the two-minute mark. He made his professional debut as a 22-year-old prospect at Ringside MMA 12, where he submitted Guy Poulin in just 58 seconds on Oct. 21, 2011.
2. No one has broken him.
All five of Aubin-Mercier’s losses have come by decision. He has been outpointed by Arman Tsarukyan, Gilbert Burns, Alexander Hernandez, Diego Ferreira and Chad Laprise.
3. He handled his baptism by fire.
Aubin-Mercier was a finalist on “The Ultimate Fighter Nations” in 2014. He captured a unanimous decision over Jake Mathews in the qualifying round and submitted Richard Walsh with a rear-naked choke in the semifinals before dropping a unanimous verdict to the aforementioned Laprise in the final. Aubin-Mercier compiled a 7-5 record with the UFC—he beat Jake Lindsey, David Michaud, Tony Sims, Thibault Gouti, Drew Dober, Anthony Rocco Martin and Evan Dunham inside the Octagon—before signing with the PFL as a free agent in March 2020.
4. Savages sharpen his spear.
“The Canadian Gangster” operates out of the H20 MMA camp in Montreal. However, he has also spent time at the famed Tristar Gym, where he has trained under the direction of Firas Zahabi and alongside former UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all-time.
5. He understands his strengths.
Aubin-Mercier holds the rank of black belt in judo and brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. As such, it should come as no surprise that he has delivered eight of his 13 career wins by submission: seven by rear-naked choke and one by inverted triangle kimura.
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