Chad Laprise

Chad Laprise is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC welterweight division from 2014 to 2020. Born in Windsor, Canada, Laprise turned pro in 2010 and quickly made a name for himself on the regional circuit with a string of first-round finishes. His breakthrough came in 2013 when he was selected to represent Canada on The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia, a reality TV competition that pitted Canadian fighters against their Australian counterparts. Laprise navigated the tournament impressively, earning Fight of the Season and Performance of the Season honors, and capped it off with a split-decision victory over Olivier Aubin-Mercier in the welterweight final.

Laprise entered the UFC in October 2014 and spent the next six years competing steadily in the welterweight division. His UFC tenure was marked by moments of real brilliance interspersed with tough losses. He defeated Bryan Barberena via unanimous decision at UFC 186 in 2015, earning his first Fight of the Night bonus in a gritty three-round war. In 2017, he notched a Performance of the Night award for a third-round TKO of Brian Camozzi at UFC 213, demonstrating the knockout power that had always been central to his game. However, encounters with rising contenders exposed his limitations: he was stopped in the first round by Vicente Luque in May 2018 and again by Dhiego Lima in December 2018, effectively ending his competitive relevance at the UFC level.

Laprise's fighting style is built on aggressive striking and knockout hunt. He lands significant strikes at a high volume (4.78 per minute across his UFC run) and favors standing exchanges over grappling, with just six takedown attempts across his promotional tenure. This pace-heavy, all-action approach made him a reliable draw for entertaining fights, even when the results didn't always favor him. The UFC released him in March 2020, ending an era for one of Canada's more exciting welterweight exports. Laprise remains a beloved figure in Canadian MMA circles for his TUF Nations victory and his consistent willingness to trade strikes and give fans exciting nights out.