FIGHTNEWS CANADA's
2009 International Fighter of the Year
Lucian Bute, IBF World champion
Only one fighter has been able to pull cable giant HBO north across the border and Lucian Bute was sure to deliver when he did. Not only is he known from coast to coast in Canada, but across the world and his stock is still rising. Bute starred on both Showtime and HBO and delivered the same result both times, a fourth round knockout of his opponent.
Barely averaging a fight per year for the previous three years, 2009 finally delivered the perfect vehicle for cruiserweight Troy Ross in The Contender. Keep winning and keep fighting, and that's exactly what Ross delivered on the internationally televised series on Versus. In two short months Ross racked up four victories, equaling the number of the previous two years and jolting himself into the world rankings.