In the main event, the vacant BTC welterweight championship was on the line when undefeated Canadian Clayton Pyle took on the vastly more experienced Thiago Oliveira, who had previously competed for Bellator MMA.

Adam Assenza, a southern Ontario staple, was making his 16th appearance for the promotion, having posted a 10-4-1 record through his first 15 bouts under their banner. With a planned welterweight title fight off, Assenza was set to headline Saturday’s show against Gustavo Wurlitzer.

Where to Watch BTC 32

Saturday, September 13, 2025 sees BTC 32 take place at the Americana Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The action gets underway at 6PM ET, 3PM PT, with the card streaming live on PPV. Full results can be found below.

BTC 32: The Battle of Lundy’s Lane

Main Card

Clay Pye vs. Thiago Oliveira – for the BTC welterweight championship
Adam Assenza def. Gustavo Wurlitzer by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Alana Cook def. Vanessa Melo by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Luke Roberts def. Davis Rapagna by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:22
Blake Oswald def. Avinash Chowtee by TKO (arm injury), Round 3, 1:36

Amateur Bouts

Aiden Appel def. Hudson Adair by TKO (strikes), Round 1
Anthony Melendez def. Brandon Buchard by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 1:24
Joey Ruscica def. Ryan McNally by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2, 1:15
Shane Melo def. Miko Dusek by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Hashir Astor def. TJ Maddox by TKO (head kick and punches), Round 2, 0:10
Belal Zarif def. Zilin by submission (standing guillotine choke), Round 1, 0:52

The post BTC 32: The Battle of Lundy’s Lane Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Headlining the card, Canada’s Adam Assenza, a longtime veteran of the regional circuit, looked to make it seven straight wins when he took on Brazil’s Junior Melo. The lightweight battle was key for Assenza, now 34, who had collected a number of regional titles and was looking to break into the UFC.

On his win streak leading up to LFA 139, Assenza had defeated UFC vet Cody Pfister, and Pancrase standout Kazuma Maruyama.

Melo, meanwhile, was entering the fight off a single win, which came in his LFA debut earlier this year.

The co-feature on Friday was to feature another Canadian standout, Tony Laramie. However Laramie, whose brother T.J. had a brief stint in the UFC, failed to weigh in for the fight.

Niagara Top Team standout Teshay Gouthro was also in action on Friday’s LFA 139 card.

LFA 139 takes place Friday, August 19, 2022 at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York. Full results from the event can be found below. The main card airs live on UFC Fight Pass starting at 9PM ET.

LFA 139: Assenza vs. Melo Results

Main Card

Junior Melo def. Adam Assenza by TKO, Round 3, 0:59
Teshay Gouthro def. Arnold Jimenez by unanimous decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Logan Urban def. Ryan Charlebois by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Dylan Budka def. Lydell Poag by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Freddie Rodriguez def. Gavin Teasdale by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Preliminary Card

Liam Anderson def. Robert Gidron by TKO (ground n’ pound), Round 1, 4:48
Luke Roberts def. Derrick Patterson by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:59
Austin Ross def. Matt Smith by TKO, Round 3, 2:12 – amateur bout
Alex Moher def. Kevin Hixson by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2, 1:46 – amateur bout

The post LFA 139: Assenza vs. Melo Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Maverick” has done something few fighters on the regional circuit have managed during the pandemic era: he’s both stayed busy, and found ample success. While his peers have struggled to find fights, Canada’s Assenza has worked both sides of the border, even applying for dual citizenship with the U.S.

At BTC 15 on Saturday, Assenza (16-6) had his homecoming, capping off a night that crowned a $10,000 bantamweight tournament winner and saw multiple stoppages with a first-round TKO over American veteran Dominic “All Day” Clark.

Getting a finish was key, and not just because he’s knocking on the door of the major leagues.

“In general, I’m not happy unless I get a finish. So if it goes to decision, I’m not happy with my performance,” Assenza told Cageside Press following the event. “I know I had a fight or two recently that went to a decision, and I wasn’t happy with it. So getting the finish is always crucial.”

It was a short night at the office, but really, it couldn’t have gone any better for the 34-year old. “It ended quicker than I thought it was going to end, but another day in the office,” said Assenza. Now, he’s waiting for the call.

“I’m looking for the UFC to call me,” Assenza stated when asked what was next. “Call me, give me a fight, me a shot. I’m ready to go.”

It certainly seems like he is. After more than a decade in the sport, Assenza has been on a tear, knocking off veterans, an undefeated opponent, and a UFC alum in Cody Pfister on his current win streak. With little left at the regional level, he’s willing to do what it takes to break into the big show.

“I’m hoping just to get something short notice, or a fight in Canada if they come to Canada, something like that,” Assenza stated. And a spot on the rumored Toronto card this fall certainly appeals to him.

“Toronto’s what, 40 minutes from here? I fill this stadium [Burlington’s Central Arena] no problem, so I know I can bring all these people, ticket sales to Toronto for the Toronto show, for sure,” he noted.

As for his success, both at finding fights and winning, during the pandemic, it all boils down to the fact that Adam Assenza is always looking for a fight.

“In general staying busy in this sport ensures success. I’m always looking for a fight. I signed with those guys down in the States and I went down there and fought both of their champions, their Northern champion and their Southern champion. I’ll probably end up defending there next; I just like staying busy in general.”

That, of course, is if the UFC doesn’t come calling.

Watch our full BTC 15 post-fight interview with Adam Assenza above.

The post With Statement Victory at BTC 15, Adam Assenza Now Looking for UFC Call appeared first on Cageside Press.

While the night’s main event would see Canadian regional veteran Adam Assenza looking to make it six wins in a row (and perhaps secure a spot in a bigger organization) against American Dominick “All Day” Clark, the most anticipated fight might just have been the $10,000 bantamweight tournament final.

Regardless of promotion, $10,000 is a good chunk of change outside of the big players — and winning the tournament could alter the career of whoever came out on top on Saturday.

The finalists in this case were Vinny Dias and Albaraa Atmeh, both of whom were undefeated to start the night. Adding a bit of drama to the mix, Dias had defeated Atmeh’s brother Izzudeen en route to the final; Albaraa now had a change to avenge his brother’s loss.

BTC 15: Homecoming takes place live on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at the Central Arena in Burlington, ON. Full results from the event can be found below.

BTC 15: Homecoming Results

Adam Assenza def. Dominic Clark by TKO, Round 1, 3:25
Vinny Dias def. Albaraa Atmeh by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – $10,000 Bantamweight Tournament Final
Ryan Loder def. Dorjan Dokaj by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Sterling Michetti def. Mike Meade by TKO (ground n’ pound), Round 2, 4:30
Nate Small def. Blair West by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 1, 5:00
Jarred Dumond def. Broderick Rene by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:59

The post BTC 15: Homecoming Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

BTC 9: Rampage Recap

Jesse Ronson defeated Troy Lamson via Rear-Naked Choke at 4:16 of Rd 1

A quintessential performance for Jesse Ronson who was looking to rebound after back-to-back defeats under the PFL banner. The Bodysnatcher was able to drop Lamson twice with strikes, got out of a tough D’Arce Choke position that Pretty Boy Troy had him in, and secured the finish shortly after a big slam planted Lamson on the canvas in the opening frame of the top of the marquee bout.

Adam Assenza defeated Cody Pfister via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Cody Pfister’s approach favored top control and trying to use his grappling to squish Assenza into the mat. Assenza had the obvious edge in significant strikes on the feet but landed some quality ground and pound throughout. Including a second-round sequence where he rained down strikes in the crucifix position. Ultimately, the former BTC lightweight champion was able to edge one out over the UFC/Bellator veteran. Of note, Pfister missed weight for the bout.

The post BTC 9: Rampage Results and Recap appeared first on Cageside Press.

Niagara Falls, ON — Burlington’s Adam Assenza improved to 11-6 at BTC 8 over the weekend. The lightweight battled it out with Hamilton Ash for three rounds, picking up a unanimous decision in the process.

“Feeling good. It was a nice little tilt,” he told Cageside Press after the fight. “I got to show off a few things, so it was good.”

While looking a bit banged up, Assenza, who picked up a 14-day medical suspension following the fight, wasn’t feeling too bad, with only one point of concern. “I think I kicked his elbow a few times when I went to the body, so my foot’s kind of sore. But besides that, I’m good.”

Which is key, because Assenza is looking for a quick turnaround. In short, he wants to fight as soon as his two weeks on the sidelines are up.

There’s no particular opponent or card in mind, however. “I know of a few cards going on in the States that I’ve fought for in the past, so I’ll just shoot them a message,” he said backstage at the Scotiabank Convention Centre. “I never like to book something because it’s fighting at the end of the day. I’ve been trying to make my pro boxing debut for like a year, and every time I book it, I break my hand, or something stupid happens that doesn’t allow me to do it.”

“I just kind of look and see what’s available, and I always have promoters reaching out to me, so I’ll see if I can get something in about two weeks,” he added.

His reason for the quick turnaround is simple: Assenza’s goal this year was to be more active, but it hasn’t worked out as planned. He’s had just three bouts to date.

At fault, there was the broken hand, “which was any annoying injury. Then my last fight, they gave me like a 30 or 60 day suspension, I think it was 45 days [in the end]. So it just kind of ruined everything.”

“I wanted to be busier this year, I wanted to fight a lot more,” he continued. “I’m always in shape, I’m always in the gym.”

Luckily, BTC has been there to provide a platform for Assenza for all three of his fights this year. The promotion hit something of a milestone Saturday at BTC 8, surpassing the Score Fighting Series in terms of longevity for an Ontario MMA promotion.

“I never really gave it much thought, but definitely I’m very impressed with what BTC’s doing with Ontario MMA,” Assenza answered in regards to BTC’s accomplishments. “Ontario is the hardest place to have a successful mixed martial arts organization. They’re surpassing all the expectations. On about 85% of their shows, they sold out or have done very very well. So I’m impressed with that, I’m happy to be a part of it, and I just hope it keeps going.”

“Their future looks bright, so I can’t wait,” he finished.

Watch our full BTC 8 post-fight interview with Adam Assenza above!

The post Adam Assenza Looking for Quick Turnaround Following BTC 8 Victory appeared first on Cageside Press.

Burlington, ON — Adam Assenza had a successful night at BTC 6, but it wasn’t the fight he expected. Original opponent Thomas Webb, a veteran of Titan FC and LFA among other promotions, was forced out due to injury. Fellow American Mark Coates stepped up on three days notice, and came out firing. Canadian Assenza, one of Burlignton’s own, however, got the upper hand, and was soon unloading some nasty ground n’ pound.

All in the first round. It was a small miracle the fight wasn’t stopped, and Coates never made it out for the second. That gave Assenza the TKO win, and he told Cageside Press post-fight that he felt “like it should have been stopped earlier. He took the fight on short notice, I didn’t want him to get hurt too much.”

“It’s always different when you have a new opponent, but you’ve got to be ready to go at all times,” he said of the opponent switch. “I feel like the T-Webb fight would have been exciting, because I know he likes to stand as well. It wasn’t his fault, he got hurt, but like I said, if he wants to do it later on, we can do that.”

There’s another fight he has in mind, however. Assenza is the former BTC lightweight champion, a title he lost to ex-UFC fighter Jason Saggo last November. Webb or Saggo? “I don’t know, you’d have to ask BTC. I want my belt back. I’m ready to fight whenever,” Assenza said Saturday night.

The good news is, MMA on the regional scale is getting a boost in the form of BTC, who will hold their seventh show in August in Ottawa. “I feel like it is,” Assenza said about the regional scene in Ontario coming back. “I do really, really well in ticket sales in Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville, Toronto, so you know I’m going to just keep pumping it as much as I can, fighting as much as I can local, and just keep going from there.”

The post Back in the Win Column After BTC 6, Adam Assenza Looking to Reclaim Title appeared first on Cageside Press.

MMA got back some of its regional flavor in Ontario on Saturday, with BTC 6 going down in Burlington, ON. The card, entitled Night of Champions, boasted a scheduled three title fights. Among them, James Clarke would face fellow Canadian Dave Henry for the vacant flyweight title. Clarke was predicting a first-round submission, but only time would tell.

Scott Hudson and Dawond Pickney, meanwhile, were set to clash for the super lightweight championship (165lbs), a division many fighters would like to see make the big leagues. And finally, interim strawweight gold was on the line between Lindsay Garbatt and Cheyanne Vlismas.

Check back come fight time (6PM ET) for full results from Saturday’s event!

Teshay Gouthro vs. Paul Fisher

Featherweight action kicked off BTC 6 as Paulie Fisher took on Teshay Gouthro. Both fighters were making their pro debuts. Fisher connected first, which seemed to open the flood gates for a moment. Gouthro launched a high kick, and the pair engaged in a couple of exchanges. Gouthro was taking some hefty swings, and Fisher was cut open, but grazed his opponent with a high kick. Gouthro appeared to have hurt Fisher along the cage, and turned things up a notch. Fisher remained in it, but ate a right hand, which led to a little showboating with Gouthro raising his hand in celebration. He continued to attack, going to both the body and head with punches; Fisher answered with kicks and jabs but was getting the worse of the exchanges.

After an extra look at Fisher by the doctor between rounds, the pair got back underway with Gouthro immediately going on the attack, bloodying the other side of Fisher this time. He’d then fire a knee in the clinch, and trap Fisher against the cage, covering up. Fisher would circle out, and try to walk Gouthro down, but the ref then paused to action to check on the cut. It was bad enough to wave the affair off, giving Teshay Gouthro the first win of the night, and his pro career.

Teshay Gouthro def. Paul Fisher by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 2, 2:15

Marc Gillespie vs. Ariel Zuniga

A spirited battle to start the first round of this bantamweight fight. After some early grappling and a quick knockdown, Gillespie got the fight to the canvas. Zuniga would battle back up, and land a blistering right hand. Zuniga would later fence his opponent in, unloading, but Gillespie escaped.  Zuniga then worked in a spinning kick upstairs, and they exchanged as the round closed out.

In round two, Zuniga began to come on strong, peppering his opponent with punches. Gillespie, however, continued to march forward, and was finding at least some succcess with his kicks, low and to the body. Zuniga attempted to change things up, latching on with a body lock by the cage, but Gillespie went hunting for a kimura, briefly taking the fight to the ground. Coming out of that sequence, Gillespie backed Zuniga up, unloading with lefts and rights. Zuniga covered up, weathering the storm. Zuniga then battled back, returning the favor, and launching a knee to the body in an absolutely insane sequence that ended with another barrage and a knockout blow!

Ariel Zuniga def. Marc Gillespie by TKO, Round 2, 3:54

Julius Trimmeliti vs. Kyran Cameron

A pair of undefeated welterweights met in the third fight of the evening at BTC 6. One man was going to keep that perfect record intact.

Leg kicks came early in this one, and Kyran Cameron found a home for his left hand a number of times. Trimmeliti looked to tie things up against the cage, with Cameron firing off some knees in the clinch. The grinding approach would go on for some time before the ref stopped the action and restarted them in center. Cameron then caught Trimmeliti with a punch that clearly wobbled him. He pressed for a takedown in response as the round closed out.

Round two was a continuation of the clinch-along-the-wall game by Trimmeliti. Not a ton of action, but a lot of grappling for position, head position, and pressure. Cameron had his back to the cage throughout, which is not where he had been effective. The ref finally broke them up, and Cameron sprawled to avoid a takedown attempt. Cameron would later go upstairs with a head kick attempt that was blocked, and back Trimmeliti up. However, he was mostly firing single strikes, and it was Trimmeliti launching a high kick before the buzzer.

Cameron worked his jab early in the third round. A combination off a leg kick knocked the mouth guard out of Trimmeliti. Going again, he’d shoot for a takedown, only to have it stuffed. A second takedown, however, was successful, and Trimmeliti looked to make something happen with Cameron on his back against the fence. Cameron would look to isolate an arm from the bottom, while Trimmeliti would work on a choke. Scrambling up in the final ten seconds, Cameron would swing away, and they’d go to the buzzer.

Kyran Cameron def. Julius Trimmeliti by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Patrick Connors vs. Mike McAloon

Featherweight action saw Patrick Connors and Mike McAloon go toe-to-toe early, before Connors took the fight to the ground. From bottom, McAloon latched onto an arm, transitioning to the arm-bar smoothly and wrenching back on the limb. That earned the tap, and this one was over in a flash!

Mike McAloon def. Patrick Connors by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 1:29

Vladimir Kazbekov vs. Jacob Bohn

Kazbekov, a Russian fighting out of Toronto, clipped Bohn early, putting his power on display. He’d launch a nifty looking spinning back fist later in the round. Much of the frame, however, was spent with the pair tied up against the fence, which was clearly where American Bohn preferred it. It was Kazbekov however the worked to muscle his opponent down, only to wind up on bottom until he was able to reverse.

Round two saw a return to the grappling game, but Kazbekov landed a heavy kick to the body as Bohn though to change levels. He’d fire a knee up the middle later, and eventually take Bohn down. Bohn was looking tired but was able to sweep and get on top, dropping ground n’ pound. Kazbekov escaped, got on top himself, and launched some heavy shots. That got the crowd on its feet. Both men were now looking fatigued and throwing wild. Bohn would get on top again later in the round, but was too tired to really land much of significance. Kazbekov would reverse, but would up in the same situation.

The fight, however, was called off when Kazbekov was unable to answer the bell for the third round. The end result there was a TKO win for Bohn.

Jacob Bohn def. Vladimir Kazbekov by TKO, Round 2, 5:00

Adam Assenza vs. Mark Coates

Burlington’s own Adam Assenza closed out the undercard at BTC 6, taking on American Mark Coates. It wasn’t Assenza’s original opponent, as he had initially been booked opposite Thomas Webb.

Coates opened fire with a kick, and Assenza immediately answered with his hands. He got the better of the first exchange, which led to Coates pulling a little “didn’t hurt” motion, waving him in. The bout devolved into a firefight, and when Coates went down, Assenza got on top, landing some ground n’ pound. Coates hung in there, but was getting softened up. He struggled back to his feet, but was eating punishment at every turn, with Assenza then landing blows from behind and forcing him back down. Assenza would pick up the pace later in the round, but ate an upkick for his troubles, and Coates would make it to the buzzer.

Adam Assenza def. Mark Coates by TKO, Round 1, 5:00

Lindsay Garbatt vs. Cheyanne Vlismas

In the first of three title fights atop the BTC 6 card, interim strawweight gold was on the line. Competing for the belt, America’s Cheyanne Vlismas and Canada’s own Lindsay Garbatt.

The pair traded early, with Vlismas launching a high kick. She would also attack the lead leg of Garbatt off a combination. Going to the ground, it was Vlismas on top, working to improve position. Garbatt had a leg trapped, keeping her in half-guard for the time being. The pair would finish the round without ever making it back up, Vlismas in control to the end.

A quick start on the feet in the second saw Vlismas displaying solid footwork and changing stances. Garbatt went to the body, and looked to move in-and-out, only to be taken down again and planted on her back. She looked to tie Vlismas up, closing he rguard but eating a few shots to the ribs. Again, Garbatt was unable to escape. She squirmed, scrambled, Vlismas added in some hammer fists, but it was a few minutes before some space was created, and ultimately Vlismas backed off a bit. Back on the feet, however, Garbatt had little time to work, and wound up planted on her back to finish the frame.

Round three saw Garbatt slip, one of a handful in the night. Vlismas drove her opponent into the cage early on, looking to get the fight back in her domain. Which she did, soon enough. Garbatt attempted to defend with a guillotine, didn’t have it, but would at least escape. Vlismas would try to take the fight down again later in the round, but Garbatt scrambled, staying up even as Vlismas held on to a limb. At one point, Garbatt hoisted her opponent right off her feet, but eventually, had to set her back down, and wound up sat down in the end. She finished the frame jockeying for position with Vlismas on the ground. That was it – despite being a title fight, it was a three rounder, and Vlismas easily won the decision, and belt.

Cheyanne Vlismas def. Lindsay Garbatt by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Scott Hudson vs. Dawond Pickney

The second title fight, and co-main event of BTC 6 saw Scott Hudson facing off against Dawond Pickney. A three round (or less) bout, with the super lightweight title on the line.

Some heavy leather thrown early, but it was Hudson both landing with leg kicks, then taking the fight to the ground. Coming back up, Pickney launched some hard shots, at least some of which grazed Hudson. Hudson would later tie Pickney up along the cage; Pickney reversed, only to be reversed himself. Off the break, a big swing by Pickney fanned. Toward the end of the round, Hudson would sink in a standing guillotine, but couldn’t finish before the bell.

Pickney came out attacking to open the second. After a brief exchange, he would drive Hudson into the cage. Pickney would trap a leg, but when they went down, Hudson managed to deftly move to the top. However, as the worked their way back up, it was Pickney taking Hudson down with authority. Hudson wouldn’t stay down, however. Back up he worked to defend and soon locked in a standing guillotine! That got the tap, and Hudson had won the title!

Scott Hudson def. Dawond Pickney by submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 3:45

James Clarke vs. Dave Henry

Henry got the fight to the ground early in the main event of BTC 6, with the promotion’s flyweight title on the line. ‘Yakuza’ worked within Clarke’s guard, but Clarke reversed, working his way up. Henry caught him in a guillotine, and Clarke slammed him down. this led to an entertaining sequence of scrambles by the cage, with Henry winding up working from the back of his oppoennt. Clarke looked to reverse, and did as teh round came to a close.

In the second, Henry unleashed a high kick as Clarke changed levels. Henry’s kick sailed over his opponent, and Clarke finished the attempt. Clarke connected with some elbows by the cage, and worked to take the back. He had control of Henry along the fence, and added some punches in while working to flatten his opponent out. He continued with the ground strikes, looking to the ref, perhaps thinking it might be stopped, as Henry wasn’t defending much. Clarke the added elbows and hammer fists, before dragging his opponent back and looking for a choke. Henry fought the choke off for a time, and actually managed to scramble free late.

James Clarke shot a takedown right off the glove touch to open round three of the BTC 6 main event. Henry defended with a choke, but Clarke pulled free and moved to mount. Henry held on tight, hands clasped. Somehow, he managed to flip the script, ending up on top, albeit in Clarke’s guard. A scramble led to Henry getting the back, but Clarke would escape and get back in the driver’s seat. He transitioned to the back, working on a rear-naked choke and getting under the chin. Henry fought it off til the end of the round, however.

Clarke again got the early takedown in round four, finding himself in a guillotine that wasn’t about to be finished. Once he pulled free, he was in half guard along the fence. Clarke dropped some elbows from there, but Henry would break free, and work from the top briefly. A lot of back-and-forth and positional changes in the grappling.

The fifth and final round started with a swing and a miss from Henry. Clarke ducked under, taking things back to the ground. Henry would briefly take the back in a scramble, but Clarke slipped off. That allowed him to latch on with a head lock, as Henry drove him into the fence. Henry would slowly pull him back down, but it was Clarke who reversed and wound up on top. He’d finish the round there, and the fight. The effort also earned him the BTC flyweight championship!

James Clarke def. Dave Henry by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-45, 50-44)

BTC 6: Night of Champions Results:

James Clarke def. Dave Henry by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-45, 50-44) – for the BTC flyweight championship
Scott Hudson def. Dawond Pickney by submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 3:45 – for the BTC super lightweight championship
Cheyanne Vlismas def. Lindsay Garbatt by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) – for the BTC interim strawweight championship

Adam Assenza def. Mark Coates by TKO, Round 1, 5:00
Jacob Bohn def. Vladimir Kazbekov by TKO, Round 2, 5:00
Mike McAloon def. Patrick Connors by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 1:29
Kyran Cameron def. Julius Trimmeliti by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ariel Zuniga def. Marc Gillespie by TKO, Round 2, 3:54
Teshay Gouthro def. Paul Fisher by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 2, 2:15

The post BTC 6: Night of Champions Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Mixed martial arts in Ontario has had its struggles since being legalized in 2010. While the UFC rolled into the province in 2011 to much hullabaloo, the sport has yet to reach the levels many expected in Canada’s most populous province. After a strong start, and the launch of the Score Fighting Series out of Hamilton, events in the province dwindled thanks to the high cost of putting on shows in the region. SFS got out of the game. Many pointed the finger at the Ontario Athletic Commission.

BTC, however, is leading a new wave of MMA in Ontario. They’ll host their sixth show this weekend, in Burlington, Ontario. A veteran of the aforementioned Score Fighting Series, lightweight Adam Assenza, will be on the card. He’ll enter the night off a 3-1 run, having suffered the lone defeat in that stretch against former UFC fighter Jason Saggo at BTC 4. It was Saggo’s first fight following his UFC stint, and Assenza definitely learned from the experience, which cost him the promotion’s 155lb crown.

“I got a little bit too relaxed, a little bit too complacent, and he capitalized on a mistake that I had made,” Assenza (9-5) told Cageside Press recently, ahead of BTC 6 on June 1. “So it’s just a quick reminder that it’s MMA, anything can happen. Slip on a banana peel, get caught, get put in a position where you might be at risk, and things happen quickly in this game.”

At BTC 6, Assenza will take on Thomas Webb (15-7), an experienced foe who’s fought for Island Fights, LFA, and Titan FC over the years. “He’s an experienced guy, definitely game. He takes fights on short notice. He either wins them, or he comes with a close decision,” Assenza observed of his opponent.

Yet none of Webb’s attributes are about to change up his own game plan. “My thoughts are the same as any opponent I’m fighting. I don’t care what he’s going to do, I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to figure him out, and when I do, I’m going to drop the hammer quickly.”

Rather than worry about his opponent, Assenza focuses on his own skills. “I feel as though I’m a lot smarter than most people give me credit for,” he said. “I can adapt very quickly, and I’m also really athletic. I try to cover everything at all times.”

Cage control will be key. “At the end of the day, when you’re in the fight, you need to dictate essentially where you want the fight to go.” Expanding on the subject, Assenza added that “the guys that finish fights often, they usually set up those shots. To the untrained eye, people might not pick that up, but there’s certain things you can do to make your opponent go a certain way. I’m very good at that, and I feel like, a lot of guys they don’t get the chance to see all the other tools that I have because my fights end pretty quickly.”

He’s not kidding. Prior to the Saggo loss, Assenza’s three-fight winning streak boasted three first-round finishes. “This is going to be no different. I’m going to go in there just like I always do and do what I do. If it goes a little longer, it goes longer. If it ends quickly, than it’s expected.”

Elaborating on his ability to find finishes in his victories, Assenza also underscored that he doesn’t try to force anything. “I don’t try to do anything with intent when it comes to the fight game. You’ve got to let things happen naturally.”

“When a guy’s in the cage with me, I’m always setting him up, I’m always looking ahead of the game, I’m always moving and doing certain things to elicit a certain response,” he explained. “That’s what ends the game quickly.”

“When it comes to the striking portion, when it comes to the wrestling portion, even the jiu-jitsu portion, you want to do things to make your opponent make the wrong prediction.” The wrong prediction can result in an early end to the night. Which is fine with Assenza, who joked “I’ve got a lot of good looking girls who come watch me fight. I’ve got to get out of there without too much damage, and I’ve got things to do after!”

Like many fighters, Assenza found himself in MMA “kind of by mistake.” In his share of fights as a youngster — “I’m sure a lot of people have that story as well,” he noted — he also had a background in gymnastics.

“I was so used to training 16, 17 hours a week, grueling workouts,” he said of gymnastics. “I had quit for a period of time, and it just felt weak to me. I felt like I needed to do more. I was getting in a lot of trouble.”

That led Assenza to an MMA gym. “I’m not going to say any names, but I remember my first day, I ended up sparring, I don’t know how they let that happen, but I was taking down guys that were in the UFC at the time.”

The success “was just from being super athletic, and being strong, and I guess the gymnast background.”

From there, Assenza had “a bunch of amateur fights,” but even then, he doesn’t consider himself to have been “schooled in the way of martial arts. I didn’t really have much proper striking technique, or wrestling technique, or even jiu-jitsu technique.”

At the time, there was no one who could point Assenza in the right direction as a fighter. “Now I’ve got the skills, I’ve got the game figured out. The last two years, I’ve tightened up my camp and my coaching staff. I’m ready to go.”

Assenza, who was born in and fights out of Burlington in Southern Ontario grew up “half in Burlington and half in Hamilton.” For those not in the know, Hamilton’s a fighting town.

“Hamilton’s a lot rougher than what people actually know. If you’ve grown up in the north end of Hamilton, it’s very comparable to Jane and Finch [one of Toronto’s less illustrious neighborhoods],” Assenza suggested. “People don’t actually believe that statement, but if you’re down there, any night of the week between 10PM and 1AM, you’re going to see some crazy stuff.”

Despite its rough, working class reputation, Hamilton and the surrounding area remains a fixture in Ontario MMA, despite being overlooked by the UFC. David Shaw, UFC Senior VP, International and Content, recently told Cageside Press the promotion would forgo Hamilton in favor of Toronto, given their close proximity (that despite holding shows in both Brooklyn and New York Proper, among other exceptions to this apparent rule).

However, the area was still the home of the Score Fighting Series, and now BTC, which Assenza feels is stepping up to finally fill the void that promotion left.

Assenza’s first four bouts were with SFS. Yet just as he was getting going and reaching where he needed to be, the promotion closed up shop. After that, “there was no real MMA in Ontario for a few years. There was the odd show here or there, but it wasn’t run like The Score was.”

Other promotions were struggling, or downright questionable, “getting approvals for bouts that didn’t make sense.”

“The Score had grown the sport so much, I didn’t think it would actually stagnate for so long. Now with BTC Fights, they seem to be taking the place of The Score and doing things properly, and everything’s run by the athletic commission correctly.” Which is good news for the region, and the sport in Ontario as whole.

Adam Assenza takes on Thomas Webb at BTC 6: Night of Champions on Saturday, June 1 at the Central Arena in Burlington, Ontario.

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