Adam Assenza (13-6) is eager to finally fight for the B2 Fighting Series lightweight title.
Assenza, from Burlington Ont., thought he was fighting for the belt last time out when he met Sean Fallon. Yet, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the fight was moved to another card. With that, the scrap ended up being a catchweight bout.
That kind of reshuffling was routine in that stretch of the regional calendar. Pandemic-era restrictions forced promoters to move bouts between cards, adjust formats on short notice and, in cases like this one, strip championship status from fights that had been booked as title bouts. For veterans chasing belts and momentum alike, it meant wins that looked different on the record than they did on the contract.
Now, however, in the main event of B2 Fighting Series 127 on Friday night, Assenza will meet Chance Beck (5-0) in a bout he’s looking forward to.
The B2 Fighting Series lightweight title is the latest target in what has become a deliberate belt-collecting campaign for the Burlington veteran. On the Canadian and American regional circuits, accumulating promotion titles is the clearest way for a fighter outside the major leagues to keep his name circulating — each new belt is another headline, another sellable main event, and another argument for the call every regional pro is waiting on.
“To be honest with you, I thought I was fighting for the belt last fight. B2 has a few different shows they run. I wanted to fight Sean Fallon who was the champ,” Assenza said to MMA Empire.
“I got the fight, but they ended up moving it to a different promotion due to COVID restrictions and it ended up being a three-round catchweight fight. I’ve been trying to fight for another belt and I get the chance to fight Chance and it’s a perfect fight for me.”
Although it’s hard to find much tape on regional fighters, Assenza, 33, found enough video to know what Beck is like. He knows the champ will look to take him down early and often as he is a grappler at heart.
However, for Assenza, he knows he has underrated wrestling and will be able to keep it standing. On the feet, he has the power to be able to knockout Beck.
The stylistic tension is a familiar one: a grappler-champion who wants the fight on the mat against a veteran striker confident his takedown defense will keep it standing. Beck's amateur pedigree is well documented, but five professional fights is still a small sample — and Assenza's nearly two-decade ledger means he has already fought through most versions of what a grappler can bring.
Regardless of where the fight takes place, Assenza is confident he won’t just win, but will dominate Beck to win the title.
It is a confident read, though not an unreasonable one. Assenza's recent run has been built on exactly this kind of fight — taking on champions and prospects on their home promotions' cards and trusting his finishing ability to outweigh the scoring questions that follow a longer bout. If the fight does reach the championship rounds, his conditioning and sheer volume of cage time become real advantages rather than theoretical ones.
“He has an extensive amateur record and he had those two fights early and had a hiatus. He’s a well-rounded fighter and someone I can’t overlook. He does finish his fights early, where I’m a machine and I don’t get tired,” Assenza said.
“If the fight gets dragged out to the championship rounds, I think that will benefit me. I’m a finisher as well, but regardless of how it goes, I have a ton of confidence in myself. Really, for me, I think I win by domination. I’m better everywhere and I think I’ll get the finish.”
If Assenza does win the title, he believes a win would put him on the UFC’s radar for a short-notice fight. However, he says he does want to collect other regional titles.
“I’m ranked as the top Canadian at lightweight and welterweights, according to some websites, so getting the wins and belts gets me closer to the door,” Assenza said.
Regional rankings carry that weight precisely because there is no other scoreboard at this level. For a 33-year-old lightweight still outside the major promotions, every recognizable title adds to the case that he belongs in the conversation when a short-notice opportunity or developmental slot opens up — a pathway that has worked before for Canadian veterans who kept winning long enough to be undeniable.
“I know if I win this, when the UFC is looking for people, I’ll be on their radar. But, I’m under the belief that you have to defend your belt. I win here, I will defend this belt. But, I’m also after titles, so I will look at other promotions to win their belts.”
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