In mixed martial arts, second chances don't come often—and when they do, they're usually reserved for fighters who've earned their way back.
After falling short of the throne over the summer, Coquitlam, B.C.'s Ali Wasuk (4-1) now has another crack at the top as he takes on Burlington, Ont.'s Serhiy Sidey (5-1) for the BFL bantamweight crown this Friday in the BFL 70 main event in Vancouver, B.C.
Getting whisked away to the hospital certainly wasn't how Wasuk wanted to spend the week leading up to his first career title shot in June.
Forcing himself out of what should have been the defining moment of his young career proved to be a difficult setback for the Tristar West Coast representative, yet it taught him something invaluable.
"Because the fights were so close together, I got a little sloppy on my diet and I started doing different things," Wasuk told MMA Empire during a recent interview.
"I was having a lot more fibre and my nutritionist explained it's like if you see a stack of hay and pour water on it. It just soaks it all up and gets super heavy. And that's kind of what happened. I was able to make the weight but it just killed me basically. Hindsight is 20/20 and it was a big lesson for me. I'm back to normal and I'm excited to hit the scales healthy."
During his time away, Wasuk, now 30, kept tabs on how things were shaping up in BFL's bantamweight division.
Sidey managed to claim the vacant title with a first-round submission of Gio Platon back in September. While Wasuk acknowledged seeing real growth in Sidey's ground game, he believes he maintains an edge across most areas, particularly in grappling exchanges.
"It was a quick fight and a great finish, but Gio was doing pretty well to start," Wasuk noted.
"He did get on top and he landed some shots. It was just a little bit of an amateur mistake on his part getting caught in the triangle. Hats off to Serhiy for sinking it in though. Serhiy's kicks are a big part of his game and against a wrestler you don't want to throw too many. Stylistically, I feel like it's going to be a tough fight for him."
Wasuk revealed he's introduced several fresh faces, alongside familiar ones, into his training camp ahead of his meeting with Sidey.
"It's been good, I've added a few new people to my camp," Wasuk shared.
"I brought in a few high-level kickboxers and I've been working with Jauncey. I'll be using him moving forward. And of course I've got my man Kajan Johnson as always."
Wasuk fully recognizes the threat Sidey poses inside the cage, but with the team that has surrounded him throughout his career, he views it as business as usual.
The fighter tends to keep his gaze focused inward, spending very little time dissecting what his opponent might bring to the table.
"The beauty of having a guy like Kajan on my team I feel like he has a lot of the same tools that Serhiy has but just on a higher level, a little bit sharper," Wasuk broke down.
"Serhiy is young and getting into the groove of it, but I've had those looks for so many years, since I was an amateur. Now it's all about fine-tuning it and come fight day I'm just going to look for openings and take what's there. I never go in with a real game plan. I just focus on myself, try to utilize all my tools and see what happens."
BFL 70 on Friday evening gives Wasuk a chance to finally claim the championship gold he's been pursuing ever since turning professional in 2019.
What promises to be a fascinating stylistic battle between two of Canada's premier bantamweights could also provide a massive momentum shift for the victor.
"Since I've turned pro, I've had the BFL title as my background on my phone. I see it everyday," Wasuk said.
"It's been a long-time goal of mine to win the belt. It would mean a lot to me and this guy is one of the biggest prospects in Canada, so it's really two of the best in the country going at it. I feel like after that it's a big ticket for either fighter. Whoever wins this fight is going to get a big push."
Wasuk's Shoutouts
"My entire team at Tristar West Coast, J. Jauncey and WKX, Lions MMA team, and all my sponsors." Follow Wasuk on social media: INSTAGRAM
