Canada's first stretch of consecutive action-packed mixed martial arts weekends has wrapped up.
BFL 72 headlined a Thursday evening showcase in Vancouver, B.C., featuring three championship bouts, and FLA 3 closed out the slate the following night in Moncton, N.B., delivering plenty of finishes down the card.
The BFL 72 headline clash saw Dejan Kajic (now 14-7-2) retain his BFL 175-pound title, though not in the ideal manner. After Saeid Mirzaei (now 3-1-1) dealt a shoulder blow that left him unable to carry on, Kajic claimed a first-round TKO.
With six straight victories now under his belt, Kajic indicated he'd welcome a quick rematch given the abrupt nature of the contest.
"I want to start by respecting Saeid," Kajic shared during his post-fight remarks. "It's not easy stepping into this cage, and it's even harder pushing through a full camp. Seeing him forced to stand up like that stinks. But that's the reality of it—I've been in his shoes before, I've been hurt too, and I've taken the short end of that stick myself."
"Should he want another shot at the title, I'll hand it to him anytime. He earns it, absolutely earns it. This isn't how I wanted to walk away victorious. He pushed me harder than ever before. I'll step into that octagon with him whenever. We'll both show up ready to go at it."
The BFL 72 co-headliner featured Serhiy Sidey (now 7-1) successfully defending his BFL bantamweight strap with a commanding unanimous verdict over Austin Russell (now 3-1).
Sidey showered praise on Russell's grit and resilience throughout their five-round war.
"I expected him to come out swinging in round one," Sidey noted during his post-fight comments. "What really caught me off guard was just how tough he was. I unloaded everything I had—elbows, strikes, the works. My hands are killing me now."
"This kid's got serious heart. He's headed somewhere great in this game, and I felt privileged to step into the cage with him."
The opening championship match on the BFL 72 bill saw Mateo Vogel (now 6-2) edge a tightly grappled affair against Nicolas Ouellet (now 2-1), securing a majority decision and a new BFL featherweight title.
Vogel has faced plenty of quality opposition throughout his run—including Sidey, Garrett Armfield, and Xavier Alaoui—but he considered Ouellet the hardest test he's faced yet.
"This dude brings serious BJJ firepower," Vogel told reporters after the fight. "He really tested my grappling game. Without question, the toughest challenge I've faced."
"But folks, stop sleeping on us out West. Our jiu-jitsu community in Ontario is operating at the highest level."
The FLA 3 headline bout—the sole professional contest on the card—saw Morgan Rhynes (now 5-5) outlast Eric Wilson (now 7-11) via unanimous decision in a grueling matchup.
Rhynes returned to the cage after more than two years away and felt he was physically and mentally ready for Wilson's expected physicality.
"He's incredibly tough," Rhynes remarked in his post-fight interview.
"He's difficult to finish. I came in knowing it was probably heading to a decision—a back-and-forth scrap. I prepared my mind for that reality, pushed through it, and took the win."
To see the complete results from both BFL 72 and FLA 3, click here.
