With a trio of combat disciplines on display—MMA, boxing, and jiu-jitsu—Modern FC 4 delivered a genuine showcase of mixed martial arts.
In the featured bout, hometown hero Jesse Boldt (now 4-2) endured a punishing back-and-forth against the heavy-handed Travis Gervais (now 4-3) to claim a split-decision verdict in Saskatoon, SK on Friday evening.
The contest proved an even clash, with Boldt later admitting he ate several clean shots from Gervais and could barely recall much of rounds two and three.
"He clearly hits pretty hard. I remember little glimpses of the fight and I think he may have clipped me at the end of the first round, but after that I was just on auto-pilot," said Boldt in an interview with MMA Empire.
"After the decision, I was asking my teammates and coaches if they thought it was a fair decision because the last thing I wanted was for the crowd to think the judges were biased or anything. They said it was really close; he landed the harder shots, but I think I had more control and was chipping away with kicks, and reversed him a few times on the ground."
The victory extends Boldt's winning streak to two in 2019 following a three-and-a-half-year absence from competition, both wins coming inside main-event slots.
Besides needing time to heal from the physical toll of the bout, Boldt expressed eagerness to carry forward the momentum and return to action swiftly, albeit with something bigger on the line this time around.
"I wanted to talk about having a belt in Modern FC. I'm 2-0 now with Modern FC, so maybe we could have a title fight and start having some champions in the organization," said Boldt.
"That's something I'll be looking for in the future, but for now I'm just going to rest my face and rest my bones."
Byrne Has Eyes on Rematch
Chris Lee Byrne (now 4-1) opened the MMA card with a commanding second-round TKO over Dan Juricic (now 1-2).
Following a competitive opening round, Byrne secured a takedown and unleashed punishing ground and pound, which produced a severe cut on Juricic and prompted the referee to step in and halt the contest.
"I really underestimated him from how he carries himself and from the old footage. In the ring, he was not the same guy I watched in his past footage," said Byrne in an interview with MMA Empire.
"He really rose to the occasion and brought out the best in me."
The triumph brings Byrne to three consecutive professional victories, with his sole defeat coming against Phil Towler by unanimous decision.
Byrne noted he plans to return to action as soon as his 14-day medical suspension expires, and while he welcomes contests at middleweight or above, he'd dearly love a rematch with Towler.
"Our first fight was kind of a lacklustre fight. He just kind of stayed on top of me for two rounds and didn't really pass or do any ground and pound, and I just couldn't submit him," said Byrne.
"He finishes most of his opponents and I finish most of mine, so I feel we can do better. I fought him in his hometown, so I think it'd be nice for him to give me a rematch in my hometown."
Palomeque Shows no Rust
Returning after a five-year hiatus, Rafael Palomeque (now 2-1) looked sharp against the more seasoned short-notice replacement Drayton Angus (now 7-9), landing a first-round rear-naked choke for the submission victory.
Palomeque acknowledged Angus's experience and approached the bout with caution, yet remained grateful to compete after his original opponent withdrew fewer than two weeks before fight night.
"I was very thankful for him accepting the fight and the promotion did a very good job getting all his medicals and everything organized for him," said Palomeque in an interview with MMA Empire.
"There was a bit of nerves because his experience is very dangerous. I was taking it very serious and showing him the respect he deserves."
With only a 14-day suspension to serve, Palomeque intends to head straight back to training camp and begin preparing for his next bout.
Following such an extended absence, he remains driven to stay active and return to the cage.
"I'm going to go right back into the grind. I've been hungry for awhile now," said Palomeque.
"The opportunities are limitless."
Austin Russell, Joe Alisauskas and Jared Cochrane also claimed victories in other MMA bouts, while Myke Lee defeated Eric Wilson in a jiu-jitsu matchup.
Jessica Caverly, Catlin Matheson, Shalin Steel, Sandor Baird, and Prince Jobbie del Rosario were also triumphant in amateur boxing action.
Byrne's Shoutouts
"I'd like to thank my team Munda Jiu-Jitsu, Adrenaline MMA, my coaches (Chris Clement, Josh Russell, Stephen Molitor), and my sponsors (King Faisal Rehman, Black Diamond Bar and Grill, CAJ Investments Ltd., Flow X, RAM Specialized Logistics)."
