What an unforgettable evening unfolded at Rumble in the Cage 61 in Lethbridge, Alberta.
The main event saw UFC veteran Jesse Bongfeldt (now 23-7-1) make his return to the octagon after more than seven years away, dropping Micah Brakefield (now 7-8) with a first-round knockout.
Bongfeldt expressed how satisfying it was to step back inside the cage, noting he was pleased with his showing overall.
"It felt a little velocitized. I felt maybe I could've sped things up a little bit," said Bongfeldt.
"But in that first round I wanted to stick to that jab, I wanted to work the thai clinch, I wanted to stay back. Because of consistently training, I didn't feel too rusty. It felt pretty damn good."
The fighter emphasized this outing wouldn't be a one-time appearance, adding that he intends to stay busy and string together more victories.
"I'm looking to keep some momentum here. I was stoked to have Lee Mein, Jordan Mein and Mason Griffiths in my corner. Just keep having those boys in my corner, setting me up, and knocking them down."
Colton Cronkite (now 3-0) extended his remarkable run of first-round stoppages, finishing Taylor Bull (now 2-9) by way of arm bar in their middleweight bout — bringing his total to seven consecutive first-round finishes stretching back to his days as an amateur.
There was an added dramatic element to this particular finish, though: the arm bar that Cronkite sunk in was so powerful it fractured Bull's arm and dislocated his elbow.
Still, even after securing that first-round victory, Cronkite acknowledged that Bull proved to be one of the most difficult opponents he'd ever tried to finish, expressing genuine admiration for him.
"He's a super tough guy; he was super hard to finish," said Cronkite.
"Even after the arm bar when I broke his arm, he was laughing. He's probably the physically toughest guy I've ever faced. He was very durable."
With no damage sustained during the bout, Cronkite indicated he wants to return to competition at the earliest opportunity.
He noted he doesn't care about location or opponent — his only desire is to maintain his current momentum.
"Anywhere, anytime, anyone. It doesn't matter to me. Sign the contract."
Joel Odorski also advanced his professional mark to 3-0, albeit under somewhat unconventional conditions.
Odorski walked away with the win against Gage Saunders (now 3-2) after Saunders received a disqualification for throwing illegal elbows in under a minute of action.
The victory will remain on his official record, though Odorski admitted he was less than thrilled with how the bout concluded.
"It's not the way I wanted to finish it, but I understand that's what happens in this sport," Odorski shared.
"There were plenty of fans in attendance, and unfortunately we couldn't really showcase a proper fight—so it's frustrating."
During one of ten bouts for gold at the 2019 Canadian National Amateur Championships, Jett Grande (13-0) reaffirmed his status as reigning world champion by overcoming a formidable Ramil Kamilov (now 4-2) to capture the welterweight amateur national crown.
Grande acknowledged Kamilov matched his expectations regarding toughness and expressed relief at walking away with the decision.
"I knew ahead of time that Ramil was the most difficult competitor in that entire bracket," Grande explained.
"His level of toughness didn't shock me at all. It was a solid matchup, and I'm satisfied with the outcome."
While he avoided defeat at last year's edition of the same tournament, Grande endured a fractured nose during the semifinals that sidelined him from competing in the championship bout and from pursuing a national title.
On this trip, Grande was finally able to claim the national champion designation alongside his existing world champion title—a milestone he's enthusiastic about.
"It adds another accolade to my collection," Grande noted.
"My focus now is stacking up as many championships as possible before making my professional debut."
Click the link above to see the complete results from Rumble in the Cage 61.
