For Shane Campbell, collecting championship gold has evolved into little more than a routine.
Campbell (now 18-8) earned himself a unanimous verdict over David Jordan, now (7-5), to capture the Fight Night super lightweight title at Fight Night 11.
The bout nearly lost its title status entirely when Jordan came in four pounds over the limit. However, the fighters and officials struck a deal to run the contest under 160-pound rules, which Campbell noted was an excellent addition to his already impressive trophy case.
"It's incredible. Things always feel better once you've put in the work," Campbell shared during a post-fight interview.
"I'm paid and have the belt in hand, so now I can go back to the drawing board."
Campbell has continued to battle only the toughest of competition since his release from the UFC, now sitting at 6-2 during that span.
Campbell said he'd like the opportunity to fight for one of the top promotions in the world in the near future, but said he has no shortage of other options if he doesn't receive the call.
"In time, as long as I play the right game and don't take some silly fights while I'm injured, a couple more wins and I will be back there (UFC). I'm an exciting fighter and when I'm at my best, I'm a savage," said Campbell.
"I'll be back in the big show, but until then I have my Unified MMA belt to defend and now this one."
Puric Scores Big
In the main event, Denis Puric (now 8-5) came away with the biggest win of his career, a razor thin split decision over former UFC fighter Terrion Ware (now 17-10).
This contest was originally scheduled to be for the Fight Night bantamweight title, but Ware missed weight by six pounds, promoting the change to a three-round non-title fight.
Although adding another strap to his collection would've been even nicer, Puric said it's more about the win itself for him.
"It's not about the belt. The belt was just another piece of hardware to put into my collection," said Puric in an interview.
"I just wanted to get that championship though. I wanted to get it in the books, and try and make it to the bigger shows."
This was Puric's first MMA fight since May 2018, despite having several kickboxing fights in that timeframe.
Puric said he'll be heading back to Asia again for a short time, but will be looking to stay as active as possible in the MMA scene going forward.
"My goal is to return to this event in January for another Fight Night, with the aim of securing a title shot," Puric told reporters.
"Whatever happens, happens. I'm staying put—I'm not leaving anytime soon. I plan to stick around for quite a while."
Quick Work For Hill
On Saturday night, Canada's leading bantamweight, Josh Hill (now 18-3), picked up a victory by applying a rear-naked choke in the early stages of the first round to overcome Gilberto Aguilar (now 17-18-1).
Hill noted the bout played out precisely as he anticipated, with the key being patience—waiting for Aguilar to slip up.
"I began striking from distance and landed a few solid calf kicks. He shot for the takedown, and I immediately flipped him onto my back," Hill explained during a post-fight interview.
"I knew I held a commanding position, and the moment we hit the canvas, I realized I had the opportunity to secure the finish."
Looking ahead, Hill expressed a desire to increase his activity level compared to recent months and aims to step into the cage again before the calendar year wraps up.
He mentioned he still has one bout left under his agreement with TKO MMA, and upon completing that obligation, Hill said he'd like to pursue opportunities with a larger promotion.
"I'd jump at the chance to join a bigger promotion—whether that's the UFC, Bellator, One FC, or Rizin," Hill said.
"I'd really like to compete in the PFL next year, though I'm uncertain if they're running a bantamweight division yet. I chatted with Ray and Kevin, who oversee operations, and they weren't certain the last time we connected. Still, if they launch a bantamweight season, I'd love to be part of it."
Saturday night marked a historic moment as Bobby Brents and Don Wonch faced off in Canada's first-ever sanctioned bare-knuckle boxing contest, with Brents emerging victorious to capture the heavyweight championship.
Earlier in the card, Melissa Croden, Kolton Menzak, and Dan Kovalchuk all secured wins.
