It doesn’t get much better than this. Two of Canada’s top bantamweights are set to do battle in the main event.

Squamish’s Cole Smith (5-0) will defend is BFL bantamweight strap Saturday night against Montreal’s Ty Wilson (5-1) at BFL 59 in Coquitlam, B.C.

Smith, 29, said he’s expecting to have to be at his best to retain his belt in what he expects to be a gritty battle in the trenches with him coming out victorious.

“I feel like it’s going to be a tough, dirty, gritty fight. It’s not going to be a pretty, clean fight. It’s going to be tough on both ends,” said Smith in an interview.

“I just think I’m going to come out on top. I don’t really know which way, but I’m pretty dangerous everywhere. If you look at my resume, I have finishes from all angles.”

Still holding an unblemished professional record, Smith is already on the radar of some of the bigger promotions worldwide.

But despite his hopes and aspirations of securing a contract with one of the big shows in the future, Smith said he’s only focused on the task at hand.

“I just look at the next fight, and the next one is Ty. After that, I’ll look at where I can go, but I can’t be looking ahead of Ty,” said Smith.

“When I win this fight and win it decisively, I’ll start looking for UFC, One FC, or Bellator. One fight at a time.”

When looking at records and rankings, Wilson stands as Smith’s toughest test to date, currently sitting one slot ahead of Smith in Tapology’s Canadian bantamweight rankings.

And while Smith knows Wilson does present a tough matchup, he said it’s a matchup he likes and one he believes favours him.

“I know he’s tough, he won’t quit and he’s a grinder, and that’s the style of fight I like,” said Smith.

“I think it’s a good matchup, I think he’s tough, and I think he’s going to bring out the best in me.”

Fighting Out of Tristar

Wilson, 26, also holds plenty of respect for Smith, who also stands as the toughest test of his professional career.

And although he’s had a knack for quick finishes so far in his career, Wilson said he’s not expecting a quick finish on Saturday night.

“I kind of see this one going into the fourth or fifth round where I can maybe get a finish when he starts getting tired,” said Wilson in an interview.

“I’ve also never really seen him gas out, so it could go the full five rounds too.”

After spending a lot of his training time in the past at Hayabusa Academy, Wilson made the move to Tristar Montreal ahead of this fight.

With the high-level coaches and training partners he’s been able to work with at Tristar, Wilson said he’s feeling better than ever coming out of training camp.

“It’s been amazing. It’s not just Firas Zahabi, but all the other pros helping me out and giving me advice,” said Wilson.

“Even the amateurs; there’s so many people here that have so much knowledge I can take from them. It’s awesome.”

This will be Wilson’s first crack at a title in his young professional career, after winning three championship belts as an amateur.

But despite the opportunity to be crowned champion, Wilson said he’s more excited about the challenge in fighting Smith.

“It’s less about the belt for me. It’s cool and it helps when I’m trying to get to bigger organizations, but it’s more about the challenge of it being a five-round fight,” said Wilson.

“I’m more concerned about just beating Cole. The belt is just icing on the cake.”

Smith’s Shoutouts

“I’d like to thank my gym The Sound Martial Arts, New Era Plumbing and Heating Ltd., LD Millwork, Vista Integrated Systems Inc., Long Time Dead Apparel Ltd., and Anytime Fitness Squamish.”

Wilson’s Shoutouts

“I’d like to thank Tristar Montreal, Hayabusa Academy, Mark Cleary at Sitbpeegohn Muay Thai, Bubba’s Poutine & Pizzeria, and Gladiator Nutrition.”