Rise FC 4 delivered an absolute slugfest.
Rise FC's fourth edition unfolded Saturday evening in Victoria, British Columbia, with a stacked card of seven bouts producing non-stop entertainment across the MMA cards.
Headlining the card, a battered Tristan Connelly (now 13-6) dug deep to secure a fifth-round TKO triumph over D'Juan Owens (now 18-14-1), capturing the Rise FC lightweight title in the process.
Connelly bore the brunt of visible damage around his nose and left eye, yet both competitors traded heavy blows throughout what became Fight of the Night.
"D'Juan's a real warrior, man. He was dangerous from every angle with virtually no weaknesses to take advantage of," Connelly shared during a post-fight interview.
"That choke I locked in was extremely tight. He refused to tap at the ten-second mark, and I genuinely believed he was going to pass out. He even admitted it was as compressed as possible, but he was simply holding out until the round expired."
This latest triumph extends Connelly's current streak to four consecutive wins, marking eight victories within his last nine outings—all secured before the final bell.
With this result, Connelly now holds titles across two organizations: Rise FC and CageSport. Yet he emphasized this belt carries special weight, particularly since he once called Victoria his hometown.
"It feels incredible because I truly had to earn it. He forced me to grind for every inch; he handed me absolutely nothing," Connelly remarked.
"I tend to live in the moment during fights, so I was fully locked into the bout itself, but there's a layer of nostalgia here since this is where I fought my very first MMA match. If fate works in my favor, this could be my final outing before stepping into the UFC, so pulling off this victory on home turf in Victoria would be nothing short of amazing."
A Lifetime of Work
In the co-main event, Saeid Mirzaei (now 2-0-1) engaged in a brutal brawl with Nicolae Cury (now 9-7, 1 NC) that carried into the championship rounds.
Mirzaei found his opening in the fourth round, landing a decisive knockout blow on Cury to claim the newly vacant Rise FC welterweight championship.
"This is incredibly meaningful to me—I've poured everything I have into this," Mirzaei told reporters during an interview.
"Now I've got twice as much money as before. That's exactly what I was chasing—I needed the cash so I could take some time off this summer and spend it with my son."
Mirzaei explained that since his son resides in Germany, his immediate plans for his MMA career remain uncertain.
He expressed a desire to establish himself in Germany to be near his child, though he acknowledged several variables would shape his ultimate choice.
"Staying apart from my boy weighs heavily on me—it really breaks my heart and soul. I'm not someone who gets depressed easily, but being separated from my kid is genuinely the toughest challenge I've ever faced," Mirzaei shared.
"I don't have a training camp over there because my current team is so solid here. If I can figure out how to build my career there, I absolutely will. For now though, I'm heading to Germany for a stretch—at least until they reach out and ask me to come back for the next bout."
UFC Next?
Elsewhere on the card, Jamie Siraj (8-2) took yet another shot at earning a UFC contract, knocking out Blake Sigvaldason (now 3-2) in the opening moments of the first round.
Siraj is riding a five-bout winning streak, with four of those victories coming by stoppage, and he's convinced he's delivered enough performances to earn a spot on the main roster.
"I went 9-2 as an amateur, I'm currently 8-2 as a professional, and I'm taking down top-tier competition," Siraj said in an interview.
"I really can't understand why I wouldn't get a call now. I'm young, I'm marketable, I finish my fights, and I'm only going to keep improving."
The UFC event that's firmly on Siraj's radar for a potential debut is UFC Vancouver, taking place right in his hometown.
Even though the fight card is filling up quickly, Siraj said he'll be completely ready to step in if a last-minute opportunity arises.
"I'll be back in the gym next week," said Siraj.
"I'm going to train like my fight is September 14—that's exactly where my head's at. I've turned down other offers because I want the UFC."
Josh Kwiatkowski, Bryce Gougeon, Keanan Kellar, and Mitch Strazzella all secured wins on the night as well.
