They don’t get much bigger than this.
Dustin Joynson (4-0) will look to add a second title to his collection when he takes on fellow big man Caio Machado (1-0-1) in a heavyweight title clash at BFL 58 Saturday night in Coquitlam, B.C.
Joynson, 33, is fresh off winning the Havoc FC heavyweight title last November, and said winning a second straight title would look great to other organizations.
A second belt in a second promotion is how regional heavyweights build a case — the division is thin enough across Canada that each new title reshuffles who's considered next in line for the bigger stages.
“I don’t know how much it really helps, but at the same time you can’t deny that it looks good on my resume, especially for the UFC to see that I do have two Canadian titles,” said Joynson in an interview.
“It would definitely help me jump along quicker than others.”
Joynson enters this contest with five-career fights under his belt, which includes one amateur fight, while Machado holds far less experience with just two MMA bouts.
On paper the cage-time gap favors Joynson, but heavyweights are the division where experience matters least — one clean shot ends most fights regardless of who's seen more rounds.
But despite holding the edge in cage time, Joynson said he doesn’t believe it’s something that will end up being an advantage.
“In my second or third fight, I felt very confident and did really well, and didn’t feel like my inexperience fighting held me back at all,” said Joynson.
“He may only have two MMA fights, but who knows what else he’s competed in.”
With Machado only having the two fights, Joynson said he hasn’t been able to watch any footage to see what he may be up against.
Fighting blind is a real handicap at this level — with no tape, Joynson's game plan has to stay generic until the first exchanges tell him what Machado actually brings.
In this situation, Joynson said the first couple minutes of the fight are going to be a real feeling out process.
“I’ll go in there, feel him out, see what he thinks he’s strong at, and try to do the opposite of what he’s good at.”
Machado Prepped for Big Test
Originally from Brazil, Machado, 24, comes from primarily a striking background, without much wrestling work.
Machado arrives at BFL 58 with just two pro fights but a striking pedigree that travels — Brazilian muay thai converts have a long history of fast-tracking through regional heavyweight divisions precisely because the skill gap shows early.
But for this training camp, Machado said he’s been putting a lot of time in working on his wrestling, which he feels could be the difference in the fight.
“I’m from Brazil, so we don’t train a lot of wrestling there,” said Machado in an interview.
“My BJJ, my striking and my muay thai is good, so I’ve been focusing a lot more on wrestling, not just for this fight, but for my career.”
At such an early stage in his career, Machado, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., said it’s a big deal for him to already be rewarded with a title shot.
A title shot two fights into a career is a fast timeline even by regional standards — it speaks both to Machado's upside and to how quickly a thin division elevates anyone who looks the part.
He said winning the title and defeating a tough opponent in Joynson would be a huge step forward, and set him up for even bigger opportunities down the road.
“From what I’ve seen, Joynson is definitely the biggest test of my career, and I’m looking forward to that,” said Machado.
“If I want to get to the next level, Joynson is the best guy around and the guy I need to be challenged by to take that next step.”
With Machado’s striking background and Joynson’s finishing prowess and speed, Machado said it’s highly unlikely this fight goes the full five rounds.
He said it should to be an entertaining fight that likely ends in a knockout.
Both men predicting a finish is standard heavyweight math — the division's entire identity is built on the fact that someone usually doesn't hear the final horn.
“We’re both heavyweights, so neither of us want to go the full five rounds. We’re preparing in case it does, but we’re both planning to get the knockout first,” said Machado.
“Knowing how heavyweight fights usually go, one of us is going to be down before the final round.”
Joynson’s Shoutouts
“I’d like to thank my sponsors Universal Supplements, JRP Cement Finishing, Gold Standard Hauling and Services, Suits U Athletics, TCF Contracting, The Fox, and Preme. You can find me on Instagram at @d_joynson, Facebook at Dustin Joynson MMA.
Machado’s Shoutouts
“I mostly want to thank all my coaches and people who have been training with me and helping me this camp, and also my girlfriend who’s been supporting me through it all.
