It came as a genuine pleasant surprise.
Despite sharing just two combined professional bouts between them, New Westminster's Jason Giroux (0-1) and Vancouver's Oguzhan Yalçin (0-1) will meet in an amateur featherweight contest headlining BFL 62 on Saturday night in Richmond, B.C.
Learning he'd been given the main event slot caught Giroux, 20, completely off guard.
"I almost couldn't believe it. I thought they were pulling my leg," Giroux recalled during a conversation.
"My coach broke the news and I refused to believe him until I checked the Battlefield announcement."
Even though he's only competed once in MMA, Giroux has been honing his craft across multiple disciplines since childhood.
His relentless daily training regimen at Titan MMA has left him confident he holds every advantage against Yalçin.
"I come from a submission and grappling background, I train 10th Planet jiu-jitsu and hold a purple belt under Nabil Salameh, and I work striking with Ken Tran," Giroux explained.
"No matter where this fight goes, it won't matter. I'm going to absolutely wreck him regardless of what approach he brings to the table."
That lone MMA appearance might suggest inexperience, yet Giroux boasts an extensive record of jiu-jitsu tournaments alongside multiple kickboxing bouts.
Yalçin brings comparable credentials in wrestling, but Giroux feels he's faced tougher competition overall.
"I've already experienced the pressure of performing in front of a large Battlefield crowd and learned to handle it," Giroux noted.
"Over time, I've become much more comfortable performing before spectators."
Elite Wrestling
Where Yalçin, 22, clearly holds the advantage is on the mats, boasting national and international competition experience along with three-time Turkish junior national championship titles.
However, Yalçin indicated he doesn't anticipate leaning heavily on his wrestling prowess this Saturday.
"Ultimately, it's a completely different sport. You have to build your strategy from scratch," Yalçin remarked.
"It'll be useful in certain scenarios, but that's about it."
Yalçin mentioned wanting to be more aggressive and build experience with his stand-up game during his second amateur outing.
His debut occurred mostly on the ground, and he expressed interest in using this matchup to showcase his striking.
"I want to test myself more on my feet. Let's see how it plays out, but I certainly won't neglect my takedowns or grappling," Yalçin stated.
"If we hit the mat, I'll finish him early in round one. Otherwise, I can put him away standing as well."
Like his opponent, Yalçin found himself pleasantly surprised to headline the card.
Being named the featured bout gave Yalçin additional motivation and intensity heading into his training camp.
"Getting the main event spot caught me off guard, but it definitely adds that extra fuel and gets me even more fired up."
Giroux's Shoutouts
"I want to express my gratitude to everyone at Titan MMA for everything they've contributed to my development inside and outside the cage." Follow Giroux on social media: FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM
Yalçin's Shoutouts
"I'd like to thank all my teammates, coaches, and training partners at Posener's Pankration." Follow Yalçin on social media: FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM
