BTC Fight Promotions is rounding out the calendar year with yet another stacked card, capped off by a main event that promises fireworks.
The London, Ont.-raised UFC veteran Jesse Ronson (21-10) is stepping back into the BTC cage, where he'll square off against German fighter Nordin Asrih (29-10-1) in a lightweight showdown on the BTC 18 main card.
"Just another fight," Ronson told MMA Empire. "I'd prefer not to be back on the regional scene, but to move forward I need to collect a victory."
"My manager says if I want to see Bellator or any major promotion again, I need to put together a win. That's the plan. I'm still in the game."
Ronson, 36, fell out of the UFC after losing his last two outings. Now he's out to rebuild momentum and remind the bigger organizations he's still competitive ahead of Saturday night's card.
"Camp has been going really well," Ronson said. "I didn't fall out of shape after my October fight, so I'm in a good spot."
"I'm eager to put this older German fighter away and then finally take some time off to see what calls come in once the dust settles."
While Ronson wasn't shy about calling out his opponent's age, he sees several other advantages beyond that. He also believes the quality of competition each man has faced gives him the upper hand.
"Frankly, it's a joke," Ronson said. "Sure, he's on a nine-fight win streak, but every one of those wins came inside his own promotion. If I ran my own show and decided to go 10-0 with all finishes, you bet I would."
"He's cherry-picking his matchups and beating whoever he picks. That's fair enough, I'm glad he's doing well, but he's in for a shock when he steps across the line in Canada at 44 years old, three years removed from action, facing a UFC vet who's been training straight through."
Even though heading back to the regional ranks after two stints in the UFC isn't the path Ronson envisioned, he's determined to make the most of it—and he's expecting a raucous Burlington crowd.
"I've said it before: watching me fight on television is one thing, but experiencing it in person is completely different," Ronson said.
"So come out and see it live. It's worth it. I fought in front of empty seats for my last three UFC bouts, so it's been ages since I got fans behind me. There's nothing like hearing a crowd go wild—it gives you fuel. And I'm not worried they'll be rooting for the German fighter."
Only four of Ronson's 21 career victories have come via decision, making him a dangerous finisher. On the mental side, however, he's planning to adopt a more relaxed mindset for this outing.
"I can see him falling anywhere in the fight," Ronson said.
"I need to just go out and fight. That's been my problem lately—I've been overthinking and over-planning. For this one, there's no elaborate strategy. I'm trusting my training and my skills. We're just going out there and battling, and I feel good about it."
Ronson's shoutouts
"The king. Faisal Rehman. He gets everyone their medicals sorted and he had a great showing at PFC 14. Without him, Ontario MMA wouldn't exist. And Bearded Bites—I've never eaten this much food and still made weight so easily." Follow Ronson on social media: TWITTER, INSTAGRAM
