Lethbridge, Alta. hosted the opening day of the 2018 Canadian Amateur National Championship, which has now concluded.
Just three matches wrapped up day one of three at the Servus Sports Centre, paving the way for the semi-finals and championship bouts.
Jett Grande delivered a commanding performance, securing a kimura submission against Jackson Fontaine in just 2:14 of the opening round of their welterweight matchup.
Grande (5-0) expressed satisfaction at finishing swiftly without absorbing any significant strikes, giving him time to regroup for day two.
"It went well for me. I secured the first-round submission and was able to take the fight to the mat where I feel most confident," Grande shared during his post-fight interview.
"I considered it a strong opening performance."
This marks Grande's debut appearance at Nationals under the single-elimination format in his developing career.
Though winning three consecutive fights across three consecutive nights might intimidate other fighters, Grande sees it as motivation.
"I'm genuinely pumped because it's a chance to finish 3-0 in just seventy-two hours," Grande explained.
"If I go 7-0 by the end, there's a real shot I'll be ranked number one in Canada. It's a major opportunity and I'm thrilled."
In the featherweight division, Justin Grey claimed a unanimous decision win, marking his first amateur victory, against one of Canada's premier featherweights, Justin Knoepfli.
After the opening round didn't go his way, Grey and his coaching team adjusted their strategy before round two, a shift that ultimately decided the contest.
"I started to wear him down, so I leaned into that, used my wrestling, and ran him out of gas," Grey recounted in his interview.
Grey advances to Friday's gold medal bout, where he'll face someone very familiar.
His opponent will be his Dynamic MMA teammate and cornerman, Albaraa Atmeh, in a clash for the featherweight championship.
Despite the unusual matchup, Grey remains focused on competing with his full effort.
"At the end of the day, he's my teammate. We're family," Grey emphasized.
"Dynamic wins either way. It's a win-win situation."
"We operate as a family, and brothers fight each other. No outsiders get between us," stated Dynamic MMA head coach Vince Gentile.
Dan Kovalchuk also earned his spot in Friday's gold medal showdown, after defeating Shawn Sitthikoun via triangle choke submission at 2:00 of the second round.
After Sitthikoun took the opening frame, the undefeated Kovalchuk (3-0) relied on his conditioning and grappling skills to secure his passage to the finals.
"Both of us were breathing heavy in round two," Kovalchuk recalled.
"I trust my cardio completely, and once I spotted an opening, I committed fully to a takedown attempt—and it paid off."
Similar to Grey, Kovalchuk will next battle his Canadian Martial Arts Centre teammate, James Nelson, for the middleweight title.
Kovalchuk acknowledged the mental and physical challenge ahead, admitting he wasn't initially thrilled about fighting alongside a teammate.
"I was hesitant at first," Kovalchuk admitted.
"But ultimately, we both came here to compete for our sport. I'll give it everything I've got, regardless of the outcome. He'll always be my teammate, and our mutual respect won't change."
