Written by Maya Turner
From seasoned veterans proving they still have bite to promising newcomers climbing the ranks, BTC 13 delivered across every weight class on Saturday evening in St. Catharines, Ont.
The main event featured Canadian women's MMA trailblazer Sarah Kaufman (now 22-5), who didn't wait long to secure the result, stopping Jessy Miele (now 9-6) via ground and pound in round one.
Having been sidelined since 2019 and battling to secure a willing opponent during that span, Kaufman expressed appreciation for BTC Fight Promotions giving her a chance to return.
"I appreciate BTC for organizing this card and bringing me back, and I appreciate Jessy for stepping in," Kaufman told reporters after the bout.
"I came here for a first-round finish. I feel fantastic, absolutely fantastic."
Over the course of her career, Kaufman has graced the sport's premier cards and faced some of its most decorated athletes, including Valentina Shevchenko and Ronda Rousey.
Kaufman is convinced she still belongs on the largest platforms and feels the UFC overlooked her talent for too long.
"I'm standing right here, I'm ready to compete, and I'm arguably Canada's top woman. Put me on the card and hand me the marquee bouts. I'm chasing the biggest names—I believe I should be ranked number one globally, and I'm confident I can prove it," Kaufman declared.
"Amanda Nunes—that's the matchup I'm after. I want to be the best in the world."
In the flyweight division, Gabe Sagman (now 7-4) leaned on his wrestling foundation to earn a unanimous decision over Matt Dawson (now 2-2).
After a rough opening exchange where Dawson landed a solid shot early, Sagman said he was pleased with how he recovered and secured the result—the outcome being what matters most.
"He couldn't match me on the mat. That became the defining theme of the bout. Once I took him down, my top control was overwhelming," Sagman told MMA Empire.
"There were a few scrambles, but the key was maintaining balance between inflicting damage from top position and avoiding posture-up moments that give opponents room to escape. I kept it tight and focused on steady damage accumulation."
Sagman has now collected two consecutive victories and three wins in his last four outings. This marks his first flyweight appearance since 2016.
While Sagman acknowledged limited domestic options moving forward, he feels a championship opportunity should follow if he steps back into the BTC cage.
"During the commentary, it felt like the post-fight segment was positioning me for a title shot against James Clarke, the current BTC champion. I'm uncertain about his situation with B2 Fighting Series or whether he'll return. Honestly, I'm not fixated on him specifically, but if I do come back to BTC, I believe I deserve the title shot next," Sagman stated.
"Beyond that, there aren't many viable flyweight opponents in Canada who'd make sense given my experience level. I've been vocal about wanting to face Chris Kelades—it'd be a compelling matchup. I know the folks at Fight League Atlantic and mentioned interest in that bout. If Chris is ready for a homecoming-style fight with them, I'm completely open to it."
BTC 13 also launched a $10,000 bantamweight tournament. Izzudeen Atmeh, Ariel Zuniga, Vinny Dias, and Albaraa Atmeh all punched tickets to the semi-finals, scheduled for March 5, 2022.
Xavier Nash, Teshay Gouthro, Cody Chovancek, and Binaebi Otoru rounded out the night with wins on the card.
