It was a demanding evening for the officials at BFL 64.
During a card featuring nine fights going the distance, Caio Machado (now 3-1-1) was part of those nine battles, earning a narrow majority decision against Justin Doege (now 2-2) to claim the newly vacated BFL heavyweight championship in Coquitlam, B.C. on Saturday evening.
Machado believed he'd have the edge in later rounds if the fight stretched into the championship frames, and that proved to be the case.
"This marked the first time I committed to a full-time camp, dedicating my entire life to fighting with ample training hours," Machado shared during his post-fight interview.
"I'd previously reached championship rounds, and I knew that's where my strengths lie."
Doege landed a devastating overhand right in the third round that dropped Machado to the canvas. Machado admitted he felt the impact momentarily, but quickly recovered once they resumed standing.
Machado indicated he plans to take several months off for the holiday season and return to Brazil to spend time with relatives.
When he returns to training, Machado expressed hope that capturing this championship opens doors to higher-profile competitions.
"I'm ready to move up now. I believe this belt represents my pathway to the next tier," Machado told MMA Empire.
"My goal is to compete at the highest levels. I don't plan to remain just the BFL champion—I aim to become a UFC, Bellator, or ONE FC champion."
Triple Champ
Indroop Virk (now 7-0) achieved something uncommon on Saturday night, securing his third championship across three separate weight classes with a split decision triumph over Mitch Strazzella (now 3-3) to claim the BFL amateur bantamweight belt.
Because Strazzella failed to make weight, the bout was modified to three rounds, with only Virk eligible to win the title via victory.
Virk expressed disappointment at not finishing the fight and was taken aback by the split decision ruling, though he remained pleased with the outcome.
"The fight went well, but I was hoping for a finish that never materialized," Virk told MMA Empire.
"He was incredibly tough—hard to control on the ground. I landed several solid slams, which felt good, but the split decision caught me off guard. I expected a 30-27 unanimous verdict."
Regardless of the method of victory, Virk has now secured belts in three distinct weight classes during his amateur career, with BFL flyweight and bantamweight championships alongside a Rumble in the Cage featherweight title.
Virk expressed satisfaction at accomplishing such a unique achievement and acknowledged he has choices to make regarding his MMA future.
"It feels incredible. I'm likely the only Canadian to have captured three different belts across three different divisions," Virk stated.
"I'm heading to Thailand in three weeks for training, so when I return in March, I'll sit down with my coaches and determine our next steps."
In additional championship bouts, Mike Brackett ended a four-year absence from competition to capture the BFL 175-pound amateur championship, defeating Phil Lauzon by TKO in the fourth round.
Oguzhan Yalcin displayed dominant wrestling during his amateur featherweight title clash against Mani El-Hefnawy, securing a unanimous decision victory and his first championship belt.
Jesus Garcia, Taylor Christopher, Dario Sinagoga, Glen Cuevas, Omar Stefanini, Maria Demers, Sina Maani, Niko Chan, Daniel Abdenour and Carson Le all earned victories on the evening as well.
