It's been nearly four years since Nick Ghaeni handed Gagan Gill a loss for the BFL amateur featherweight belt. Now, the two fighters are set to cross paths once more this weekend.
Ghaeni (3-2) takes on Gill (1-0) in the co-main event of BFL 56, headlining the card in Coquitlam, B.C., to crown the new BFL professional featherweight champion.
Having won their first encounter at BFL 33, 33-year-old Ghaeni isn't expecting any different results from the rematch.
"I definitely picture myself walking out victorious, but I'm not sure how that will happen," Ghaeni shared during an interview.
"I've got plenty of paths to victory in this matchup, so I'll just show up as myself and let my natural skills take over."
Reflecting on their initial bout, Ghaeni pointed out that Gill is a sharp striker with a deadly submission attack, and he thinks those weapons have only grown sharper since their 2014 encounter.
The numbers back up Ghaeni's assessment: across Gill's seven amateur wins, six came via submission.
"Those areas have always been his strong suit, but he's clearly become even more refined," Ghaeni noted.
On the professional stage, Ghaeni brings more experience to the table with five pro bouts under his belt compared to Gill's single professional outing.
The Calgary-based fighter feels the volume of professional fights he's logged, paired with the caliber of competition he's faced and his age advantage, could be a deciding element against the younger Gill.
"Experience is firmly on my side, particularly considering my age and how young he is at 1-0," Ghaeni said.
"I genuinely believe I'm the hardest fight he's ever stepped into, and I'll still hold that distinction."
Saturday's showdown marks Ghaeni's second professional title bid, following his 2016 BFL bantamweight shot, where he fell to Jamie Siraj via submission.
Getting another title opportunity so quickly after his previous effort surprised Ghaeni, who thought he'd need to string together more victories before earning another shot.
"After all these years—since I first picked up wrestling as a kid—I've finally put everything together through the right amount of dedication," Ghaeni explained.
"Capturing this belt will showcase two decades of relentless hard work."
Ghaeni's Shoutouts
"I want to acknowledge my sponsors: Prado Cafe and Spade Coffee Spirits & Treats. A huge thank you goes to my mom and dad for standing by me throughout my life—this one's dedicated to them. I also owe a lot to my coaches and training mates at The Sound, Tilt MMA, MMA University, Bowmont Boxing, and Jake Peacock at Dunamis."
