Nearly four years ago, Nick Ghaeni defeated Gagan Gill for the BFL amateur featherweight title. On Saturday night, they’ll meet again.
Amateur rematches carrying over into professional title fights are rarer than they look — four years between meetings means both fighters have had a full career's worth of development since the first bout, and the amateur result is less a predictor than a footnote on two careers that have been moving toward this card the whole time.
Ghaeni (3-2) will battle Gill (1-0) in the co-main event of BFL 56 in Coquitlam, B.C. to determine the BFL professional featherweight champion.
A professional title eliminator between two fighters who already know each other's games is exactly the kind of co-main BFL has built its cards around — the promotion has always been willing to put its best regional matchups near the top of the bill, and this one carries the added intrigue of a genuine rivalry with a belt on the line.
After emerging victorious in the first meeting at BFL 33, Ghaeni, 33, said he’s expecting the same result the second time around.
The confidence is grounded in experience — Ghaeni has already been in with Gill once and knows exactly what the problem looks like, which is a different kind of preparation than studying tape. What he can't prepare for is the version of Gill that's developed in the four years since that first meeting.
“I do see victory, but I just don’t know how it will come,” said Ghaeni in an interview.
“I know I have many ways to win this fight, and I’m just going to go out there and be myself, and let that do it’s work.”
In recalling the first meeting, Ghaeni said Gill is a strong striker with a dangerous submission game, and believes his opponent has become even stronger in those areas since 2014.
To further back up Ghaeni’s analysis of his opponent’s strengths, in Gill’s seven victories as an amateur, six of those wins were by submission.
The submission-heavy amateur record is the detail that matters most for Saturday night — a striker who's also dangerous on the ground is a harder problem than a one-dimensional opponent, and Ghaeni's camp has to account for the version of Gill that wins fights in more than one phase rather than just the one that shows up on the highlight reel.
“He’s always been good in those areas, but it seems like he’s gotten even sharper now,” said Ghaeni.
When it comes to their respective professional careers, Ghaeni holds the edge in experience with his five professional fights to Gill’s lone appearance as a professional.
Ghaeni, fighting out of Calgary, Alta., said he believes his number of professional fights, combined with the quality of his opponents and his age, will play a big factor when he and Gill step into the cage.
The experience edge is real but contextual — five professional fights against quality opposition is a meaningful advantage over a 1-0 professional, but Gill's amateur pedigree and the four years of development since their first meeting mean the gap isn't as wide as the records suggest.
“Experience is definitely in my favour, especially with my age and him being so young with only being 1-0,” said Ghaeni.
“I just feel I’m the toughest guy he’s ever fought, and will still be the toughest guy he’s ever fought.”
This contest with Gill will be Ghaeni’s second crack at a championship belt as a professional, having already fought for the BFL bantamweight strap back in 2016, dropping a submission loss to Jamie Siraj.
Ghaeni said he’s excited to have received another title shot so soon after his previous attempt, after having the mindset he would likely have to put together more of a win streak before receiving another chance.
The second title opportunity is the kind of moment that defines a career — Ghaeni has already been here once, lost the belt fight, and earned another shot, and a fighter who treats a second chance like a first one is usually the one who finally gets over the line.
“After all these years, since I started wrestling as a kid, I’ve finally got it together after putting in the right work,” said Ghaeni.
“Winning this belt will be a reflection of 20 years of hard work.”
The two-decade journey is the emotional core of the story — a fighter who started wrestling as a kid and spent twenty years building toward a professional title carries a different kind of motivation than a prospect chasing a first belt, and Ghaeni framing the fight that way suggests the stakes feel bigger to him than just a Saturday night result.
Ghaeni’s Shoutouts
“I’d like to thank my sponsors: Prado Cafe and Spade Coffee Spirits & Treats. I’d also like to thank my mother and father for supporting me all my life. This one’s for them. Also a big thank you to my coaches and training partners at The Sound, Tilt MMA, MMA University, Bowmont Boxing, and Jake Peacock at Dunamis.”
