Live MMA action returned to Edmonton on Saturday night in emphatic fashion as Unified MMA 40 delivered.
The main event featured Graham Park (now 8-2), who extended his streak of first-round finishes by dispatching Neil Berry (now 9-10) via TKO to retain his Unified MMA light heavyweight title.
Park expressed satisfaction with how things unfolded and was eager to deliver a stronger showing than he felt during his initial title win.
"I'm thrilled with how everything played out—five consecutive first-round finishes now. That wasn't my original plan, but when the chance appeared, I took advantage of it," Park told MMA Empire.
"I pushed myself incredibly hard throughout this training camp, surrounded by excellent training partners who got me where I am today. After capturing the belt the first time, I wasn't entirely satisfied with my performance. I know I'm capable of far more, and I believe tonight I demonstrated exactly that. I'm proud to be 'and still' Unified light heavyweight champion."
Before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schedules, Park was focused on maintaining a busy fight calendar and climbing toward the elite ranks.
That ambition remains unchanged, with Park looking to sustain his current trajectory and eventually secure a shot on a larger platform.
"Even before the pandemic struck, I wanted to stay active, and that hasn't shifted. I'm in my physical prime, driven to excel at this sport, and I genuinely believe I can compete at the highest level," Park shared.
"Bigger stages would be great to step onto, but if they don't materialize, I'm ready to step back in and prove to everyone across Canada who runs the division."
Inside the co-main event, Maged Hammo (10-5-1) delivered the biggest win of his career, securing a fourth-round submission against Neal Anderson (10-4) to claim the Unified MMA featherweight championship.
Hammo described it as one of the most grueling contests he has ever participated in, requiring immense mental fortitude to prevail.
"That was hands down the toughest fight of my life; that man throws serious power. Every single time he landed, my forearms ached, my ribs screamed, my ankles throbbed, my legs gave out, my head pounded. Every part of me hurt," Hammo told MMA Empire after the fight.
"Something inside just refused to let me give up."
This represents Hammo's inaugural championship victory, following two previous unsuccessful title shots.
Securing his maiden belt later in his career meant considerable weight to Hammo, and particularly in the manner he accomplished it.
Following his brief UFC tenure, KB Bhullar (now 9-2) re-entered the Unified MMA cage with a masterful three-round striking display, earning a unanimous decision over Anton Tokarchuk (now 4-5-1).
Bhullar expressed contentment with the result but admitted the outcome didn't match his personal standards.
"I'm glad to walk away with the W, but I set a higher bar for myself—to finish the job. He's unconventional, which complicated things, yet I still craved the stoppage. That's what I chase every single time," Bhullar explained to MMA Empire.
"Reviewing the footage, I'll extract lessons, adjust my approach, and return to action as quickly as I can. There's another card happening tomorrow night—if someone drops out, tell me where to step in. I'm ready."
Bhullar's endgame centers on returning to the UFC, and he views maintaining activity as the most effective path toward that objective.
"I'll sit down with my team and explore options, but my priority remains staying active," Bhullar stated.
"I need a few days to decompress, reconnect with people, and just live for a moment before diving straight back into training."
Nick Hrabec, Tyler VanKill, Ali Charkie, Tyrell Giselbrecht, Evan Piercey, Shannon Clark, Mitch Wiles, Arman Deol, and Leo Bonin all secured victories on the undercard.
