A thrilling mix of action unfolded at BFL 61.
Packed with quick stoppages and hard-fought five-round battles, the show delivered plenty of excitement for fans at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam, B.C., as well as viewers tuning in remotely.
In the headline matchup, Jared Revel (now 9-2) held onto his BFL middleweight championship via majority decision in a closely contested five-round duel against Collin Hart (now 6-4-1).
After suffering a foot injury early in the opening round, Revel had to summon every ounce of determination, later remarking that the struggle proved his capacity to overcome obstacles and prevail.
"Hart pushed me to my limits; it was a genuine slugfest," Revel told reporters afterward.
"It demonstrated my toughness and stamina through those title rounds, and that's what matters most to me coming away with the win."
The triumph extended Revel's streak to four consecutive victories and eight wins in his past nine outings, while marking the first time he retained the belt.
Given his knack for early stoppages combined with his recent winning stretch, Revel appears well-placed to attract interest from larger organizations. He intends to focus on recovery and explore what doors might open during his downtime.
"I'll recover, sit down with my coaching staff and management team, and see where the next opportunity lies," Revel explained.
"I'm ready to seize whatever comes my way. At 9-2, I've put together a solid body of work. I tend to finish fights; sure, this one went the distance, but it proves I can handle both styles and I'm far from a one-dimensional fighter."
Double Champ
Dejan Kajic (11-7-2, 1 NC) claimed the vacant 175-pound BFL crown by stopping Eric McConico Jr. (now 4-1-1) inside the opening round.
For roughly the first two minutes, Kajic played it smart, conserving energy and waiting for his moment before finally landing the punch that sealed the result.
"I'm naturally a slow starter; I like to study my opponents, pick up details on timing, movement, angles, and balance," Kajic shared during his in-cage interview.
"Caleb (Starnes) introduced me to some fresh boxing combinations that clicked perfectly. He taught me how to set my opponent up and guide them right into my right hand."
The Man to Beat
Nicolas Ouellet (now 2-0) kept his fledgling amateur run rolling strong, pinning the more seasoned Manny Fernandez (now 3-3) to capture the BFL amateur lightweight championship.
After a dominant first-round submission victory over Matt Lepper in his amateur debut, Ouellet showed it wasn't a fluke, again ending the fight in round one with an inverted triangle choke.
"It unfolded better than I ever hoped," Ouellet said in an interview.
"Everything went exactly as I expected. He shot in just like I figured he would, we went to the mat, and I locked in the submission the way I planned."
Just two bouts into his amateur career and already wearing a BFL championship belt, Ouellet has instantly become the fighter everyone in the lightweight amateur ranks will want to face.
He described the victory as incredible, though struggling to find the right words about what the championship means to him personally.
"I'm still wrapping my head around holding this belt," Ouellet admitted.
"Chasing this dream since I was a kid makes the moment feel almost unreal."
In other MMA action, Dario Sinagoga, Ali Wasuk, Gwyn Berry, Kenny Pope, Niko Chan, and Samuel Ramsay all walked away with wins at BFL 61.
Kentauro Miyachi, Jimmy Nguyen, Freddie Gillespie, Jess Frman, and Ian Lacovitti also earned victories in kickboxing bouts that opened the card.
