Unified MMA 33 “Resurgence” certainly lived up to its name Friday night.
A card called 'Resurgence' delivering two champions and a finish-heavy undercard is the kind of night that justifies the name — Unified MMA coming back from a hiatus with a show this strong is exactly the kind of statement that keeps a promotion relevant in a crowded regional landscape.
After a brief hiatus, Unified MMA returned to the River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, Alta. to provide a night of fights those in attendance wouldn’t forget.
In the main event of the evening, local boy Teddy Ash (11-3) secured the light heavyweight title by unanimous after a five-round war with Jacob “Kobe” Ortiz (16-7).
Ash winning the light heavyweight title on a card called 'Resurgence' is the kind of story the promotion couldn't have scripted better — a fighter who'd been building toward this moment for years finally getting a belt in front of the hometown crowd at the River Cree is the kind of payoff that makes the whole regional circuit worth watching.
“It was a tough fight. I went for broke early and got kind of tired, but got my composure back and just tried to use my technique,” said Ash in an interview.”
Going for broke early and gassing is the kind of mistake a young contender makes exactly once — Ash emptied the tank trying to finish a durable opponent, paid for it in the later rounds, and still found a way to win, which is the kind of lesson that only teaches you something if you survive it.
“He was a tough opponent. I worked hard for that one.”
With the victory, Ash now holds two light heavyweight titles, with the other being for Prestige FC.
Two belts in two different promotions at 205 is the kind of haul that makes a regional fighter a legitimate prospect — Ash now holds gold in both Unified MMA and Prestige FC, which at this level means he's beaten the best the Canadian scene had to offer and is ready for whatever comes next.
Prior to making the move to Edmonton this year, Ash hailed from Fort McMurray, now making him a champion in both of his hometowns.
The Fort McMurray-to-Edmonton move is a familiar story in Canadian MMA — a small-town fighter with big talent making the trek to the provincial capital for better gyms, better sparring, and a real shot at the next level — and Ash at 28 with two titles is exactly the kind of payoff that makes the move worth it.
“It’s huge. I’m very happy with how far I’ve come from amateur until now,” said Ash.
“I’m just excited to see what lies ahead.”
In the lightweight championship fight, Shane Campbell (16-6) successfully defended his belt once again, scoring the submission victory by neck crank at 3:31 of the third round in a rematch versus Stephen Beaumont (9-3).
Early in the contest, Campbell said Beaumont caught him with a few solid shots that forced him to alter is original game-plan.
“I really wanted to out-strike him, but I don’t think I made it that clear, and it frustrated me a little bit,” said Campbell in an interview.
“But he definitely brought the war, and we put on a show for the crowd.”
Throughout the majority of the fight, it was a back and forth battle between the pair, both standing and on the mat, with both fighters landing significant shots on the feet, and brutal ground-and-pound in top position.
Campbell said he knew he was the more technical fighter going in, and said Beaumont did the right thing in trying to make it a “dirty fight” to offset his game.
“The dirtiness of the fight made for a very tiring fight, which changed everything,” said Campbell.
The 'dirty' fight is the kind of unglamorous win that teaches you more than a highlight-reel finish — Beaumont made it ugly on purpose, and Campbell finding a way through the grime to still get the win is the kind of veteran performance that doesn't make for great footage but wins fights.
“But I got the win in the end, and that’s what I came for.”
In the welterweight division, Pat Pytlik (6-0) continued his impressive run of finishes against Derek Boyle (13-12), scoring his sixth consecutive victory by knockout or TKO with the first round stoppage.
Although Pytlik accepted the fight on just two weeks notice, he said it went exactly how he expected it to go.
“I knew he was going to charge at me and try to take me down, so I was just patient,” said Pytlik in an interview.
“I knew I had to be better as a striker, and that’s what I was.”
After the fight, it was announced Pytlik would be fighting for the welterweight title next time he enters the Unified MMA cage.
The welterweight title is currently vacant, so Pytlik will play the waiting game to see who he will battle for the gold.
A vacant welterweight title with a 6-0 finisher waiting for a challenger is the kind of setup that makes regional MMA compelling — Pytlik has done everything asked of him, and whoever steps up to fight him for the belt knows exactly what they're walking into.
In earlier action, Neal Anderson, Garret Nybakken, Chris Larsen, Roger Alves, Tyrell Giselbrecht, Matthew Klute, and Logan Heavyshields were all victories on the evening.
View the full results here.
