The fans have voted and we now have our official list of winners for the 2024 BTC Fight Promotions MMA Awards. Here is the best of the year from inside the BTC Fight Promotions cage!

Fighter of the Year: Clay Pye

Clay Pye dominated 2024 like no other fighter in the promotion earning back-to-back first-round knockouts including headlining BTC 25 in an intense grudge match. Following his BTC Fight debut in 2023 with a unanimous decision victory over Christian Phillips at BTC 22: Battlezone (nominated for 2023 Fight of the Year), “The Bear” was hungry coming into 2024. Though he didn’t get booked for the first time until September 2024 he ended the year with a bang. His first showcase was in Oshawa at BTC 25: Legacy against his pizza-eating rival Cesar Bonilla. Pye may have lost the battle outside the cage but he was all business inside the cage dispatching Bonilla inside the first round with his ultra-aggressive standup game. He followed this performance in November 2024 at BTC 26: Rumble in the Rapids in Niagara Falls just a stone’s throw away from his hometown of Thorold. This time “The Bear” took on undefeated Ljae Simminz (2-0), who himself was coming off back-to-back knockouts earlier in the year. Though Clay looked to utilize his wrestling more in this fight he ultimately ended the bout with his hands again picking up his second first-round knockout of his pro career. Moving to 4-0 Clay Pye is now firmly one of Canada’s must-watch prospects heading into 2025.

Fight of the Year: Alex Sosa vs. Ethan Herrod

This fight was a barnburner from start to finish. Ethan Herrod came into the bout with back to back wins over Alex Gluzman and Noah Crosswell in the previous calendar year at BTC 22: Battlezone and BTC 23: Revolution. Though Alex Sosa was coming off a loss in the quarterfinals of the BTC $10,000 Bantamweight Tournament, against eventual winner Vinny Diaz, he felt he was more than up to the challenge against the surging prospect. Both men launched vicious offence on the feet and kept a high pace the whole bout. When the fight went to the ground they would quickly pop up and land on punches on the break. The only letdown was that the fight wasn’t longer as a doctor’s stoppage halted the action before the penultimate round. Sosa landed a kick to Herrod’s orbital area which closed off his vision partway through the second round leading to his victory. It was certainly the Fight of the Night at BTC 25: Legacy in Oshawa and any MMA fan would be happy to see these warriors rematch in the future.

Knockout of the Year: Mel Zeman

Uprooting from Australia to Canada’s west coast during the pandemic, plus coming off a 4-year hiatus from MMA competition, Mel Zeman came into BTC 24: Apex with a huge challenge in front of her. Her opponent would be undefeated American Brittany Bickhart who had 6 amateur fights during Zeman’s layoff and was coming fresh off her pro debut submitting her opponent in less than 1 minute submission. To stack the odds further in her favour Bickhart also had a height and reach advantage over the Australian. Zeman wasted no time chasing down her American foe and floored the audience in Burlington when she unleashed an extended combo knocking out the American in only 19 seconds setting a new BTC Fight Promotions record for the fastest finish. The win garnered a lot of fans for the expat, proving that the move to Canada and training with her new team at Dejan Kajić’s Universal MMA was worth the journey.

Submission of the Year: Andrew Babcock

Andrew Babcock won his pro debut at BTC 20: Night of Champions II in June 2023 via submission so it was no surprise he would end up on the short list of impressive submissions in 2024. Fighting in Kingston, near his hometown of Belleville, with a legion of fans and students from his gym in tow “Babjitsu” had high expectations and a lot of pressure coming into BTC 23: Revolution. But Babcock rose to the challenge and dominated. Securing a takedown in the first 10 seconds of the match Babcock looked in his element and found his way to a submission in less than 3 minutes. Trapping the arm of his opponent Patrick Arseneau in a crucifix from the turtle position Babcock went straight to a modified rear naked choke without taking any hooks and forced a quick tap. Expect Babcock back in 2025 as BTC Fight Promotions heads to Belleville on March 15th.

Round of the Year: Rapagna vs. Dumond Round 1

This fight was electric from start to finish, featuring relentless takedowns and aggressive striking. The first five minutes of action of Davis Rapagna vs. Jarred Dumond at BTC 23: Revolution captured the fans' votes in the most closely contested category of the year, winning by just a single vote. This round had everything you could want in a great MMA match: thrilling exchanges on the feet, explosive blast doubles across the cage, dramatic reversals of fortune, and blood and sweat streaming down the fighters' faces. It was an exhilarating battle that lit up the Slush Puppie Place in Kingston, making it a deserving winner of the Best Round of 2024 inside the BTC Fight cage.

Event of the Year: BTC 26 - Rumble in the Rapids

Our final event of the year received year-end honours from the fans this time around. The Niagara region has been home to many amazing BTC Fight moments; this card was no different. BTC 26: Rumble in the Rapids was filled with non-stop action, devastating finishes, multiple Fight of the Year nominated battles and an amazing venue to boot we are not surprised this event took the crown. Joash Walkins and Adam Assenza had a three-round war for the BTC Lightweight Championship. Gabe Sagman and James Clarke settled a grudge match 4 years in the making. Bobby Poulter got his third finish inside the BTC Fight cage. Clay Pye picked up his second first-round knockout of the year. Alana Cook made her BTC debut in an entertaining showdown against Nikola Kacperska. And Michael Asiffo started the night off with a bang with a TKO finish tying for the 4th fastest finish in BTC Fight history. We look forward to putting on more epic shows in the coming year and making 2025 the best year in Canadian MMA yet!

Photo of the Year: “Kicked into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber” by Roderick Pritchard

Capturing a great MMA photo is an incredible challenge, as the action unfolds at lightning speed with unpredictable movement. Photographers must anticipate every strike, submission, and moment of intensity while contending with challenging lighting and fast-paced dynamics. The cage itself adds another layer of difficulty, requiring perfect angles and precise focus to avoid obstructed shots. A truly remarkable MMA photo freezes the raw emotion and athleticism of the fight, telling a compelling story in a single frame.

Among many excellent photo submissions this year, the winning shot—earning the highest number of fan votes—was Roderick Pritchard’s “Kicked into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber” from BTC 25: Legacy in Oshawa. He captured a highlight-reel kick and a fight-changing moment from our 2024 Fight of the Year-winning bout (Alex Sosa vs. Ethan Herrod) in the most picture-perfect way.

Referee of the Year: Brian Beauchamp

The referee award recognizes the unsung heroes of MMA, who often take on an underappreciated but essential role. Referees start the action, ensure the fighters' safety, and enforce the rules that keep the sport fair and competitive. Their split-second decisions can make all the difference, yet their work often goes unnoticed unless controversy arises. Tonight, we celebrate the efforts of our top voted referee Brian Beauchamp. Our thanks go out to him and all referees for their dedication, professionalism, and vital contributions to making MMA come to life.

International Fighter of the Year: Joash Walkins

Coming into BTC 26: Rumble in the Rapids in Niagara Falls Joash “The Honey Badger” Walkins was nearly undefeated with 15 victories and only a single loss on his professional record. Hailing from Trinidad & Tobago and mostly fighting in the Caribbean it was tough to compare his victories to the challenging opponents at the top of the Canadian/United States MMA circuit. Coming into a title fight against reigning champion Adam “Maverick” Assenza would be a tough test for any fighter but “The Honey Badger” rose to the occasion. Rocking the champion with pin-point striking in the first round and opening a nasty cut in the second round Walkins secured a victory and was crowned the new BTC Fight Promotions Lightweight Champion. Heading into 2025 Joash Walkins will be on a short list of the best fighters in North America outside of the UFC.

Most Improved Fighter: Michael Asiffo

Coming off a loss in his pro debut at BTC 17: Evolve Michael Asiffo had a stiff test waiting for him in Niagara Falls against BJJ black belt Cesar Bonilla. In the first bout of the night, Asiffo kicked off the action at BTC 26: Rumble in the Rapids in Niagara Falls and set a high standard for the rest of the card. Coming out aggressively and taking the fight to his opponent, Asiffo capitalized on an early mistake, rocking Bonilla and sending him to the canvas. In no time he found his way to a TKO finish, via ground and pound, ending the bout in a blazing-fast 27 seconds. This tied for the 4th fastest finish in BTC Fight Promotions history. This was the first pro victory of Asiffo’s career and it’s unlikely to be the last. Keep an eye out for Asiffo’s return in 2025!

Rookie of the Year: Alana Cook

Under this category, we are looking for fighters who are new to the promotion with less than 5 fights. Moving from British Columbia to train at St. Catharines’ Niagara Top Team “The Alanamal” (2-1) had been sidelined for over a year coming into 2024. Cook jumped at a chance to be on BTC Fight Promotions’ last card of the year BTC 26: Rumble in the Rapids and was able to close out 2024 with a dominant victory in Niagara Falls. Before the bout Cook joined the BTC Fight media team to take on Niagara Falls’ scariest attraction Haunt Manor. She may have been terrified of the clowns stalking her in the haunted house but she guaranteed she wouldn’t be afraid of anything when she entered the BTC Fight cage in November 2024. “The Alanamal” dominated en route to victory in her first fight with her new team and won the hearts of many fans who followed her journey. Moving to 3-1 the future looks bright for this women’s bantamweight prospect and we expect to see “The Alanamal” back in action in 2025!