BTC 30: Future Legends stormed into Mississauga for the promotion’s debut in the city to put on another unforgettable night of amateur MMA action. Building on the momentum from the historic all-amateur BTC 28: Battle at the Border in Sarnia, this latest card featured explosive finishes, breakout performances, and a glimpse at the future of Canadian MMA.
Main Event: Chandi Jere def. Ty Kelly
TKO (Strikes) – Round 2, 2:04
In a high-octane main event, North York’s Chandi Jere handed Brantford’s Ty Kelly his first loss with a dominant second-round TKO. Jere showcased a well-rounded arsenal—combining crisp striking, powerful takedowns, and relentless ground-and-pound. As the bout progressed, his pressure became too much for Kelly to handle. After securing a takedown in round two, Jere poured on the strikes from top position, leaving the referee no choice but to wave it off. With the win, Jere improves to 3-1 and makes a major statement in front of a roaring Mississauga crowd.
Co-Main Event: Aiden Appel def. Samir Djouma
TKO (Strikes) – Round 2, 2:12
St. Catharines’ Aiden Appel remained undefeated, dispatching Toronto’s Samir Djouma in what quickly became an instant classic. Djouma opened the fight with a thunderous high-amplitude takedown, setting the tone for a wild, back-and-forth battle. Both fighters scrambled relentlessly for top position, trading strikes and momentum throughout the first two rounds. But as the bout wore on, Appel’s superior cardio began to take over. In the second round, he executed a sweep, secured mount, and unleashed a barrage of ground-and-pound that forced the referee to step in. With the win, Appel moves to 4-0 and continues to build his case as one of Ontario’s premier amateur welterweights.
Miko Dusek def. Tisean Caesar-Gabriel
Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – Round 3, 1:42
After an action-packed decision win at BTC 28, Niagara’s Miko Dusek returned with an even more impressive showing, submitting Tisean Caesar-Gabriel in the third round. Dusek’s relentless wrestling and pressure wore down his opponent over the first two rounds. Caesar-Gabriel showed composure, surviving four takedowns and scrambling back to his feet each time. But on the fifth takedown, Dusek found the back and was finally able to sink in the rear-naked choke, holding on to his undefeated record and picking up his first finish.
Noah Redmond def. Dylan Dale
TKO (Strikes) – Round 2, 2:59
In one of the night’s most dramatic turnarounds, Noah Redmond secured a stunning late second-round TKO over Dylan Dale. For the majority of the fight, Dale controlled the action with dominant grappling, staying one step ahead through most of the first two rounds. But with limited time left in round two, Redmond locked in a triangle choke from his back and began landing clean punches from the bottom. As Dale worked to escape the submission, the referee stepped in and stopped the bout with one second remaining in the round, capping off a thrilling comeback and showcasing Redmond’s resilience and finishing instinct.
Heliam Blanco def. Nate Taylor
Unanimous Decision – 30-27, 30-27, 30-27
Heliam Blanco delivered a composed and well-rounded performance to earn a unanimous decision win over Nate Taylor. While Taylor had his moments, including a takedown in the second round, Blanco controlled the pace with sharp striking and solid takedown defense. Blanco was able to stave off most takedowns and continued to land the cleaner shots throughout. In the final round, Blanco secured a takedown of his own, sealing the victory on all three judges’ scorecards.
Ashtin Dutrisac def. Garrett Gagnier
Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – Round 1, 0:51
Sudbury’s Ashtin Dutrisac made a statement with a lightning-fast submission win over Garrett Gagnier. After weathering an early flurry of punches from Gagnier, Dutrisac closed the distance with a body lock, secured a takedown, and in a scramble, took the back to sink in a textbook rear-naked choke before the one-minute mark. This was Dutrisac’s second straight submission victory, following a guillotine finish over Nate Senter at BTC 29: Prometheus. With performances like this, Troop MMA has a rising star fans should keep a close eye on.
Shivam Gautam def. Nathan Lizotte
Split Decision – 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
In one of the evening’s most competitive and closely scored matchups, Shivam Gautam edged out Nathan Lizotte via razor-thin split decision. The first round was tightly contested, with both fighters finding success on the feet and Lizotte defending a key takedown attempt, making it a tough frame to call. In round two, Gautam shifted the momentum by dropping Lizotte with a clean shot and controlling the rest of the round with effective pressure. The third saw both men go toe-to-toe in several wild striking exchanges, thrilling the crowd with nonstop action in another close round. In the end, Gautam’s knockdown and consistent forward pressure swayed two of the judges in his favour.
Anthony Melendez def. Ryan Russell
TKO (Punches) – Round 1, 0:06
Toronto’s Anthony Melendez set a BTC record with a jaw-dropping six-second TKO over Ryan Russell. A thunderous right hand wobbled Russell instantly, and Melendez followed up with three clean shots against the cage as his opponent struggled to regain his bearings. The referee had seen enough and stepped in to wave it off. The explosive finish immediately made Melendez one of the most talked-about fighters of the night. Already coming off a dominant decision win at BTC 28, this performance firmly cements him as a must-watch prospect on the amateur circuit.
Joey Ruscica def. Zack MacDonald
Split Decision – 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
In a gritty, razor-close battle, Joey Ruscica edged out Zack MacDonald via split decision in one of the most debated fights of the night. MacDonald came out strong in round one, controlling the action with an early takedown and maintaining top position for most of the frame. But just as the round was closing, Ruscica got back to his feet and rocked MacDonald with a clean shot that had the potential to steal the round. Rounds two and three followed a similar pattern. MacDonald secured multiple takedowns in both, even achieving mount and threatening a submission from back control in the third. However, Ruscica landed more damaging strikes during the stand-up exchanges between grappling sequences. While MacDonald controlled the positional battle, it was Ruscica’s striking output that must have swayed two of the judges in this tightly contested affair.
BTC 30 showcased exactly what its name promised… the future legends of MMA. With electrifying finishes, fast-rising stars, and standout performances from across Ontario, the promotion once again proved that amateur MMA in Canada is booming. With momentum building and the talent pool deepening, fans can expect even bigger things from BTC as 2025 continues.
Watch the full event replay on SpectationSports.com
