“BTC 28: Battle at the Border” made history with Ontario’s first all-amateur MMA event. The crowd in Sarnia was treated to a thrilling, action-packed night featuring the province’s best up-and-coming talent, with multiple hometown favourites scoring emphatic finishes in front of raucous fans.
MAIN EVENT: Craig McDonald def. Brandon Bouchard
Submission (Strikes), Round 1 – 2:23
Sarnia’s Craig McDonald wasted no time making a statement, dominating London’s Brandon Bouchard in the opening minutes. The bout began with an early shot from Bouchard, but McDonald sprawled and secured top position. From there, McDonald rained down relentless ground-and-pound. Bouchard attempted to sweep and launch submissions from his back but was unable to faze his opponent. McDonald resumed throwing heavy strikes, and Bouchard had no choice but to tap from strikes midway through the first round, marking a decisive victory for the local fighter.
CO-MAIN EVENT: Hudson Adair def. Matt Prevost
TKO (Punches), Round 2 – 0:58
In a battle of Sarnia natives, Hudson Adair came out on top with a powerful second-round TKO over Matt Prevost. The first round saw Adair shine in the striking department, while Prevost countered with grappling and submission attempts. Late in the round, Adair landed a crushing blow that nearly ended the bout, backing Prevost to the cage. In round two, Prevost landed a perfect head kick that sent Adair to the canvas, but it only seemed to fuel his fire. Adair surged forward, launching a relentless barrage of shots and stalking Prevost around the cage. A timely body shot sent Prevost to the ground, and the referee was forced to step in just under a minute into the round, giving Adair an impressive win on home soil.
Keegan Chiasson def. Justin Ritchie
Submission (Guillotine), Round 1 – 0:39
Keegan Chiasson wasted no time, locking in a guillotine choke just 39 seconds into the fight. Watford’s Justin Ritchie came out aggressive, landing a stunning head kick followed by a second that landed into Chiasson’s guard. The second kick caused Ritchie to lose his footing and the fight hit the canvas, Ritchie wrestled into his opponent but Chiasson snatched the neck, jumped guard, and secured the choke. Ritchie went unconscious before he could tap, forcing the referee to intervene. Chiasson looked impressive in securing one of the fastest submissions in BTC Fight Promotions’ history.
Dontae De Jesus def. Jesse McAvoy
Submission (Americana), Round 1 – 2:03
Markham’s Dontae De Jesus put on a grappling clinic against Sudbury’s Jesse McAvoy. After trading shots on the feet, the judo phenom De Jesus forced the bout to the ground with multiple throws. The third throw landed him in side control, where he transitioned into a scarf hold. Controlling his opponent’s head with one arm, De Jesus isolated the close arm, trapping it between his legs and cranking an americana with his hips for the finish just over two minutes into the first round.
Scott “The Canadian Ninja” Heathcote def. Brayden Todd
Submission (Triangle Choke), Round 1 – 1:30
Woodbridge’s Scott Heathcote demonstrated slick jiu-jitsu in his win over London’s Brayden Todd. A highly experienced wrestler, Todd secured back-to-back takedowns early as Heathcote scrambled to escape. After an attempted lateral drop from Heathcote was reversed, Todd landed in side control. Heathcote regained guard and soon launched a triangle choke from his back. Todd tried to slam his way out, but only tightened the submission. Heathcote absorbed some strikes but held strong, securing the first-round submission victory.
Jeff “Drago” Tomaszewski def. Ricardo Martinez
Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
In one of the evening’s most closely contested bouts, Orillia’s Jeff Tomaszewski edged out London’s Ricardo Martinez via split decision. Martinez took an early lead, securing two takedowns in round one and landing strikes from top position. Rounds two and three were highly competitive, with both men finding success on the feet and on the ground. Ultimately, two judges sided with Tomaszewski, giving him the narrow decision.
Cole King def. Tisean “The Terminator” Caesar-Gabriel
TKO (Punches), Round 1 – 2:05
Sudbury’s Cole King delivered a dominant first-round TKO against Oshawa’s Tisean Caesar-Gabriel. King applied pressure from the start, walking down his opponent with strikes before securing a takedown. From top position, he transitioned to mount and unleashed a barrage of punches that forced the referee to stop the fight just past the two-minute mark.
Novice Amateur Bouts
Hlib Honcharov def. Matt Maclean
Submission (Kimura), Round 1 – 1:03
Hlib Honcharov showcased impressive grappling, earning a first-round Kimura submission over Sarnia’s Matt Maclean. After an early body lock takedown, Honcharov expertly jumped to mount and secured a mounted triangle. When the triangle choke finish proved elusive, he isolated an arm and cranked a Kimura from mount, forcing a quick tap.
Günce Akpinnar def. Robyn Trowbridge
Split Decision (27-29, 29-27, 30-27)
In a back-and-forth war, Niagara Top Team’s Günce Akpinnar edged out Robyn Trowbridge in a close split decision. Both women traded heavy shots over three rounds, with momentum shifting throughout. Ultimately, the judges saw Akpinnar landing the cleaner strikes and awarded her the victory.
Miko Dusek def. Lenny “The Wolverine” White
Split Decision (27-30, 30-27, 30-27)
An early contender for Fight of the Night! Niagara Top Team’s Miko Dusek pushed the pace with relentless grappling, landing high-amplitude takedowns and hunting submissions across all three rounds. “The Wolverine” kept it competitive, getting back to his feet repeatedly and landing powerful shots. Dusek’s composure, cardio, and grappling edge earned him a split decision win over the hometown favourite. For their first foray into the cage, both athletes showed tremendous potential.
Anthony Melendez def. Adam “Super Saiyan” Shhadeh
Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Toronto’s Anthony Melendez controlled the pace in all three rounds against London’s Adam Shhadeh, using superior grappling to dominate. The bout began with competitive striking, but once Melendez secured a takedown midway through round one, he never looked back. Cycling between mount and back control, Melendez spent most of the fight pursuing submissions. Though he couldn’t secure the finish, he earned a dominant unanimous decision victory.
Lucas DiPonio def. Jacob Da Silva
Submission (RNC), Round 1 – 1:14
In an all-London matchup, Lucas DiPonio earned a commanding first-round submission victory. The Western University wrestler landed an early double leg, and though Da Silva stood up briefly, DiPonio immediately countered with a fireman’s carry launching his much taller opponent through the air. On the ground, he took the back and locked in a rear-naked choke, sealing the win in just over a minute and securing his first amateur MMA victory.