Burlington MMA fighter ready to take on 'the best of the best'

Adam Assenza walked across the ring, his left eye bloodied, and raised his hands above his head. The hometown crowd responded with a huge ovation.

Moments earlier, Assenza won maybe the biggest fight of his career, stopping UFC veteran Polo Reyes in the third round. Early in the round, Assenza caught Reyes with a kick that his opponent never recovered from. A minute later, Assenza was on top of him unleashing a flurry of blows until the referee stepped in
to stop the fight.

With the victory in June, Assenza reclaimed the BTC lightweight title. Now, as the Burlington fighter looks to defend the title on his home turf against Atlanta’s Nate Williams at BTC 22: Battlezone on Nov. 18 at the Burlington Training Centre, he knows it won’t be easy.

“I want to be fighting the best of the best,” Assenza said. “I’ve beaten a few UFC veterans, some top hot young prospects. The challenge has to be there for me.”

Assenza has long been rumoured to be on the radar of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Other BTC alumni have moved up the ranks, most recently fellow Burlington fighter Serhiy Sidey signing on with the UFC in September.

While Assenza would love to be next, it is largely out of his control. He knows the best thing he can do is continue to compile an impressive resume of victories.

“It’s like any job,” he said. “They need to have a position available. It’s the same thing in the UFC. They have their roster. They’re aware of me, but it’s a matter of having a spot open up.”

In January, the UFC will return to Toronto for the first time since 2018. Local fighters are often added to the undercard, so BTC 22 will be an opportunity for Assenza to make an impression.

His win over Reyes, who posted a 4-4 record in his four years in the UFC, showed Assenza’s wide range of skills in the cage. The first round saw the fighters exchange punches at a frantic pace. In the second round Assenza used his much-improved ground game to wear out Reyes, setting up his third-round TKO.

“I’ve improved my wrestling,” Assenza said. “I feel I’m a complete athlete now. Whether I’m on the ground or standing striking, I think my skills are at the highest level and I don’t think many can put them together like I do.”

It was Assenza’s sixth win in his past seven fights, improving his pro record to 17-7. Now defending his title against Williams (15-12) at the Burlington Training Centre, Assenza is looking forward to delivering another entertaining performance for the home crowd.

“I’m a complete showoff,” he said. “If I’m going to have a big finish, I need people there to see that. I get an energy surge (at a hometown fight) and I can’t wait to get out of there.”

There will be two other BTC title fights at BTC 22. Windsor’s TJ Laramie, a winner on season four of Dana White’s Contender Series, will defend his featherweight title against Timmins’s Terry Lemaire.

BTC champion Ashley Nichols will defend her women’s strawweight championship against American Kyna Sisson. The previous three BTC champions in the division have moved on to the UFC. BTC welterweight champion Jesse Ronson will also fight in a non-title bout. The UFC veteran moves up for a 180-pound catchweight fight against American Robert Hale.

There will be a total of 12 fights on the card. Tickets or pay-per-view can be purchased at btcfight.ca.