LAVAL, Quebec -- ‘Ragin’ Kajan Johnson made quick work of Samuel Guillet on Saturday to become the inaugural XMMA lightweight champion.
“It’s been a dream,” Johnson said. “This is seven hard years in the making, 28 fights. I’m here to stay.”
Postfight discussion quickly turned to a possible rematch with Steve Claveau.
“Oh yeah, definitely, I’d love to make sure that everyone knows I can really beat him,” Johnson said. “He’s a great guy. I love Steve. He’s an awesome fighter.”
Despite giving much credit to Claveau, Johnson made it clear that he is prepared for whatever comes his way: “There is nobody that is going to be able to gas me out or make me tired. I’m ready for anybody.”
Claveau was also victorious Saturday. He used a perfect game plan from start to finish, as he stayed out of danger by refusing to play Jason MacKay’s submission game. Mackay looked uncomfortable on his feet throughout the fight, often looking for a guillotine early in each round. Claveau kept Mackay on the defensive with constant pressure in the form of kicks, takedowns and ground-and-pound. At 2:22 of the third stanza, Claveau voluntarily stepped up from full mount after referee Gerry Bolen failed to notice Mackay’s tap.
In a close first round, both Ryan Jimmo and Jesse Forbes delivered punches in each other’s guard. Jimmo pushed the pace in round two with a big slam and elbows from the crucifix position, and he followed up in the third by maintaining dominant position and controlling Forbes for a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26).
After exchanging on their feet, Jason Motard looked to sink in a guillotine on Guillaume “El Toro” de Lorenzi and slammed his head on the canvas while dropping to guard. De Lorenzi calmly escaped and exploded, turning the tables with a series of vicious elbows that opened up Motard. Gerry Bolen mercifully stepped in to call an end at 1:40 of the opening round.
An early clinch ended with Andrew Buckland on his back and Dan Grandmaison in his guard. Grandmaison quickly passed to the full mount and rained down punches and elbows to the head of Buckland, winning by TKO at 2:32 of the first round.
Yves Jabouin used his lateral movement to put on a striking clinic against a very game JT Wells. Through three rounds, Wells wildly chased Jabouin only to be met by a plethora of techniques, including a jumping knee that rocked him. Jabouin delivered a buzzer-beating spinning back kick to the body that dropped Wells for the finish at 4:56 of the final round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt by Remi Morvan quickly forced him to fall to his back. Tommy Pariseau immediately delivered an axe kick, but Morvan used it to set up a fight-ending heel hook only 33 seconds into the first round.
Mark Holst wasted no time after breaking out of a 90-second clinch. He rocked Antoine Coutu with a barrage of punches that sent him to the mat. As Coutu reached for a single, referee Gerry Bolen called the fight at 2:22 of round one.
Following a slow start in round one, Mike Ricci found a home for his punches on the face of Rory McDonnell. After landing a fight-ending liver kick that crumpled McDonnell, Ricci rushed his opponent with extra strikes for good measure, much to the distaste of referee Yves Lavigne. The TKO victory was recorded at 2:15 of the second round.
Michel Gagnon pushed the action in his bout with Gabriel Lavallee. After taking the fight to the mat early, Gagnon stacked and pounded on his opponent and then sank in a guillotine at 2:18 of round one.
John Makdesi unleashed an onslaught of uppercuts that sent Dan Dechaine to the canvas. Makdesi followed up with punches, forcing referee Yves Lavigne to call an end to the contest at 1:48 into the first.
After dropping Nicolas Pariseau with a straight right, Francois Hache-Lacombe locked up a kneebar that forced the tap at 2:14 of the first round.
Michael Clarke needed only 38 seconds in his bout with Alexandre Lafond to latch on to a fight-ending guillotine.
Matt Dunn contributed to this report.