Come tonight at Wesbild Centre in Vernon, B.C, two top-ranked Canadian bantamweights will go head to head in the main card of Battlefield Fight League 13. Dan “The Samurai” Lin (3-1) will look to prove worthy of his recent signing to an exclusive contract with Battlefield Fight League in his bout against fellow bantamweight Gurdarshan “Saintlion” Mangat (1-0).
Dan Lin, with a professional record consisting of wins via TKO and submission, has shown his ability to dominate even in a professional setting. With more fight experience professionally, Lin has stated he will look to show the difference between amateur and professional fighting in his bout against Mangat, who is newer to fighting professionally with just one fight on his professional record. A product of Chris Franco’s Kickboxing/Pankration (FKP), Lin will look to attest that with additional professional experience comes a better skill set. Lin’s professional record consists of just one loss which came via a controversial submission loss at Armageddon Fighting Championship 3, which attracted the attention of many, including former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten, who demanded a rematch.
Although his professional record consists of just one fight, this is no reason to underestimate Gary Mangat. Gary, who trains at the Mamba Martial Arts Academy in Abbotsford, B.C, joined the professional ranks in May 2011. After just four minutes and seven seconds Mangat landed a rear naked choke at BFL 8, undoubtedly leaving a lasting impression with his professional debut. With recent experience training alongside the likes of Kenny Florian and Georges St. Pierre at Tristar Gym in Montreal, Gary has undoubtedly put his utmost effort forward into training for this bout. With constant expression of his aspiration to be the first Sikh fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, there is no doubt Mangat prioritizes religion, as was further expressed when he stated he must win this bout for Sikh people around the world.
Will Dan Lin show that additional experience equates to a dominating skill set? Or will Gary Mangat prove that hunger and adequate training can override additional professional experience?
Tune in to find out! (This bout, along with the rest of the main card, can be viewed live on Fight Network.)
604 Now is a proud sponsor of Gary ‘Saint Lion’ Mangat, catch our logo on his fight shorts!
Munique Sidhu – @UFC_OBSESSED
Feature Writer