Western Canadian mixed martial arts organization Aggression Fighting Championships (AFC) has added two of Canada’s premier free agents to its roster, announcing the signings of lightweight Jesse (The Body Snatcher) Ronson and light heavyweight Dwayne (D-Bomb) Lewis. The two latest additions to AFC will both make their organizational debuts Friday, July 5 in Edmonton as part of the line-up for AFC 20: Undisputed.
Ronson is a graduate of the now-defunct Score Fighting Series and trains out of the Adrenaline Training Center in London, Ont., alongside UFC veterans Sam Stout, Chris Clements and Mark Hominick (now retired). The 27-year-old is currently riding a seven-fight win streak, most recently earning a unanimous decision victory Ryan Healy last November.
Arguably Canada’s top lightweight not yet signed to a UFC contract, Ronson will battle Shane (Shaolin) Campbell for the AFC lightweight title in his debut. Campbell won the belt in November with a first-round submission victory over Stephen Beaumont, pushing his record to 8-1 in the process.
In addition to landing one of the top free agent prospects in the country, the AFC has also brought in one of its more popular regional fighters as well.
Lewis, the Fort McMurray, Alta., native who made a name for himself through 15 entertaining battles inside the MFC ring, retired last year following a loss to former UFC competitor Wilson Gouveia, but he is now poised to make his return. This summer, the heavy-handed fan favourite will take on Victor Valimaki in a battle of Canadian powerhouses.
The 31-year-old Valimaki is looking to re-establish the form that earned him a pair of opportunities to compete inside the Octagon earlier in his career. He’s just 1-3 over his last four bouts, but he rattled off seven consecutive victories prior to that. He was previously scheduled to compete under the AFC banner last November, but he was pulled from the card at the last minute after experiencing difficulties with his weight cut.
Provided he’s remedied those issues, his pairing with Lewis has the potential to be a barnburner.
In his career, the 12-8 “D-Bomb” boasts wins over UFC veterans Marvin Eastman, Mike Nichols, and Razak Al-Hassan, and he has also shared the ring with the likes of Ryan Jimmo (twice), the aforementioned Gouveia, and Bellator light-heavyweight tournament winner Emanuel Newton.
AFC 20: Undisputed is scheduled to be headlined by a welterweight title fight. Edmonton’s favourite fighting son, Ryan (The Real Deal) Ford, will take on the winner of the upcoming title eliminator bout between Josh Powell and TUF 16 semi-finalist Michael Hill. That bout takes place May 19 at AFC 18 in Victoria.
