MMA ignites the Algonquin College Commons Theatre

The Algonquin Commons Theatre turned into an octagon of chaos on Nov. 2 as the audience gathered for an intense night of MMA action.

Organized by Future Fight League (FFL), the event aimed to bring real and high-energy combat to the college, giving local fighters, including those from Ottawa, Quebec and Toronto, a stage to showcase their skills.

The main event of the night was Malcolm Schuyler, known in the ring as Winged C, and Nickita Darii.

Fighting out of the blue corner and weighing in at 145 pounds with an amateur record of seven wins and zero losses was Darii. Ranked number one as an amateur fighter, he is Romanian and lives in Montreal.

In the other corner, weighing in at 136 pounds with an amateur record of five wins and one loss, was Winged C. This fighter flew from Lancaster, Pa.

With months of training leading up to this fight, it was anyone’s guess who would win.

Before the match, Darii alluded to what fans would see that night.

“People can expect beautiful violence. I’ll show that there are levels to this game,” said Darii.

As the match date drew closer, nervousness began to creep in. Instead of letting the fear take control, Darii chose to face it head-on.

“The best way to get rid of the demons chasing you is to stop and turn around, face your fears and use them as fuel,” said Darii. “Don’t let fear stop you from doing what you want. At the end of the day, without fear, there’s no bravery.”

As fighters walked into the ring, Winged C set the mood for the audience with a quick dance to his anthem Golden from KPop Demon Hunters. As the match started and blows were exchanged, the crowd’s chants engulfed the theatre as Darii landed sharp kicks to Winged C’s face.

Each fighter had his name chanted through the rounds. Darii and Winged C fought with opposite energy during the match. Darii was focused on giving hard kicks to his opponent, while Winged C was taunting Darii with dance moves and gestures, often looking at the crowd during the fight.

As the judges cast their votes, Winged C was crowned the winner of the match, securing another hard-fought victory to add to his record.

The audience felt Winged C’s aura as he gave a playful post-fight interview with a monologue inspired by the 2020 anime Jujutsu Kaisen with expressive gestures as he spoke.

“So this guy was really hard,” said Winged C about his opponent. “I’ve never been kicked in the face like that…but it’s my first time out of the country. I had to perform for y’all.”