Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC)

[UkrainianGuy]

The Maximum Fighting Championship, working in conjunction with Gary's Management Team - Big Daddy Productions, has inked 2005 K-1 World Grand Prix Hawaii champion Gary Goodridge to a multi-fight deal that will see him make his debut at MFC 16: Anger Management on May 9, 2008 at the River Cree Resort and Casino.

Goodridge has fought 18 times for Pride in Japan and five times in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where in 1996 he was a finalist in the UFC 8 tournament. During that event he registered one of the most brutal knockouts in UFC history with a devastating finish against Paul Herrera.

From Barrie, Ont., MFC 16 will mark the first time that the Canadian fighting legend will compete on his home soil and will be broadcasted across North America via HDNet.

“Gary is a phenom and a pioneer in the world of mixed martial arts. And best of all he is a dangerous, destructive and devastating fighter who is instantly a major force in our heavyweight division,” said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich.

“We are very excited to have Gary on our show for his first fight in Canada."

The six-foot-three, 240 pound fighter has 13 knockout victories and is hoping for a triumphant homecoming.

[UkrainianGuy]

FULL MFC ON HDNET FIGHT CARD RELEASED


HDNet on Thursday released the full fight card for HDNet Fights Presents: Maximum Fighting Championship: Rags to Riches. The event will air live on HDNet on Feb. 22 from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Main Event - Welterweight
Pete Spratt, (19-10): San Antonio, Texas vs.
Ryan Ford, (4-0): Edmonton, Alberta

Middleweight
Jesse Forbes, (5-2): Tempe, Arizonavs.
Chris Camozzi, (5-0):Lakewood, Colorado

Lightweight
Mike Maestas, (4-1-1): Albuquerque, New Mexicovs.
Ryan Heck, (5-0): Edmonton, Alberta

Light Heavyweight
Craig Zellner, (4-2):Albuquerque, New Mexicovs.
Ryan Jimmo, (4-1): Halifax, Nova Scotia

Light Heavyweight
Steve Steinbeiss, (3-1): Tempe, Arizona vs.
Dwayne Lewis, (3-3): Ft McMurray, Alberta

Welterweight
Jason Zorthian, (2-1): Edson, Alberta vs.
Ryan McGillivray, (5-2): Edmonton, Alberta

Light Heavyweight
Allan Hope, (Pro Debut):Edmonton, Alberta vs.
Jason Kuchera, (2-0): Edmonton, Alberta

Welterweight
Josh Groves, (2-0): Albuquerque, New Mexico vs.
Gavin Neil, (1-0): Victoria, B.C.

[UkrainianGuy]

CHRIS CAMOZZI READY FOR INTERNATIONAL BREAKOUT

One would think that after all the talent that Colorado has supplied to mixed martial arts over the last several years that the state would eventually run out of new young talent, but that isn’t so.

Following in the middleweight footsteps of Nate Maquardt, 185-pound fighter Chris Camozzi looks to be the next Colorado fighter to take the step up to the big stages of MMA.

Currently undefeated in his professional career at 7-0, Camozzi is coming off his biggest win so far with a TKO victory over International Fight League veteran Donnie Liles this past November. He looks to step up again as he heads north to Canada to compete in the Maximum Fighting Championships this Friday in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

“He came out hard, came out swinging, and the fight was mostly standing – which I prefer,” recalled Chris of his fight with Liles. “We traded a few punches and I believe I landed a head kick that dazed him a little bit, and from there I took control of the fight.

“I was able to get up against the cage and dropped him with a liver shot to end the fight. I don’t throw to the body as often as I’d like to, but it was open, so I went for it.”

With the win over a nationally known fighter such as Liles, he then turned his sights towards the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“I went out for The Ultimate Fighter 7 and ended up being an alternate,” said Camozzi. “I didn’t make the show and I wasn’t able to take any fights up until I heard from them.”

Now that he’s cleared to fight, Camozzi steps out of his Colorado comfort zone to travel to Canada’s Maximum Fighting Championships to take on “Ultimate Fighter 3” alum Jesse Forbes.

“It will be my first trip to Canada and my first appearance for MFC,” said Camozzi. “I just want to go out and put on a fight that everyone wants to see, so they’ll have me back.

“I signed a multiple fight deal with them, but I’d like to make myself known so people come out and watch me. Hopefully I can knock this guy out and do that.”

As Camozzi explains, he is elated to be getting an opportunity to square off against increasingly difficult opposition.

“I’m excited to step up in competition,” he stated. “I feel I perform better with better competition. Each fight I just get better and better, and I’m just looking forward to showing people what I can do now.”

At the MFC, Camozzi will get an opportunity to fight possibly the toughest battle of his career to date when he matches up with UFC and WEC veteran Jesse Forbes.

“He’s a tough guy, a good wrestler, but I don’t think he’ll be able to stand with me,” said Camozzi. “I don’t think his ground is any better than mine. I don’t really see any part of his game that is better than mine.

“I know he’s a wrestler, but this is a fight. He’s big and strong, but so now is everybody these days. Basically I’m just looking to break him. I don’t think he can keep up with me conditioning-wise, so if I can’t knock him out or submit him, I’ll just break him mentally until he gives up.”

Thanks to Mark Cuban’s HDNet, the MFC will be broadcast live Friday night in both Canada and the U.S., giving Camozzi a chance to make a case for himself on an international stage.

“It just gives me more opportunity for more people to see me and hopefully keep moving forward from there,” commented Camozzi. “Like I said, I got turned down for ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ so I’m looking to come back strong and just prove them wrong and put on a show.

“I need to just start running through guys that they have had (on The Ultimate Fighter), that just kind of makes a statement there.”

As he points out, one thing that will help him stand out from all the other young talent at 185-pounds is his lack of holding back in a fight.

“I have no fear,” exclaimed Camozzi. “The biggest thing for people is that they step in there and they’re afraid to lose. Losing doesn’t go through my head. I just think about what I’m going to do, not what the other guy is going to do.

“If anything, I always feel comfortable falling back on conditioning, because I condition, I believe, harder than anybody – I don’t get tired.”

When it comes to this year, he feels now is the time to make his big push after all the hard work he has put in over the last couple of years.

“I think the Maximum Fighting Championship is one of the bigger organizations, so I’m hoping to do well with them and just keep going,” he stated. “Keep mowing down wins and keep having exciting fights.

“I’m just going to start stepping it up now, taking every tough fight I can. I don’t want to fight guys that people have never heard of. I want to put myself in there with the best people I can and improve myself. I think the only way I’m going to go any further is by beating people that have been there.”

In Chris Camozzi, Colorado looks to have produced another standout young talent that could soon break on the international stage, but it won’t be easy, as he has a tough task in hand in Jesse Forbes at Friday’s MFC event in Edmonton.

“I’d like to just tell everybody in Denver to keep an eye out for me,” concluded Camozzi. “I’d like to thank Primitive Soul Tattoo, Howard from HCK, and CBTDenver.com for supporting me.

“I’d like everybody to watch it because I plan on putting this guy down. Like I said, if I can’t knock him out, I’m going to break him. I’m going to work him, keep my hands in his face the whole time until it’s over and I win.”

[UkrainianGuy]

JESSE FORBES IN NEED OF LIMELIGHT WIN AT MFC

Public perception can mean the world in mixed martial arts. Regardless of how well a fighter may perform throughout their career, unless they do so on a national stage with the attention of the sport on them, they very well may be disregarded.

Such is the case of former “Ultimate Fighter 3” cast member and World Extreme Cagefighting veteran Jesse Forbes. Inability to shine when the camera has been focused on him has him in need of a big win on a big stage, lest he be relegated to undercard status.

So with this Friday’s Maximum Fighting Championships show in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada being broadcast live on Mark Cuban’s HDNet comes an opportunity to Forbes to shed any misconceptions about him truly belonging in the biggest shows in MMA.

“It’s pretty important for me to perform,” said Forbes. “I took the loss in the TUF Series Finale, then I took a loss in the WEC, so yeah it’s pretty important for me to shine in the limelight for my career.

“All around I just need to show everybody that I have the skill it takes to be a champion. Obviously going around everywhere and doing that would be the key, whether it’s the United States or Canada.”

With one win already in 2008 (over Victor Moreno at LGIT in Las Vegas on Jan. 8), he brings a lot of personal momentum into Friday’s bout against up-and-coming Chris Camozzi of Colorado.

“I’ve been training about six weeks for this and I trained six weeks for my fight in January, so I’ve been training through since then. I’m ready to rock,” exclaimed Forbes.

When asked if he feels his experience on bigger shows could be an advantage over his opponent, he replied, “I think it’s going to help me a little bit, but not a whole lot.

“The kid (Camozzi) is coming to fight, like everybody that steps in the cage, they come to fight. So I don’t expect the limelight to really get to him. It might at first, but once the cage doors shut everybody snaps into their fight mode.”

And once the cage doors close, what does Forbes expect?

“We’ll stand up, as long as I’m winning up there, we’ll stay there,” he said with a chuckle. “We’ll stand up, feel him out, hit him a little bit and if I feel I can capitalize there, we’ll stay there.

“If not, we’ll take it to the ground; if I’m not winning there, we’ll take it back up. I’m just going to feel him out, see what he does and go from there.”

As Forbes explains, he’s come a long way over the last few years and fans can expect to see a more rounded fighter this Friday as compared to previous outings.

“I think that I’m coming in great shape and ready to fight,” commented Forbes. “Earlier in my career I was kind of nervous, just feeling guys out and I only had the wrestling skills. Now I have all the skills: ground, wrestling, and stand-up.

“I think you always have to keep learning, no matter who you are. So they’ll see a complete game, that I can take the fight anywhere, with good conditioning and (I’m) ready to rock.”

Jesse knows that he has to make a stand now, should he continue to be under consideration for bigger shows, and that is his main focus for the remainder of this year.

“For me, I need to get a win in a big show,” said Forbes. “I need to get a win under the limelight, to kind of get myself stationary in one of the bigger shows, whether it be HDNet, WEC, wherever.

“So if I win here, this will definitely put me back to where I want to be, and go from there.”

Jesse Forbes has had opportunities to shine as a part of “The Ultimate Fighter 3” and in the WEC. He must do well this Friday for the MFC in Edmonton if he is intent on continuing to be able to get exposure on the national stage.

“I need to thank LG Sports Marketing, who manage me; and MTX Audio, my main sponsor,” closed out Forbes. “To all my fans, just watch and see the progression I’ve made in my fight game, and enjoy the fight.”

Jesse Forbes Vs. Jesse Taylor

[Fbody02one]

not too many big names but ill be watching simply cause i just picked up that channel and its live mma

[chanman83]

not too many big names but ill be watching simply cause i just picked up that channel and its live mma

I'm waiting to get my HD receiver so I can get HDNET too. I'll watch any MMA organization as long as it's entertaining and quality of fighters.

[ATBFO]

not too many big names but ill be watching simply cause i just picked up that channel and its live mma

I am thinking you will be pleasantly surprised MMA is getting kind of big up here in canada there is quite a wealth of talent especially in Alberta and Quebec. Alberta's talent pool is mostly transient in nature becuase there are financially opportunities in the province that will not be matched anywhere else in North America. They pay like $15/hour to work at McDonald's. And at that have had to close them in the past due to lack of employees. However cost of living is through the roof and housing is almost non exisitent.

[Fbody02one]

overall this was a pretty good event. entertainment wise it was real good. not any slow fights. i think alot of these fighters with hardly any record arent afraid to lose like alot of guys in the ufc who are afraid to do anything because they have so much pressure to do good. obviously these guys werent as skilled but they put on a good show. id give it 7.5/10. main event was exciting, kind of strange too, herb dean was reffing and didnt hear the bell, caused some problems. but ya it was worth watching.

[UkrainianGuy]

PETE SPRATT WANTS RESPECT AT FRIDAY'S MFC

Despite the fact that he’s been fighting for nine years and has had nearly 30 fights in his mixed martial arts career, along with countless Muay Thai bouts, Pete “Secret Weapon” Spratt still feels that he has something left to prove.

Whether as part of the UFC’s “Ultimate Fighter” reality TV series, or as a veteran draw on a show, Spratt always feels the pressure to perform and win so he can get one more chance at glory.

Having won his last two fights, both for Mark Cuban’s HDNet Fights promotion, he looks to keep his momentum going, as he starts off 2008 headlining Friday night’s Maximum Fighting Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada against up-and-comer Ryan Ford.

“I feel good about the momentum I have,” said Spratt of his recent winning streak. “It was just a matter of me changing my training up, and doing the right things for the longevity of my career.

“I’ve been busy the past few months; this will be my third fight in the last six months, so it’s good stuff. I don’t think it’s a good match-up for my opponent. I have to prove that (tonight).”

As Spratt points out, he doesn’t think his fight in MFC against Ford will be beneficial to the youngster, as Spratt feels his veteran presence will be too much for Ford to handle.

“I think it’s a stupid match-up on their part,” exclaimed Spratt. “The guy’s got only four fights in eight months experience; now tell me how smart is that? The guys he’s fought have a combined record of 2-7. I mean it’s not very smart on their part.

“For me, it’s just going to be a situation where I go out there and handle my business like I have my last two fights. If something bad happens to the kid, don’t blame me. It’s going to be their problem for putting him in prematurely against a guy who has been doing it for nine years.”

If it sounds as if Spratt has a chip on his shoulder entering the fight, it’s because he does.

“They are trying to make a name for this guy off of me,” he stated simply. “So I feel a bit disrespected and quite honestly I’m pissed off about the situation, so I feel I’ve got to go out there and prove myself once again.

“(I’ve got to) defend my name, my honor and reputation. I feel again that I’m the underdog and that I’m being put out there as the scapegoat and it’s just not going to happen.”

As for strategy, Spratt feels people should know by now what to expect from him, as his intentions for every fight never change.

“It’s always the same,” he said of his fight strategy. “Even if I face somebody that’s supposed to be a good striker, they turn into wrestlers. So my game plan is always the same – I’m going in there looking for the knockout.

“They’ve compared this match-up to when I fought (Georges) St. Pierre in ’03 (in TKO), the difference is, St. Pierre is good. This guy doesn’t have enough experience to be good. My thing is, I have to come in fully prepared, be on my P’s and Q’s and make sure I don’t caught with nothing crazy and just do what I do.”

Spratt doesn’t mix words when it comes to where he wants to be this year with his career.

“For me, it’s getting back to where I feel like is home, and that is the UFC,” he said. “With another win, I’m one step closer. I know they’re looking at me, they’re watching me, and I expect to be back before this year is up, maybe as soon as after this fight.”

Along with goals for his fight career, Spratt also has a myriad of outside the sport projects that look to keep him busy this year.

“HDNet contracted me to do an intro for their ‘HDNet Fights’ show,” he commented. “So I’ve recorded the intro for this particular fight, and I’ll be doing the more generic version for future HDNet shows.

“I’ve got four or five movies out there on the table. I just got a script for a new movie called ‘Double Down’ about a couple of football players that got drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the mid-80’s. It’s a true story about an actual double homicide that these two football players got charged with. It’s a really intriguing script, and the character I play is a good character role for me. It’s going to be pretty challenging.”

Whatever prospects lay in the future, Friday night’s MFC show is where Pete’s attention is now, as it is another chance to prove himself and show the world that he’s still a dangerous weapon in the welterweight division.

“I want to thank my sponsors Renegade Fight Gear, Toes Up and all the new ones I’ve picked up,” closed out Spratt. “I want to thank all my fans for being behind me, for supporting me, and check out the show live Friday night on HDNet.”

Georges St. Pierre vs. Pete Spratt (Classic)

[L'italiano Reale]

Jesse Forbes is awful.

[UkrainianGuy]

MFC STARTS 2009 WITH TITLES & DALEY VS THOMPSON

Putting together one of the most prominent cards in the promotion's history, Maximum Fighting Championships returns to the River Cree Resort and Casino outside Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Feb. 20. The card features two title fights and a welterweight superfight pitting two former EliteXC title contenders against each other as Paul Daley takes on Nick Thompson.

“This is unquestionably the best show we’ve ever put together, and outside of the UFC’s cards in Montreal, this is the most-stacked card ever held on Canadian soil,” said MFC Owner and President Mark Pavelich. “I wanted to start 2009 with a bang that the whole world would notice and that has been accomplished in a big way.”

Daley fought in December for MFC, taking out former WEC welterweight John Alessio with strikes in the second round of their match-up.

The heavy hitting British fighter will now return to take on Minnesota Martial Arts Academy fighter Nick Thompson, who lost in a title fight to EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields in July before returning to winning form just a week ago with a victory over Travis McCullough.

Also on the card, MFC welterweight champion Pat Healy returns to action to face Ryan Ford in a rematch from a bout the two had in July 2008. They were originally set to square off again later in the year, but an injury forced Ford out of the bout.

The MFC lightweight title will also be up for grabs on the card as former UFC competitor Derrick Noble faces off against International Fight League standout Antonio McKee, who will be moving down to 155 pounds for the championship fight.

Former UFC and "Ultimate Fighter" alum Rory Singer will take on Bryan Baker, while former MFC light heavyweight champion Roger Hollett returns to face David Heath in a 205-pound match-up.

The remaining undercard fights for the show include:

Donovan Foley (6-2) vs. Josh Russell (2-0), lightweight
Kyle Dietz (13-0) vs. Evan Sanguin (7-2), featherweight
Mike Sorensen (4-2) vs. Jesse Clarke (2-1), welterweight
Jason Height (2-0) vs. Sheldon Westcott (2-1), welterweight

[UkrainianGuy]

NICK THOMPSON AIMS TO IMPRESS AT MFC

Nick Thompson was given the nickname “The Goat” in his early training days due to his ability to practically get knocked out on command, much like the famed fainting goats.

Rather than let his dubious beginnings dictate his career to come, Thompson has proven himself a formidable fighter, developing into a perennial Top 10 welterweight over his six-year career.

After a disappointing loss in his last big name fight to titleholder Jake Shields in EliteXC, he rebounded with a win early this year in preparation to return to top level fighting this Friday against fellow Top 10 caliber fighter Paul Daley for the Maximum Fighting Championship in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

“The main thing I picked up was the importance of being tight in every aspect of your game,” said Thompson of his loss to Shields last July. “At that level you make one tiny mistake and it can cost you a huge fight, so I’ve been working on just being tight in my details.”

After taking time off to pass the bar exam to become legally able to practice law, he defeated Travis McCullough in January so he could be ready for Friday’s big showdown.

“It was good to get the ring rust off and just get back in the ring,” he commented. “I didn’t want to go in and fight Paul with not having fought in seven months. He’s the wrong guy to have ring rust against.”

Thompson knows to get back into the mix for a title he has to defeat top opposition, which is exactly what he feels Daley is.

“He’s the best striker at 170 (pounds) in my opinion,” he said of his current opposition. “I have to be very careful when I do strike. I still want to utilize my stand-up, as I feel that I can hold my own with anybody, but if I make a mistake he’ll make me pay on the feet.

“I want to be tight on the feet, and on the ground I think I have the superior skills. I want to impose my will if we hit the ground.”

As mentioned earlier, Thompson was part of one of EliteXC’s last outings before the promotion folded late last year. Since then, Strikeforce purchased the promotion’s assets, however, Thompson is currently in the dark as to whether his contract is to be part of the final deal.

“I have not heard either way,” he said. “EliteXC did have a contract with me for more fights, although it’s secondary to Sengoku (World Victory Road) and it isn’t exclusive, so I’m not sure if Strikeforce will be interested in that or not.

“If they are, great, I enjoy the Strikeforce promotion. If not, that’s fine too.”

If Strikeforce does not pick up Thompson's contract, he is more than happy to concentrate on his Japanese opportunities.

“I’ve got two fights left on my (Sengoku) deal,” he stated. “I hear they’re planning on doing a welterweight tournament this year, and I’d love to be their tournament champion. I feel I can fight anybody at 170 that they can get their hands on.”

When his deal is done in Japan, things could get very interesting for Thompson. He could very well find himself once again on bigger shows in the states, or perhaps pursue another career path.

“My contract is up with them in August, and I’ll be talking to the Ultimate Fighting Championship as well as anybody else that’s interested,” he said. “I passed the bar right after the Shields fight, so practicing law may be in my future.

“I’m in a unique position in that I have a lot of choices open to me. I’m going to do what’s best for me and my family; I’m just not sure what that is right now.”

Until then, however, he has a big test ahead of him this Friday in the MFC, and he plans on not letting anyone down who sees the fight.

“First and foremost I want to thank my gym, MMAA, API and all the guys there who helped me get ready,” he concluded. “I’d like to thank Tapout, Gamma-O and Calio Shoes. I’ve got my own (Calio brand) shoe coming out sometime this year, and I’m pretty excited about that.

“To those guys who can, come up and check out the show. For those of you who can’t make it up to Alberta, tune in to HDNet and hopefully I’ll be able to impress you with my fighting ability.”

[UkrainianGuy]

DALEY READY TO KO THE GOAT, THEN GO BIGGER

Flying under the radar is something that rarely happens to a fighter as vicious as Paul “Semtex” Daley, but on the eve of his encounter with Nick “The Goat” Thompson at Friday night's MFC that is exactly what has happened.

He is fine with it.

“I spent three weeks over in Holland at Mike’s Gym with Joey Wanrooy and the guys before coming back to the U.K. and working another three weeks with Dan Hardy and the rest of the Rough House boys,” explains the explosive 170-pounder.

Timing appears to have worked well with his teammate Dan Hardy, all set to square off against Rory Markham some 4,749 miles away in London at UFC 95 the very next day. Daley feels that has been a benefit to his training for this fight, offering his thoughts on the workload. “I have been working hard on my conditioning and wrestling, as well as a little more sparring than normal. I have made some serious improvements to my ground game, although that isn’t quite where I want it long term, I am happy where it is for this fight.”

He faces a tough, well rounded opponent in Nick Thompson, who has a 37-10-1 record against some quality opposition. Ironically, Thompson owns a loss to Jake Shields, a fighter who halted both their impressive win streaks. What can he draw from their respective experiences?

“He can not take much away from my experience with Shields, as I will admit that I did not fight to the best of my ability, and all credit to Jake, he took advantage of that. My mind wasn’t right for the second round even though it was clear I had more gas in the tank than him,” he explains, adding that their fights do not dovetail. “I don’t see Thompson as being on my level. He was assassinated by Shields in just over a minute. So my plan is to do the same as always, and I think his style makes it even more easy for me to do this.”

Daley is aware that his opponent is a big, tough guy, and although he appears to have an awkward way of fighting, it works for him and his record doesn’t lie. He is good on the ground and has a decent wrestling base, but despite this, Daley still harbors plans for a knockout victory. “He is very experienced and has an awesome respectable record. He is a road warrior much like myself, but I feel he has had his shot at the big time with the UFC. He has fought and beat some very tough guys, but we are going in different directions. I bring more to the table than all of them in my striking with knockout power and athletic ability.”

Finally, any conversation that involves the mention of Jake Shields still gnaws at Daley, as he knows in himself that he was too tentative and didn’t fight the way he normally would. Following the Strikeforce announcement of a match with Joe “Diesel” Riggs as Shields’ next fight, does he envision another encounter between the two?

“I would love a rematch with Jake Shields and I would love for it to be this year, but I don’t know if it will happen as my contract situation post-ProElite isn’t very clear... yet!” insights Daley regarding the ironing out of legal issues between purchased fighter contracts from the carcass of the defunct promotion.

Furthermore, he feels that the time is right to possibly step up onto a bigger stage. “I would like to find a true home this year, maybe in the UFC, Affliction, or in Japan. My first choice would be the UFC, as I feel that now is the time to get in there with the very best at my weight – who else has those fighters?”

[UkrainianGuy]

DALEY MISSES WEIGHT AT MFC; FIGHT WILL GO ON

Paul Daley on Thursday failed to make weight for his scheduled welterweight bout against Nick Thompson, according to a report by Sherdog.com. The two are scheduled to meet in one of the feature bouts at Friday night's Maximum Fighting Championship in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The fight will go on, however.

Daley weighed in at 171.5 pounds – 0.5 pounds over the 171-pound limit – so he'll have to forfeit 25 percent of his pay to Thompson as a penalty.

This marks the second straight bout that Daley has failed to make weight. He had the same issue when he faced John Alessio, also under the MFC banner, in early December.

All the other fighters on the card made weight, according to Sherdog's report.

Both Daley and Thompson have only one loss in their last two years of competition, ironically to the same man, No. 5 ranked welterweight Jake Shields.

MFC 20, which features a welterweight championship bout between Pat Healy and Ryan Ford, will air live on HDNet on Friday night at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

[UkrainianGuy]

RYAN FORD SET FOR MFC TITLE REMATCH

Often times when a young prospect is on his way up the ranks he’ll be matched up against an aging veteran in hopes he’ll step over the veteran on his way to bigger and better things.

Things however do not always go that way.

Such was the case when rising star Ryan “Real Deal” Ford met up with journeyman veteran Pat Healy in a welterweight title clash last July.

After three tough rounds of battle, Healy managed to submit Ford, temporarily derailing the Canadian youngster’s rise.

Rather than let his first loss dampen his spirits, Ford has come back strong winning two fights in a row heading into his highly anticipated rematch with Healy this Friday for the Maximum Fighting Championship at the Cree River Resort & Casino just outside Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

“I learned that not everybody is invincible – you’re going to lose,” said Ford of his loss to Healy last July. “It just made me realize that I need to keep working on my game, knowing that I am still green in this sport, having only been in it for two years now.

“I am fighting guys who are doing MMA much longer than I have, but with my athleticism and the way I can learn stuff and pick up things, I can fight with this top competition.”

Since their initial match-up, Ford has retooled his training camp, adding a quickly rising trainer to his team, resulting in a more well-rounded game.

“I got a new jiu-jitsu coach, Adam Zugec, and worked a lot on my ground game with him, Jason MacDonald, and a bunch of the other guys at my gym,” he commented. “My game is coming together quite well.”

Learning from their previous fight combined with a change in personnel around him has Ford anticipating a much better performance this time around against Healy.

“The only thing that’s going to be different is that I’m going to win this fight,” he stated. “My game has stepped up 100-times, I’ve surrounded myself with a whole new camp, and I’m ready for Friday.”

Many people feel that Ford could be the next breakout Canadian welterweight, following in the footsteps of current Ultimate Fighting Championship 170-pound champ Georges St. Pierre.

According to him, while the comparisons are nice, he is intent on making his own path to the big time.

“Everybody’s going to talk that I’m going to be the next this or that, but really I’m Ryan Ford and that’s who I’m going to be,” he said. “I’ve dedicated my life to this sport, and if I put my mind to it, I know I can be world champion.

“The general goal is to Friday night become the MFC champion at 170-pounds and go from there. I want to be the best in the world, and whatever I’ve got to do to become the best in the world, that’s what I’m going to do.”

To make his goals reality, Ford must do what he was supposed to do last July, get past Healy. From there, the sky seems the limit for one of the sport’s next breakout fighters.

“I want to thank all my local sponsors here, but if anyone else wants to get on the train while it’s going, jump on,” he concluded. “I want to thank all my fans here in Edmonton and around the world, my family and my beautiful daughter.

“It’s going to be very exciting. In all my nine fights I’ve pushed the pace, and don’t blink, because Friday night may end up in a quick knockout.”