MFC: Ring Or The Cage?

Press Release
“Ring or cage?” is MMA’s biggest debate. Fans of the ring often say that it promotes better fighting technique, while defenders of the cage like that enclosure’s dramatic “no escape” appeal. The Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) has always taken place in a ring, and it always will. Why? Because the ring provides more exciting […]

RING
Press Release
“Ring or cage?” is MMA’s biggest debate. Fans of the ring often say that it promotes better fighting technique, while defenders of the cage like that enclosure’s dramatic “no escape” appeal. The Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) has always taken place in a ring, and it always will. Why? Because the ring provides more exciting fights and a better overall experience for the fans.

MOST OF MMA’S HISTORY IS IN THE RING
Long before MMA arrived in North America, the pre-MMA pioneers in Brazil and Japan fought in a ring. In December 1963, “Judo” Gene Lebell and boxer Milo Savage stepped into a ring in Salt Lake City, Utah to square off in North America’s first televised MMA match. Cage fighting wasn’t presented to North American TV audiences until 1993, when the aim was to promote MMA as a “deathmatch”-style spectacle.

MMA IN THE RING = CLEANER FIGHTING TECHNIQUE
Very few MMA fans have seen more fights than Eddie Goldman, who has been covering our sport for over 15 years through his legendary show, No Holds Barred (http://eddiegoldman.com ). Widely viewed as “the godfather of MMA media”, Goldman has been an outspoken proponent of the ring, citing clean techniques as the reason for his preference:

“Over the years, cage fighters have learned how to use the cage enclosure as part of their strategy. Many fighters push their opponents up against the cage, or even move them to it after taking them down. This aids brawling, but not the use of submissions or clean striking. Just look at the decline of the number of submissions in so many of the top fights in most of the companies which use a cage, then compare that to the flow of action and the aesthetics of the fights in companies like the Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC), who use the ring.” – Eddie Goldman, No Holds Barred (http://eddiegoldman.com )

MMA IN A RING IS BETTER FOR SPECTATORS
It’s no secret that watching MMA in a cage isn’t great for spectators. Many MMA fans have paid hundreds of dollars for a cageside seat only to discover that they get a better view by watching the fight on the TV screens. But sight lines aren’t the only issue – the action is different too. When not inside the unforgiving walls of a cage, fighters are forced to move and press the action. There’s none of the wedged-into-the-cage ground-and-pound or wall wrestling, there’s more stand-up fighting, more movement, and more overall excitement.

CORPORATE SPONSORS PREFER TO SEE MMA IN A RING
According to MFC CEO Mark Pavelich, most of the reservations about MMA he consistently hears from potential corporate sponsors have to do with the cage. As he stated in his interview on No Holds Barred:
“I hate the cage. I’ve never liked it. It’s completely non-sport-oriented. Why do you think that big companies like Nike aren’t involved in mixed martial arts? Because the second they hear the word ‘cage’, the executives ask, ‘why are these people fighting in a cage?’”

“I run the Maximum Fighting Championship like a professional sports organization. People can debate this night and day, back and forth, for the next hundred years, but it doesn’t matter what apparatus is better to fight in. It matters what’s more acceptable to the corporate sponsors that are going to generate money for your organization to keep it alive and keep it rolling.”

THE MAXIMUM FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP WILL ALWAYS BE IN A RING
So cage or ring? The choice of fighting enclosure is going to play a big role in our sport’s future. If MMA is to continue to grow and be embraced by TV networks and combat sports fans worldwide, the ring is probably the path to follow. The Maximum Fighting Championship will always take place in a ring and for anyone who doesn’t believe that the ring promotes exciting fights, we formally invite you to come to MFC 26: Retribution. You WILL be proven wrong. Again.

MFC Looking To Showcase Young Fighter In The Future

Press Release
MFC snares top young prospect
Product of ZUMA camp considered first-class phenom
If there ever was a top-ranked, first-overall pick to be selected in a mixed martial arts amateur draft, the Maximum Fighting Championship feels it has made the right choice by snaring a can?t-miss prospect.
The MFC has signed Alexi Argyriou to a provisional contract, and […]

Alexi ArgyriouPress Release

MFC snares top young prospect

Product of ZUMA camp considered first-class phenom

If there ever was a top-ranked, first-overall pick to be selected in a mixed martial arts amateur draft, the Maximum Fighting Championship feels it has made the right choice by snaring a can?t-miss prospect.

The MFC has signed Alexi Argyriou to a provisional contract, and the 16-year-old is expected to make his professional debut when he turns 18. A product of the renowned ZUMA stable in Victoria, B.C., Argyriou is considered a young phenom with an incredibly bright future in the sport.

The National Hockey League has its next budding stars in Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall. The National Football League boasts future standouts in Sam Bradford and Gerald McCoy. In Argyriou, the Maximum Fighting Championship has mined out the next big thing, the five-diamond prospect poised to make an impact in mixed martial arts.

?He is the No. 1 draft pick,? stated MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. ?We have the best young fighter anywhere now in our organization. I can?t be any more succinct – he is the future.

?And not only is he a superb athlete, he is confident, he has great charisma, and best of all he is someone who brings that intangible quality of being able to hype and sell a fight. That is such a huge commodity and it jumps right out of him.?

Because of his underage status, Argyriou has the opportunity to further grow under the tutelage of ZUMA?s top instructor, Adam Zugec, who firmly believes in his young protégé, calling him the most talented young fighter he has ever worked with.

?He is just that good,? said Zugec. ?I pick and choose who I work with closely. It?s about what I see within an individual. With Alexi, it goes beyond how well he punches. There?s just that desire and that hard work ethic. There are those special qualities that make him different.

?He?s grown up in the MMA scene and he just gets it. He understands the whole role like having the entertainment value but also being able to back it up. He?s a sweet, good-looking kid that you wouldn?’t think can do some of that showboating type of stuff but he does. But he?s so tough. He trains and spars every day with some real bad-ass guys and he has absolutely no fear.?

Argyriou has already proven to have quite a burning desire to thrive under extraordinary circumstances. Shortly after first starting out at the ZUMA gym as a 12-year-old, Argyriou was on a run in a wooded area when a stick pierced his neck.

?He almost died,? recalled Zugec. ?He had to stop for a while but he came back at 14 and he?s where he?s at now at 16. He is a fighter.?

Zugec will keep Argyriou under wraps a while longer, agreeing with the analogy that it would be similar to a top prospect in hockey or baseball being sent to the minors for some grooming before their ultimate debut.

Argyriou is also likely due for another growth spurt, though he already stands six-foot and has a brother who is six-foot-six. Zugec figured his Argyriou should wind up around six-foot-two and fight professionally as a rangy yet powerful lightweight.

Once Argyriou does burst onto the big stage, Zugec is of the opinion that the youngster is going to thrive under the spotlight.

?No question about it ? this is not a kid who?s going to get in there and get nervous. I absolutely see big things for him,? said Zugec. ?I see him already with some similarities to (Jose) Aldo. His ground game is good, he?s a strong wrestler, he?s got good hips and he?s hard to take down. No one really knows how good is ground game is yet because no one can get him down. And he can punch and kick so well.?

Wreck MMA Returns On August 20 With Bad Intentions.

Press Release
The time has come to announce that Wreck MMA will be back in Gatineau on Friday August 20th to present Wreck MMA: Bad Intentions. But, this time around, Wreck MMA is heading to the prestigious Casino du Lac-Lemay to showcase the top MMA event in Gatineau.
In the main event of the evening, two of […]

wreck_mmaPress Release

The time has come to announce that Wreck MMA will be back in Gatineau on Friday August 20th to present Wreck MMA: Bad Intentions. But, this time around, Wreck MMA is heading to the prestigious Casino du Lac-Lemay to showcase the top MMA event in Gatineau.

In the main event of the evening, two of the top welterweights in Canada will be facing off to determine the number one contender for the Wreck Welterweight Title. After an impressive Wreck debut against the popular Louis-Philippe Carle, Simon ‘The Mutant’ Marini returns to the Wreck ring to face the talented FIT MMA fighter Cory Macdonald.

“Both these fighters have the talent to fight in the top organizations in the world,” said Wreck matchmaker Alex Caporicci. “I believe the winner of this fight can potentially take the next step and follow another Wreck veteran in Mark Holst and make their way to the UFC, Strikeforce or to Japan.”

Macdonald has been eagerly anticipating a fight for about a year and is ecstatic to be stepping into the Wreck ring and being featured in the main event. Macdonald sports a 10-2-0 record and has wins against UFC veteran Edwin Dewees and talented Canadians Matt Macgrath, Dan Grandmaison, Martin Grandmont and Rowan Cunningham. In his last bout, Macdonald defeated Team Revolution member Thiago Goncalves. Marini also came off a long layoff prior to his last bout and has a win against UFC Veteran and former King of the Cage lightweight champion, Alberto Crane. Expect a lot of bad intentions in this bout, as this is an opportunity to take their career to the next level.

Making his return to Wreck is the Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts’ Remi ‘Bam Bam’ Morvan who looks to get back to his regular winning ways against Simms KnockDown MMA’s Chance Whalen. Also returning after impressive MMA debut in April is RAMA’s Jeffrey Laughren who will be facing the experienced Nick Portieous.

Wreck MMA is also proud to announce the MMA debut of Toronto’s Alex Ricci. Ricci is a two-time Canadian Muay-Thai Champion and is looking to transform his successful muay-thai career into a successful MMA career. But standing in his way is a fighter with the same goals in mind. A veteran of muay-thai fights in Thailand and around the world, Adrenaline MMA’s Adil ‘Rambo’ Abbas will be looking to spoil Ricci’s coming out party.

Look for an announcement shortly with additional fights as they get signed and where to buy your tickets for Wreck MMA: Bad Intentions!!

WRECK MMA: BAD INTENTIONS
Date: AUGUST 20TH, 2010
Venue: CASINO DU LAC-LEMAY
Location: GATINEAU, QUEBEC

MAIN EVENT

    Simon ‘The Mutant’ Marini (Regency Boxing, Hamilton) vs. Cory Macdonald (FIT MMA, Kingston)

    Chance Whalen (Simms KnockDown MMA, Moncton) vs. Remi ‘Bam Bam’ Morvan (OAMA, Ottawa)
    Nick Portieous (Cornwall MMA, Cornwall) vs. Jeffrey Laughren (RAMA, Rockland)
    Adil ‘Rambo’ Abbas (Adrenaline MMA, London) vs. Alex Ricci (M1 & Team Ricci, Toronto)
    TBA vs. Anna ‘Smiles” Barone (FIT MMA, Ottawa)
    TBA vs. Randy Turner (OAMA, Ottawa)