Press Release – March 21, 2012 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – MFC welterweight title challenger Ryan McGillivray was named co-winner of the Edmonton Combat Sports Commission’s MMA Fighter of the Year award at the organization’s annual gala on March 20. “The Kid” was most gracious in accepting the award, in particular thanking his family for […]
Press Release – March 21, 2012 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – MFC welterweight title challenger Ryan McGillivray was named co-winner of the Edmonton Combat Sports Commission’s MMA Fighter of the Year award at the organization’s annual gala on March 20.
“The Kid” was most gracious in accepting the award, in particular thanking his family for their continual support. McGillivray’s father Kevin is his main trainer, and the duo own Legends Training Centre in Edmonton, Alberta.
McGillivray (12-5-1) will take on Nathan “Soul Force” Coy (10-4) for the MFC’s 170-pound division championship
on Friday, May 4 at the Mayfield Conference Centre in Edmonton. The main event highlights an action-packed card that will air live on HDNet Fights beginning at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (check local listings for channel designation).
McGillivray jumped into the spotlight in 2011, appearing on Season 13 of the TUF reality series and advancing to the quarter-finals of the tournament while representing Team Dos Santos. The 25-year-old returned to the Maximum Fighting Championship for MFC 32: Bitter Rivals, and scored a stunning third-round submission victory over Diego Bautista to earn his shot at the title.
Edmonton’s MMA Fighter of the Year award was originally handed out in 2006 to former MFC talent Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald.
Press Release – He’s an NCAA Male Athlete of the Year. He’s defeated numerous MMA superstars. He took one of the most dominant wrestlers in MMA today to a close split decision. He recently walked through one of the most feared welterweights in MFC history. He’s a workhorse. He’s a veteran. He’s Nathan “Soulforce” Coy. […]
Press Release – He’s an NCAA Male Athlete of the Year. He’s defeated numerous MMA superstars. He took one of the most dominant wrestlers in MMA today to a close split decision. He recently walked through one of the most feared welterweights in MFC history. He’s a workhorse. He’s a veteran. He’s Nathan “Soulforce” Coy.
Fight fans may not know this guy, but fight fanatics do, and soon you will too. Why? Because he’s about to bring the fight like he always does, but this time his fight is at MFC 33 on the grand stage provided by HDNet, TSN, and the Maximum Fighting Championship. Oh, by the way, his fight is also for the welterweight championship belt, which, in a recent interview, Coy stated clearly was in his career goals: “I’m looking to win belts.”
His journey to this title shot hasn’t been easy either. The guy has built a career on taking on the toughest fighters in the sport – often before they garnered the glitz and glamour needed to rocket Coy to the top, or even to pay him well for that matter: “I’m the guy who beat those fighters before they had legitimate names. It was a lot of tough matches for no money, just for respect.” In the McGillivray fight, the man they call Soulforce gets to put his stamp on a high-profile fight, and, like he says, “It’s just a matter of making it happen.”
That’s a relatively easy quote to throw out there, but Coy also realizes his work is cut out for him. His opponent, Ryan McGillivray, clutched his last victory from what looked like the jaws of defeat when he pulled an out-of-nowhere armbar on the highly aggressive Diego Bautista. Coy knows that fight, and he knows what McGillivray brings to the cage, so he must see that Ryan has a shot at winning their bout, right? “No, not at all,” said Coy, “I’m in this business to win and win only.” With affiliation to Team Quest in Portland and American Top Team in Florida, he’s surrounded by winning attitudes and the talent needed to prepare him for McGillivray’s excellent submission game. When asked about it, Coy was completely confident in himself and his training partners, “I’ve got guys who can match that.”
It’s hard to argue the quality of his training camps or his skills after watching him dismantle Dhiego Lima at MFC 32. Lima is a feared competitor, and now Coy may be the most feared welterweight on the MFC roster. He doesn’t care about fear though, only victory: “I want to get after it and put people in positions they’re not comfortable in. If that’s fear, then so be it.” Of course, it’s going to be hard to shake the confidence of his opponent, who will have the home crowd support behind him in spades. As far as Nathan Coy is concerned, Ryan McGillivray can go ahead and have the fan support in the arena: “The crowd has nothing to do with it.” He may well be right. We are, after all, talking about a fighter who is extremely focused and on a path of constant and consistent improvement. Take a look at the list of fighters he’s already defeated. Improvement is a scary thought, especially considering the dominance shown in his last fight: “I impose my will. That’s the goal when I’m out there.”
Imposing is a great word to describe Coy. He’s big. He’s forceful. He’s persistent. In fact, he’s much like a fighting mountain gorilla: “A gorilla grabs you. It hurts you. It does what it wants.” To be fair to the man, he is also a loving father and husband who is thankful to his supporters and all the fans who buy tickets to the MFC, but you can hear it in the tone of his voice – his message to Ryan McGillivray isn’t loving or thankful, but more like a dare for which he already knows the outcome: “Come after it, man. Come hard. Let’s do this.”
‘The Kid’ wants his crown McGillivray in hunt for welterweight title against Coy at MFC 33 Press Release – Ryan McGillivray knows he has a big job ahead of him. But he’s conquered a lot in a short period of time. He’s overcome a broken back. He has bounced back from losses. And he jumped […]
Ryan McGillivray
‘The Kid’ wants his crown
McGillivray in hunt for welterweight title against Coy at MFC 33
Press Release – Ryan McGillivray knows he has a big job ahead of him.
But he’s conquered a lot in a short period of time. He’s overcome a broken back. He has bounced back from losses. And he jumped headfirst into the responsibility of being a single dad.
When MFC 33: Collision Course rolls around on Friday, May 4, though, McGillivray admits that the task at hand will be the toughest of his mixed martial arts career, yet it also comes with the greatest reward he’s ever had a chance to obtain.
McGillivray (12-5-1) will lock horns with Nathan Coy (10-4) at MFC 33 with the winner claiming the MFC welterweight title. The bout headlines the Collision Course card airing live from the Mayfield Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, on HDNet Fights. The six-bout main card begins at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (check local listings for channel designation).
“The Kid,” now all of 25, has been through a lot. It will all be worth it if he wears the MFC crown after conquering Coy.
“I am very excited to have a chance at a very respected title,” said McGillivray. “It has been a very long road and feels like all I have been through – good and bad – has been worth it. It has always been a dream of mine to have this title fight.”
McGillivray has been eyeing an MFC title for years. He has fought 13 times under the organization’s banner – a total second-only to Dwayne Lewis’s 15 appearances. McGillivray’s run in the MFC has included nine straight shows to start his career, as well as brief stints at both lightweight and middleweight.
Home-field advantage will be in McGillivray’s favor in his quest for the belt. A growing legion of fans, the McGillivray Mob if you will, offer up encouragement, but Coy is as unflappable as they come.
“Coy is probably the toughest guy I have fought in my career and I have no doubt I am going to need to be at my best to win the title,” offered McGillivray. “I know he has had a long road as well and will be equally motivated to take that belt.”
Coy is far from an easy foe. Now fighting out of Coconut Creek, Florida, Coy demonstrated a good chin and stiff hands in upsetting Dhiego Lima at MFC 32 back in January. Without a doubt, though, Coy’s strength is his wrestling as the former NCAA champ from Oregon State University mauled Lima with a heavy ground game. On the same card, McGillivray pulled his own contendership victory from the grip of defeat. Bloodied and behind on the scorecards, McGillivray found an open spot and seized the win with a third-round submission over Diego Bautista.
Getting Coy on the ground could play into McGillivray’s favor as 10 of his 12 victories have come by way of submission, six of those by his favored method of stoppage – the armbar. McGillivray knows he’ll need everything in his arsenal including an ever-improving striking game to have a chance to derailing Coy.
“I don’t think it’s any secret the pedigree he has with him with his national level wrestling,” noted McGillivray. “I am aware he is going to be looking to take me down and finish me there. I plan on making him pay on his way in and working my submissions in all areas so my BJJ is better than ever.
“He has a lot of decisions so I will be more than ready to go six rounds. Yes, six rounds. I want to be able to outwork him and at the very least out-heart him. It should be a tough, entertaining fight.”
Tickets for MFC 33: Collision Course are on sale now and available exclusively through the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024.
Maromo vs. Lynn plus two more bouts added to Collision Course on May 4 Press Release – Feb. 28, 2012 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – The Maximum Fighting Championship has completed its lineup of the main card for MFC 33: Collision Course slated for Friday, May 4 in Edmonton, Alberta. The main card, highlighted by […]
Maromo vs. Lynn plus two more bouts added to Collision Course on May 4
Press Release – Feb. 28, 2012 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – The Maximum Fighting Championship has completed its lineup of the main card for MFC 33: Collision Course slated for Friday, May 4 in Edmonton, Alberta.
The main card, highlighted by the MFC welterweight title tilt between Ryan “The Kid” McGillivray and Nathan “Soulforce” Coy, will air live on HDNet Fights from the Mayfield Conference Centre beginning at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (check local listings for channel designation).
For the first time in organization history, back-to-back winners of the Knockout of the Night will clash as home-town favorite “The African Assassin” Mukai Maromo tangles with Adam Lynn in a lightweight matchup. Maromo (6-2) captured the KO of the Night honor at MFC 30 as he felled Scott Cleve in just 36 seconds. Maromo ran his winning streak to three straight when he captured a convincing unanimous decision verdict over Sabah Fadai at MFC 31.
At MFC 31, it was Lynn’s turn to take home the KO of the Night award when he blasted Curtis Demarce with a vicious elbow only 1:38 into their encounter. Lynn, who fights out of Laguna Hills, California, would later get the nod for the MFC’s 2011 Knockout of the Year. Lynn (17-8) is on a real tear having won six straight with the demolition of Demarce being the sixth knockout victory of his 10-year career.
Another home-town fighter has a spot on the MFC 33 roster as Cody “Genghis” Krahn meets up with MFC newcomer Mike Kent in a middleweight bout. Krahn (11-4), who has won eight of his last 10 outings and has eight submission wins under his belt, finally earned his long-awaited first win under the MFC banner when he scored a hard-fought, first-round submission of Ryan Chiappe at MFC 31.
But Krahn doesn’t have an easy task ahead of him in the unbeaten Kent (8-0), who hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Kent has finished all but one of his fights, and has stopped his opposition four times inside the first round.
Chiappe (8-7) will get a chance to redeem himself at MFC 33 as he meets the rejuvenated Jamie “The Ghost” Toney (15-7) in a welterweight showdown. Chiappe, a native of Prince George, British Columbia, has won four of his last six outings, and boasts six knockouts on his resume.
Toney, the Bas Rutten-trained talent from Los Angeles, California, was stopped by Dhiego Lima in his organizational debut at MFC 30, but rebounded with a clear-cut decision victory over Kyle Jackson at MFC 32 in January – a battle that is an early contender for the MFC’s 2012 Fight of the Year. A well-rounded battler, Toney has six knockouts and seven submission victories to his credit.
MFC 33: Collision Course Main Card
Nathan Coy vs. Ryan McGillivray – MFC welterweight title
Adam Lynn vs. Mukai Maromo – lightweight
Aron Lofton vs. Dwayne Lewis – light-heavyweight
Jamie Toney vs. Ryan Chiappe – welterweight
Mike Kent vs. Cody Krahn – middleweight
Diego Bautista vs. Sabah Fadai – lightweight
Tickets for MFC 33: Collision Course are on sale now and available exclusively through the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024.
For more information and interview requests, please contact:
Scott Zerr, Director of Media and Fighter Relations
Press Release – January 12, 2012 – A trio of fights, including a matchup for the welterweight title, have been signed for the Maximum Fighting Championship’s next event – MFC 33: Collision Course – set for Friday, May 4 in Edmonton, Alberta. Emanating from the Mayfield Conference Centre and airing live on HDNet Fights, MFC […]
Press Release – January 12, 2012 – A trio of fights, including a matchup for the welterweight title, have been signed for the Maximum Fighting Championship’s next event – MFC 33: Collision Course – set for Friday, May 4 in Edmonton, Alberta.
Emanating from the Mayfield Conference Centre and airing live on HDNet Fights, MFC 33: Collision Course will be headlined by a showdown for the MFC welterweight crown as home-town favorite Ryan “The Kid” McGillivray takes on Nathan “Soulforce” Coy.
The matchup was set in stone at MFC 32 in January when both fighters won their respective top contenders bout. McGillivray (12-5-1) survived an early scare en route to posting a third-round submission in defeating Diego Bautista. Coy (10-4) utilized a well-rounded game plan to take a clear-cut unanimous decision from the previously undefeated hot prospect Dhiego Lima.
McGillivray is one of the MFC’s original standouts, having fought 13 times under the organization’s banner. He boasts 10 submission victories and has won three of his last four – all via tapout. Coy, an All-American wrestler at Oregon State University, now fights out of Coconut Creek, Florida, and holds notable career wins over Rick Story and Mike Pierce.
Coy and McGillivray will vie for the MFC welterweight title which has been previously held by Douglas Lima and Pat Healy.
Also set for MFC 33: Collision Course is a hotly anticipated light-heavyweight rematch between Aron “The Poster Boy” Lofton and Dwayne “D-Bomb” Lewis.
The pair originally collided at MFC 17 in July 2008 though Lofton needed just 17 seconds to score a one-punch knockout of Lewis, and in the process earn the MFC’s Knockout of the Year.
Lewis (12-8) rebounded from that dramatic loss by going on a tear and winning seven in a row and nine of his next 10 outings – seven of those nine victories coming inside the opening round. He vaulted to the top of the MFC’s 205-pound and earned a title shot against Ryan Jimmo at MFC 28, but lost by TKO via doctor’s stoppage in Round 3. After healing up a number of nagging injuries, Lewis returned to action at MFC 32 though it was a disappointing night for the “Lewis Army” as they saw the popular figure from Fort McMurray, Alberta, drop a second-round TKO verdict to Wilson Gouveia.
Lofton (8-5), who now fights out of Austin, Texas, is 3-3 under the MFC banner and boasts seven victories inside the first round.
A lightweight tilt has also been tabbed for MFC 33 that will pit Diego Bautista against “The Persian Warrior” Sabah Fadai.
Bautista (7-1) saw his undefeated streak snapped at MFC 32 with a third-round submission loss to Ryan McGillivray, but the Lakewood, California, product now returns to his more natural home at 155 pounds. Fadai (6-2) returns following a decision setback against Mukai Maromo at MFC 31 which was one of the MFC’s most entertaining fights during the 2011 schedule. The Vancouver, B.C., native had won four straight including back-to-back first-round stoppages before falling to Maromo.
Tickets for MFC 33: Collision Course are on sale now and available exclusively through the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024.
Former Maximum Fighting Championship lightweight title holder Antonio ‘Mandingo’ McKee (27-4-2) had been set to defend his title this past weekend at MFC 32 versus opponent Brian Cobb, but a bad weight cut saw him hit the scales seven pounds over limit. The result of that was to see McKee stripped of the title, and […]
Former Maximum Fighting Championship lightweight title holder Antonio ‘Mandingo’ McKee (27-4-2) had been set to defend his title this past weekend at MFC 32 versus opponent Brian Cobb, but a bad weight cut saw him hit the scales seven pounds over limit.
The result of that was to see McKee stripped of the title, and according to MFC President Mark Pavalich, that win or lose ‘Mandingo’ was cut from the Canadian promotion.
McKee would go on to defeat Cobb via unanimous decision for his second straight victory, and sixteenth in eighteen matches.
The former MFC champ talked to Sherdog.com recently, saying that he was having kidney issues during the weight cut, and blames part of his release on the MFC not being able to find an opponent capable of beating him.
“[Pavelich] knew I wasn’t going to make weight before the fight because I told him I wasn’t going to make weight. I was sick. I had f—ing kidney issues. My stomach was messed up. They already knew that.”
“I called Brian Cobb and told him that I wasn’t going to make weight and that he wouldn’t be fighting for the title,” McKee said. “The surprise to me was that Brian Cobb didn’t make weight. He stepped on the scale first, and he was a half-pound over. I stepped on the scale and weighed 159.8 pounds [before the weigh-in]. I started rehydrating, because my organs were starting to give me issues, and I weighed in at 162… ”
“The problem is that Mark Pavelich doesn’t have anyone who can beat me, and it costs him a lot of money to bring in guys to fight me. That’s the real reason why I’m not in the MFC, because he can’t afford me anymore,” said McKee.
MFC 32 took place at the Mayfield Inn Trade and Convention Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The main card, including McKee’s win, was broadcast live on HDNet.
