Tag: Maximum Fighting Championship

Press Release – August 22, 2012 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – The Maximum Fighting Championship has officially set the matchup that will launch its new featherweight division.

Hawaiian sensation and BJ Penn training partner “Sugar” Shane Nelson will take on top Canadian prospect Graham Spencer at MFC 35: Explosive Encounter – a bout that will be featured on the AXS TV main card emanating live from the Mayfield Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, on Friday, Oct. 26. The Spencer-Nelson fight joins a card topped by a co-main event pitting Elvis “The King” Mutapcic against Joseph “Leonidas” Henle for the MFC world middleweight title.

Nelson (15-6) has signed a multi-fight deal with the MFC, and is ecstatic about making his debut in the 145-pound division after a successful run at lightweight that included a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter – Season 8: Nogueira vs. Mir.”

“I intend on making a statement. I’m not taking Graham lightly but I’m not coming to lose,” said Nelson, who trains out of Hilo, Hawaii.

“I’ve been wanting to come to the MFC for a while and now I’m very glad to get pen to paper and get the deal done.”

Nelson has won three of his last four outings and boasts a career-best eight-fight winning streak highlighted by his biggest wins to date. The 27-year-old southpaw scored a split-decision win over George Roop in late 2008 and followed that up with a 48-second TKO victory over Aaron Riley. Nelson also holds notable victories over Jai Bradney and Kolo Koka.

Nelson is already in training camp alongside the icon Penn and former MFC welterweight champ Pat Healy, and while a specific game plan for Spencer hasn’t been formatted yet, MFC fans can expect all-out action from Nelson.

“I’ve heard that Graham is a grinder but I’ll say right now that he’s going to need a better plan than that to beat me,” offered Nelson. “He’s not going to be able to lay on me and hold me down. It doesn’t matter if I’m on top, on the bottom, or standing, I’m going to hurt him and he’s going to understand that he’s in a fight.

“I’m coming to leave it all on the line, and I’m coming to try and take his head off. I’m going to put on an exciting fight.”

Spencer (8-1, 1 NC) will ride a three-fight winning streak into his organizational debut. The Nanaimo, B.C., product, has earned four victories via submission, including two finishes inside the opening round.

Tickets for MFC 35: Explosive Encounter are available now exclusively through the MFC Ticket Hotline by calling (780) 504-2024.

Press Release – August 10, 2012 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – Mukai Maromo erased all doubt arising from his earlier controversial win over Adam Lynn, using a spectacular display of striking skills to knockout his rival in the main event of the Maximum Fighting Championship’s MFC 34: Total Recall.

Fighting in front of his home-town fans in Edmonton, Alberta, and live on AXS TV Fights across the United States, Maromo blitzed Lynn with a vicious assault showcasing hand speed, damaging elbow strikes and uppercuts, and destructive knees. “The Afrikan Assassin” was all over Lynn early in the second round, pinning him in the corner and sending the sold-out crowd at the Mayfield Conference Centre into a frenzy with his punishing strikes. But the former U.S. Marine didn’t go away easy until a final knee caught him square on the chin, sending Lynn face first to the canvas.

Maromo (8-2) stood over his fallen foe as the referee stepped in to stop the assault at 1:26 of Round 2. Maromo’s fifth consecutive win also earned him the Knockout of the Night award – the second of his career. It was a gut-wrenching loss for Lynn (17-10), who not only failed to make weight causing the bout to be reduced from a title fight to a three-round, non-title affair, but had also lost a highly contentious split-decision to Maromo at MFC 33.

The Maromo result capped an exhilarating night of knockouts, two of which cemented the pairing that will vie for the MFC middleweight title in October. A beautiful combination from Joseph “Leonidas” Henle dropped Luke Harris to the mat, and Henle jumped in to finish matters just 1:57 into their bout. Henle (8-0-1) captured his fifth straight win in his MFC debut, while Harris (9-2) saw his nine-fight winning streak – all first-round submissions – come to a screeching halt.

Henle, who fights out of Thousand Oaks, California, will meet Elvis “The King” Mutapcic for the MFC’s 185-pound division belt after Mutapcic destroyed Jacen Flynn with a rabid ground-and-pound attack, and getting the victory only 1:39 into their matchup. Like Henle, it was a grand MFC debut for Mutapcic (11-2) who roughed up Flynn (10-3) in the opening seconds and never looked back. Mutapcic, who is originally from Bosnia and now fights out of Des Moines, Iowa, is slated to meet Henle for the title at MFC 35: Explosive Encounter on Oct. 26.

The MFC’s re-ignited heavyweight division was launched in impressive fashion as Mike “The Honey Badger” Hackert proved to be the undisputed No. 1 heavyweight in Canada with a quick demolition of Tim Hague in a rematch of their original bout from May that Hackert won via decision. Hackert left no doubt as to his standing in the rankings as he brutalized Hague with lightning-quick punches followed by an attack to the body that crumpled Hague to the canvas. Hackert, who was outweighed by 40 pounds, continued to bang away at Hague’s body before sealing the deal with more ground-and-pound at the 2:27 mark of Round 1.

Hackert (6-1) earned his first stoppage victory (five previous wins all by decision) in his first MFC fight, while Hague (14-7) came up short in his MFC debut.

The Submission of the Night award went to debuting Montana fighter Jason “The Savage” Zentgraf (6-1) who seized an opportunity and finished off Cody Krahn (11-5), coaxing a tapout via bar-arm choke at 1:15 of Round 1.

The MFC 34 main card was rounded out by the return of welterweight prospect Dhiego “Maluco” Lima, who started slowly but regained the form he had shown prior to the only loss on his record – a decision defeat to reigning MFC 170-pound division champ Nathan Coy.

Lima (7-1) began to pick apart opponent Nick Hinchliffe (19-9) in Round 2 and by the end of the fight, Hinchliffe was badly damaged by accurate punches and vicious leg kicks. Lima, who fights out of Atlanta, Georgia, showed all the signs that he had recovered from a couple of serious injuries, taking a unanimous decision with 30-27 counts on all three judges’ scorecards.

MFC 34 Other Results:

Derek Boyle (8-5) def. Dan Ring (5-1) – TKO, 0:20, Round 1
Derek Parker (4-1-1) def. Paul Grandbois (4-4) – Tapout via rear-naked choke, 3:24, Round 1
Smealinho Rama (3-0) def. Lee Mein – TKO, 2:49, Round 1

Tickets for MFC 35: Explosive Encounter go on sale Monday, Aug. 13 and are available exclusively through the MFC Ticket Hotline by calling (780) 504-2024.

For more information or interview requests, please contact:

Scott Zerr, Director of Media and Fighter Relations

Press Release – August 9, 2012 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – Lightweight bout with Maromo changed to three-round, non-title fight

The Maximum Fighting Championship’s main event for MFC 34: Total Recall has been reduced to a three-round, non-title affair after Adam Lynn missed weight during the official weigh-in.

Lynn (17-9) was set to meet rival Mukai Maromo (7-2) for the vacant MFC lightweight title in a rematch of their contentious, controversial original bout from MFC 33 which Maromo took by a hotly disputed split-decision verdict. But Lynn, the former U.S. Marine, failed to make the 155-pound limit, stepping off the scale at 156.6 pounds. Maromo was on the money for his efforts at 154 pounds.

Lynn and Maromo will still clash on tomorrow night’s live card airing on AXS TV in a three-round bout.

Two middleweight bouts are also set for MFC 34 with the winners set to meet for the 185-pound division title later this year. Joseph Henle (7-0-1) was on the mark at 185.4 pounds, but his opponent, judo player Luke Harris (9-1) was off on his attempt, weighing in at 187 pounds. The other middleweight matchup saw both fighters on target – Elvis Mutapcic at 184.6 and Jacen Flynn at 185.

The MFC will also re-iginite its heavyweight division with a featured rematch between Mike Hackert (222.2 pounds) and Tim Hague (262 pounds).

MFC 34: Total Recall Official Weigh-In Results

MFC Lightweight Title bout: Adam Lynn – 156.6** vs. Mukai Maromo – 154.0

Middleweight bout: Joseph Henle – 185.4 vs. Luke Harris – 187.0*

Heavyweight bout: Mike Hackert – 222.2 vs. Tim Hague – 262.0

Middleweight bout: Elvis Mutapcic – 184.6 vs. Jacen Flynn – 185.0

Welterweight bout: Nick Hinchliffe – 170.2 vs. Dhiego Lima – 170.8

Catchweight (190 lbs) bout: Jason Zentgraf – 190.6 vs. Cody Krahn – 194.4*

Catchweight (160 lbs) bout: Dan Ring – 159.0 vs. Derek Boyle – 160.8

Middleweight bout: Derek Parker – 185.2 vs. Paul Grandbois – 184.4

Heavyweight bout: Lee Mein – 239.4 vs. Smealinho Rama – 259.6

**Adam Lynn misses weight by 1.6 pounds; forfeits 20% of purse; fight changed to three-round, non-title bout

*Luke Harris (1 pound over) and Cody Krahn (3.4 pounds over) miss weight; both forfeit 20% of purse

*Reminder*
Maximum Fighting Championship
Press Conference

Press Release – August 7, 2012 – A reminder from the Maximum Fighting Championship that we are hosting a special combined media availability and open training session to introduce the top fighters headlining MFC 34: Total Recall.

The media availability and training session will take place on Wednesday, August 8 at 3 p.m. inside the Mayfield Conference Centre. Fighters will be available for one-on-one interviews as well as for video and photographs while participating in a light workout inside the MFC ring.

MFC 34: Total Recall takes place on Friday, August 10 at the Mayfield Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, and will air live on AXS TV throughout the United States beginning at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (check local listings for channel designation). MFC 34 will then be showcased on a tape-delay basis on TSN2 at a later date.

In the main event of MFC 34, a battle for the undisputed MFC world lightweight title will pit former United States Marine Adam Lynn (17-8), who hails from Laguna Beach, California, against “The Afrikan Assassin” Mukai Maromo (7-2), who now makes him home in Edmonton, Alberta.

Also on hand at the media availability will be rival heavyweights Mike “The Honey Badger” Hackert (5-1) who will be looking for a second straight victory over Edmonton’s own Tim “The Thrashing Machine” Hague (14-6).

As well, two of the MFC’s best in the middleweight division will be on hand at the media availability before they square off at MFC 34. Former reality show standout Joseph “Leonidas” Henle (7-0-1), who fights out of Lompoc, California, will face judo stalwart and popular Edmonton-based fight Luke Harris (9-1) with the winner of the fight ensuring himself a shot at the middleweight title later this year.

Schedule of Events for MFC 34: Total Recall

*Media Availability/Open Training Session*

Wednesday, August 8

Mayfield Conference Centre

· Mark Pavelich, Adam Lynn, Mukai Maromo, Mike Hackert, Tim Hague, Joseph Henle and Luke Harris

* Media members can pick up their accreditation for MFC 34 at the press conference.

*Weigh-In*

Thursday, August 9

Lobby Courtyard

Mayfield Inn & Suites

All fighters will be on the scale and available for interviews and photos.

*Fight Night*

Friday, August 10

Mayfield Conference Centre

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with undercard bouts starting at 6:30 p.m. The televised card begins at 8 p.m.

For more information and press credentials, please contact:

Scott Zerr, Director of Media and Fighter Relations

Follow the MFC on Twitter @maximumfighting