Tag: Press Release

Press Release – The Maximum Fighting Championship, one of the world’s premier mixed martial arts organizations, is excited to announce four major bouts for MFC 37: True Grit taking place on Friday, May 10.

Airing live on AXS TV Fights from the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, MFC 37 will be headlined by a showdown for the Maximum Fighting Championship’s heavyweight title as Smealinho “The Prince” Rama takes on Chris “Beast Boy” Barnett.

MFC 37 will also mark the debut of the Maximum Fighting Championship’s new bantamweight (135-pound) division, and sparking that launch will be a clash of hot prospects as Anthony Birchak squares off against Ryan “Baby Face” Benoit.

Two more fights have also been finalized. In middleweight action, surging title hopeful Jason “The Savage” Zentgraf will face the biggest test of his career as he meets judo and jiu-jitsu talent Luke “Hayabusa” Harris. And in a hotly anticipated lightweight clash, Kurt “The Hurt” Southern takes on “The Afrikan Assassin” Mukai Maromo.

“Our last few events have demonstrated the priority we have put on exciting fights, and I fully expected MFC 37 to keep that momentum going in a big way,” said Mark Pavelich, Owner/President of the Maximum Fighting Championship.

“I’m excited to have Smealinho Rama and Chris Barnett battle for the heavyweight title, and I am really anticipating an electrifying debut of the bantamweight division with Anthony Birchak and Ryan Benoit. And of course, having guys like Jason Zentgraf, Luke Harris, Kurt Southern, and Mukai Maromo already signed and ready to work tells me that MFC 37 is going to keep our streak of fantastic shows rolling right along.”

For the first time since 2007, the Maximum Fighting Championship will crown a new heavyweight champion when Rama (Twitter: @SmailRama) collides with Barnett (Twitter: @Beastboy61).

Rama (6-0) is currently ranked 33rd in the world and had a spectacular 2012 campaign during which he was named Fight Matrix’s Rookie of the Year and received the MFC’s Submission of the Year. The 20-year-old from Calgary, Alberta, is coming off the sixth straight first-round victory of his burgeoning career with his knockout win over Mike Hackert at MFC 36.

Not only did Rama blast through Hackert in only 2:28, but the lightning-quick big man steamrolled through his other two opponents in MFC action, needing less than five minutes combined to finish those two bouts.

Fighting out of Tampa, Florida, Barnett (7-1) is ranked 50th in the world, and has notched five wins by way of knockout. The 26-year-old, who has won two straight fights, will be making his organizational debut at MFC 37.

A former football player with the University of South Florida, Barnett, who was born in Zaragoza, Spain, is a black belt in tae kwon do and also an extensive background in wrestling and jiu-jitsu.

Rising prospects collide in the MFC’s inaugural bantamweight bout

Anthony Birchak (9-1) was the first fighter signed to the MFC’s promising 135-pound division, and the Tucson, Arizona, product will tangle with Ryan “Baby Face” Benoit (6-1). Birchak has won three straight bouts all by knockout after opening his career with five of six victories coming via submission.

Birchak (Twitter: abirchakMMA) joins the MFC fresh off a first-round destruction of Matt Leyva, needing only 1:22 to register the third knockout of his career.

But fast-rising sensation Benoit, who fights out of Dallas, Texas, is also on a roll, having put four straight wins under his belt. Four of Benoit’s career wins were notched inside the opening round, and he has needed less than 5:30 minutes combined to put away his last three opponents.

Benoit (Twitter: babyfacebenoit) should be a familiar face to AXS TV Fights viewers having previously fought three times on MFC’s broadcast partner.

Middleweight fight with title ramifications

In two fights under the MFC banner, Jason Zentgraf (7-1) has racked up a pair of tidy submission wins, and the Missoula, Montana, fighter has his eyes set upon a shot at MFC middleweight champion Elvis Mutapcic.

To get that opportunity, Zentgraf (Twitter: @JasonZentgraf) will need to get past divisional stalwart Luke Harris (9-2) who is coming off his own title eliminator bout – a first-round submission loss to onetime challenger Joseph Henle at MFC 34.

Most recently, Zentgraf took a second-round submission win via armbar over Clay Davidson at MFC 36. Following a career-opening loss, Harris, who will have the home-town advantage fighting out of Edmonton, Alberta, rattled off nine straight wins before his loss to Henle. In addition to his stellar list of judo accomplishments, Harris (Twitter: @HayabusaHarris) recently added a black belt in jiu-jitsu to his resume.

Lightweights at the forefront

After both suffered losses at MFC 36, Kurt Southern (10-4) and Mukai Maromo (8-3) will be looking to get back to winning ways at MFC 37.

This will be a rematch between the two from a matchup back in 2010 in which Southern captured a first-round submission via triangle choke.

Southern (Twitter: @KurtSouthern), who fights out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, dominated the opening two rounds against Jonatas Novaes with a combination of strikes and wrestling prowess. But Novaes escaped with the win, capturing his opponent in a tapout-enducing armbar in Round 3 which snapped Southern’s three-fight winning streak.

Maromo (Twitter: @AfrikanAssassin) was also submitted at MFC 36 but under even greater circumstances. The native of Zimbabwe who fights out of Edmonton, Alberta, had proclaimed himself to be the uncrowned champion of the MFC’s lightweight division, but he was tapped out via North-South choke by Graham “Cracka” Spencer in the third round of their title bout.

The loss ended an impressive run for Maromo who earned his second straight MFC Fight of the Year in 2012 along with the MFC Knockout of the Year plus Inside MMA’s Rising Star Award.

Two more fights will be announced shortly for the MFC 37: True Grit main card, along with a sizeable undercard featuring numerous local standouts.

Tickets for MFC 37: True Grit are on sale now via the MFC Ticket Hotline by calling (780) 504-2024 or by going

Press Release – If you’ve never heard of the name Chris Barnett, it’s probably because he hasn’t fought in MMA since April 22nd, 2011. He was sidelined by an unethical promoter: “Every time I had another MMA fight scheduled, this promoter would call the other organizations and harass them and I didn’t have an exclusive contract with him.” Chris kept active by knocking out his opponent in his professional boxing debut, even with all the negativity surrounding him. In case you were wondering if he is a complete fighter, he just won N.A.G.A two weeks ago.

Chris Barnett is currently not a household name, but that’s all about to change. “I’m coming and making the MFC my home, in my opinion it’s the #2 organization in the world right behind the obvious, for the simple fact that all their title holders are world class athletes and when they decide to take that next step in their careers they make history.” Barnett is referring to Ryan Jimmo’s (MFC Light Heavyweight champion/alumni) 7 second knockout record. Barnett trains with Jimmo and the rest of the blackzillians Alistair Overeem, Rumble Johnson, Tyrone Spong and Rashad Evans just to name a few. “Those guys all speak highly of me, I went down there to really find out where I was at and now I know that I am exactly where I need to be, this is my sport and it was a huge confidence boaster training with all those guys.” It’s safe to say that all this high level training really put fuel on his fire.

Barnett also known as “Beast Boy” was originally born in Spain and was raised in multiple cities in Europe. His teenage years were spent travelling the United States living in Colorado, Texas and wrestling in Georgia. He finally made it to Florida playing football for the University of South Florida (USF-NCAA Div 1), that’s where he resides to this day. Now it’s time for the “beast boy” to make it in Canada, signing a 4 fight deal with the Maximum Fighting Championship. “I have never heard one negative thing about the MFC and if they would have me at every show I would get an MFC tattoo… I have never been this excited about anything; my heart is thumping just talking about this opportunity.”

“My biggest fear is not living up to my family’s legacy and disappointing my loved ones. I come from a family where you have to become somebody or be shunned.” On Friday May 10th at MFC 37 True Grit Chris Barnett will have the opportunity to make his family proud and become the MFC world heavyweight champion when he faces undefeated Smealinho “the prince” Rama. The Prince has a flawless record of 6-0 with 6 finishes in the first round and has been perfect with his pre fight predictions. On the other hand Beast Boy has his own prediction “I will finish him with a TKO in the second.”

“If anybody has anything to say on why I am getting this title shot, line them up and I will show them exactly why I am getting a shot at that MFC championship” Barnett is a very dedicated man who has a low tolerance for laziness and pushes himself to the limit in the gym every day. He has been blessed with self motivation and prides himself on the fact that you can’t teach heart. “I don’t ever want to be known as not humble, but what I’m doing and where my spirit’s at right now I feel unstoppable, I feel like I can take 6 bullets and push through it.”

Barnett knows how dangerous Rama is when it comes to the MFC heavyweight division but he has been waiting for this opportunity his whole life and he’s never been more ready. “I want a challenge, I want a young lion. Rama is exactly what I want for my next fight, I mean his boxing is decent but anybody with a 4 ounce glove and some weight behind him can get a knockout, but he’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

Rama seems to be able to talk his way into his opponent’s heads; considering he did it against Hackert with the first round finish, it seems like it’s been working in his favor. Beast Boy is the opposite “I’m about putting in work, having fun and putting on a show but if he has a big mouth I have a big fist.” This match up seems interesting from all angles, the MFC ring is going to be on fire when heavyweight sensations Rama and Barnett meet for a chance to become the next MFC world heavyweight champion. It is obvious both these fighters are hungry for glory. We will find out who has TRUE GRIT and who will leave MFC 37 the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world live on AXS TV from the Shaw conference center in Edmonton, Canada on May 10th which can’t come fast enough. In closing Chris “Beast Boy” Barnett (7-1) had this to say to the MFC fans “Have you ever seen kung fu panda in real life? he laughed, but in all seriousness you better come watch this fight because it’s time for me to build my legacy and I feel like it’s my job to humble fighters’ with massive ego’s.”

MFC 37: True Grit pre-sale tickets are available now by calling the MFC ticket hotline at 780-504-2024, the event is live FRIDAY MAY 10TH from the Shaw Conference Center in Edmonton,Canada

Twitter: @DPavelich