Middleweight mania coming to MFC 36

Silva vs. Flynn, Zentgraf vs. Harris on tap for Reality Check

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Maximum Fighting Championship has bolstered its lineup for MFC 36: Reality Check with a pair of key fights in the middleweight division featuring fan favorites.

Newly signed Jay “Da Spyda Killa” Silva (8-6) will meet Jacen Flynn (10-3) in one middleweight matchup, while Jason “The Savage” Zentgraf (6-1) will collide with Luke Harris (9-2) in the other.

Both critical contests in the MFC’s talent-laden 185-pound division will be part of the AXS TV Fights main card broadcast taking place live on Friday, February 15 from the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. The AXS TV Fights main card launches at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (check local listings for channel designation).

“The MFC really started to produce exceptional talent in the middleweight division in 2012, and these two fights – part of our first show in 2013 – is a direct result of that talent influx,” said Mark Pavelich, Owner/President of the Maximum Fighting Championship.

“There was a huge level of excitement around the MMA world when we signed Jay Silva, and immediately Jacen Flynn jumped at the opportunity because he wants to prove he’s much better than when we saw last time out.

“As for Jason Zentgraf, he wanted to step up in competition and he matches up very well with Luke Harris. And Luke is very eager to start a new winning streak. Both these guys want to be front and center in the title picture so it is a fitting matchup – and I believe it will be a very exciting one as well.”

Silva (Twitter: @jaysilvamma) will be making his organizational debut and he enters the MFC ring having won three of his last five fights including the biggest victory of his career as the Huntington Beach, California, product is coming off a stellar second-round submission of Kendall Grove.

In Flynn (Twitter: @JacenFlynnMMA), Silva meets an opponent who has nine victories by way of submission and holds career wins over notables Denis Kang, Dean Lister, and Edwin Dewees. Flynn, who fights out of Twin Falls, Idaho, had his four-fight winning streak snapped at MFC 34 when he dropped a first-round TKO verdict in a title eliminator to now-reigning MFC middleweight champ Elvis Mutapcic.

Zentgraf (Twitter: @JasonZentgraf) rides into MFC 36 carrying a three-fight winning streak capped most recently by his first-round submission over Cody Krahn at MFC 34. The Missoula, Montana, product has flexed his substantial submission skills, earning all six of his wins via tapout and five of those six victories coming inside the opening round.

“I’m totally pumped for this fight,” said Zentgraf, who opened up the opportunity by extending a challenge to fight Harris on the MFC website.

At MFC 34, Harris (Twitter: @HayabusaHarris) saw his impressive nine-fight unbeaten run come to an end with a first-round TKO setback against Joseph “Leonidas” Henle. The St. Albert, Alberta, product has won all nine of his bouts by way of first-round submission, including a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees at MFC 33. Already an accomplished judo player, Harris was awarded his second black belt and now holds that prestigious level in both judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Adding to the middleweight frenzy at MFC 36, an undercard bout has also been set in the division. Coming off his thrilling victory at MFC 35, Paul “The Punisher” Grandbois (5-4) will toe the line with Cody “Genghis” Krahn (11-6) in a showdown of rival Edmonton, Alberta, fighters.

Last time out, Grandbois (Twitter: @PunisherPG) put forth the performance of his career with a Knockout of the Night finish and a potential MFC Fight of the Year for his second-round TKO finish of Jason Kuchera. Five of Grandbois’ wins have been via T/KO with four of those five coming in the opening round.

Krahn has lost two straight with his last victory coming at MFC 31 when he submitted Ryan Chiappe. All 11 of Krahn’s win have come in Round 1, three via knockout and eight by submission.

Tickets for MFC 36: Reality Check are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 758-1632.

Maromo caps night of knockouts at MFC 34

‘Afrikan Assassin’ awesome, Mutapcic & Flynn set for middleweight title showdown
 
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.

Mutapcic to meet Flynn at MFC 34

Two top middleweight prospects ready for Total Recall clash Aug. 10

The Maximum Fighting Championship has enlisted a pair of top middleweight prospects to clash at MFC 34: Total Recall.

Jacen Flynn (10-2) will ride a four-fight winning streak into his organizational debut against newly signed Elvis “The King” Mutapcic (10-2), who has been victorious in seven of his last eight outings.

“We have been working hard to bolster our middleweight ranks, and the lineup for MFC 34 has proven our efforts to be very successful,” said Mark Pavelich, Owner/President of the Maximum Fighting Championship.

“Jacen Flynn against Elvis Mutapcic will be an exciting battle, and with Joseph Henle meeting Luke Harris on the same night, I think we’re going to see the two best contenders step forward to challenge for the MFC middleweight title.”

The Flynn-Mutapcic matchup rounds out the televised card that will live air on AXS TV (the soon-to-be rebranded HDNet) on Friday, August 10. Headlined by the MFC world lightweight title fight between Adam Lynn and Mukai Maromo, the event will emanate from the Mayfield Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (check local listings for channel designation).

Mutapcic (Twitter @ElvisMutapcic), who was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and now fights out of Des Moines, Iowa, boasts three wins by way of knockout and six via submission. Mutapcic’s notable career wins have been a victory over former MFC light-heavyweight title challenger Zak Cummings, a 25-second knockout of Cezar Ferreira, and a first-round tapout of submission specialist Josh Rosaaen.

Entering this year, Mutapcic was ranked No. 7 on Bloody Elbow list of the World MMA Top Middleweight Prospects (http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/1/11/2699127/elvis-mutapcic-mma-world-mma-middleweight-scouting-report).

Flynn (Twitter @JacenFlynnMMA), who fights out of Twin Falls, Idaho, boasts nine submission wins on his resume including first-round stoppages of Denis Kang and Edwin Dewees. The 33-year-old also holds a career victory over jiu-jitsu ace Dean Lister.

The 13-year veteran is regarded as the innovator of the strep choke, a submission similar to the rear-naked choke utilizing the aggressor’s back and shoulder muscles along with a triangle body lock.

MFC 34: Total Recall Main Card

Adam Lynn vs. Mukai Maromo, MFC lightweight title

Joseph Henle vs. Luke Harris, middleweight

Elvis Mutapcic vs. Jacen Flynn, middleweight

Mike Hackert vs. Tim Hague, heavyweight

Nick Hinchliffe vs. Dhiego Lima, welterweight

Diego Bautista vs. Sabah Fadai, lightweight

Tickets for MFC 34: Total Recall are going fast and are on sale now exclusively through the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024.

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The MFC Signs Jacen Flynn

Submission specialist, Jacen Flynn, has signed on to compete in the Maximum Fighting Championship.  He is looking to make an immediate impact in the organization’s middleweight division and brings a potent mix of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expertise and raw aggression to the MFC ring.

Hailing from Twin Falls, Idaho, Flynn is known for coming at his opponents quickly and aggressively.  He recently submitted Edwin “Babyface” Dewees in 44 seconds.  His live-by-the-sword-die-by-the-sword mentality has seen all but one of his fights end in a submission.

At 33, Flynn is looking for an immediate challenge in his new MMA home: “I want to fight tough guys, and I know a lot of guys say that, but I truly want those tough fights.   I want to challenge myself.”  Although his first opponent is yet to be announced, the MFC’s middleweight division has a number of fighters ready to give Flynn the challenge he’s looking for.  The undefeated Brendan Kornberger is coming off a first round TKO and looks hungry for a new challenge, and the potential for a jiu jitsu showdown between Jacen Flynn and Thales Leites is very intriguing.

No matter who ends up in the cage with Flynn, they are in for a fight. Flynn brings a highly intelligent game that’s seen him capture 9 of his 10 wins by submission.  “I really sit down and break down technique, and I want to apply as much as I possibly can to making moves efficient,” explained the Idaho black belt.

Flynn holds notable wins over Dean Lister and Dennis Kang.