MFC 38 Aftermath: What It Means To Be A Champion In The Maximum Fighting Championships

Three new champions were crowned on October 4^th in Edmonton at MFC 38: Behind Enemy Lines at what was arguably the Maximum Fighting Championship’s biggest show to date.  On such an important and pivotal night in the history of the organization, you could not have written the story of the show any better than how the reality transpired in the ring.

“Smilen” Sam Alvey came through with a thrilling “bottom of the ninth” knockout win over Jason South with four seconds remaining in the final round to claim the MFC middleweight title.

Anthony Hamilton notched his fifth straight win while handing Smealinho “The Prince” Rama the first loss of his MMA career in destructive head kick KO fashion en route to becoming the MFC heavyweight champion.

Anthony Birchak showcased his well-rounded skillset in the show’s main event to secure a rear naked choke submission win over Tito Jones in the 2^nd round and become the first bantamweight champion in MFC history.

Becoming a champion in the MFC gives you a new level of recognition in the MMA world, a significant bump in world rank, and many new professional opportunities.  Reaching this level is a momentous milestone in the career of a fighter and one can only imagine the sacrifice those who reach that milestone have to make along their respective paths.  Here is what the new divisional kings had to say about their experiences and their new positions as champions.

SAM ALVEY
On being the champ:The MFC is one of only two or three world-class MMA organizations and to be a champion of that caliber means that for the rest of my life I will be able to tell my children, to tell my neighbors, to tell my friends that I was one of the best in the world.  That really means a lot to me.

On his fight with Jason South:I felt the fight with Jason South was a great fight.  I really got to go to war with someone who deserved to be there.  It was a very tough fight.  His conditioning and his skillset were definitely in their prime and I was blessed to come away with the knockout late in the 5^th round.

On his future in the MFC:I’m looking forward to making my name in MFC history.  I want to be the champion they have that people want to come and see.  I want my place in the MFC to be in the history books for a long time.

ANTHONY HAMILTONOn being the champ:Being MFC Champion is a dream come true.  The MFC is one the biggest and most respected MMA organizations in the world and to be their champion is a blessing and an honor.  When I first got into MMA, I remember always hearing about their past champions... and I can recall thinking how awesome it would be to reach the level of those guys.  Now I'm here and the feeling and experience has been amazing.

On his future in the MFC:Mark Pavelich and his family have built the MFC into something phenomenal.  I'm excited to see what they have planned next and can’t wait to get back in there and defend the title.

ANTHONY BIRCHAKOn perseverance:
With all the tremendous adversity and small things that got in my way, the belt is almost more amazing to me.  I had every reason to pull out of the fight and not go through with it.  I had every reason to give up on my dream and just deal with all the bullshit that life has thrown at me.  Through all the pain and suffering and life that managed to get in the way, I persevered and finished the race.

Yeah, my belt is shiny and the leather is smooth and new, but it came as the result of a tremendous amount of struggle that I as a man had to sort out myself.  Yes, I had support and a helping hand around every corner, don't get me wrong, but we we’re born alone, we fight alone and we die alone.  This title was something that I by myself had to want more than anything else and strive to capture!

You can always catch The Maximum Fighting Championships on AXSTV Your Home For MMA. MFC is the longest running show on AXSTV's AXSTV Fights and is the number one brand of MMA in Canada and one of the most exciting Mixed Martial Arts shows in the World.  

Website:  http://www.MaximumFighting.com

Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/MaximumFighting

Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/MaximumFighting

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/MaximumFightingTV

MFC 38 weigh-in results

All three title fights are locked down for the Maximum Fighting Championship's MFC 38: Behind Enemy Lines taking place Friday night live on AXS TV Fights.

The official weigh-in was held Thursday afternoon at the Sutton Place Hotel, and the six fighters competing in the title fights were perfect on the scale.

The MFC's inaugural bantamweight title will take place with Tito Jones (10-6) taking on Anthony Birchak (10-1). Jones weighed in at 134.6 pounds while Birchak stepped off the scale at 134.8. The MFC middleweight title pits Jason South (10-0) against Sam Alvey (20-5), and both fighters comfortably hit their target - South at 184.2 and Alvey at 184.0.

In the MFC heavyweight title bout, Anthony Hamilton (10-2) matches up against Smealinho Rama (6-0). Hamilton came in just under the limit at 264.6, while Rama hit the scale at 250.6.

MFC 38: Behind Enemy Lines will be held at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, with the prelims airing live on the Maximum Fighting's Facebook page starting at 8:15 p.m. ET/6:15 p.m. MT/5:15 p.m. PT. The main card airs live on AXS TV Fights beginning at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT.

MFC 38: Behind Enemy Lines

Official Weigh-In Results

MFC Bantamweight Title

Tito Jones - 134.6

Anthony Birchak - 134.8

MFC Middleweight Title

Jason South - 184.2

Sam Alvey - 184.0

MFC Heavyweight Title

Anthony Hamilton - 264.6

Smealinho Rama - 250.6

Lightweight Title Eliminator

Jonatas Novaes - 155.6

Kurt Southern - 155.8

Middleweight

Teddy Ash - 185.4

Jared McComb - 184.6

Lightweight

Aaron Gallant - 157.4*

Matt Jelly - 155.2

Bantamweight

Daniel Mark - 135.4

Corey Gower - 135.2

Lightweight

Adam Wayne - 155.6

Garret Nybakken - 156.0

Middleweight

Nick Campbell - 185.4

Cody Krahn - 184.4

Light-Heavyweight

Paul Gerbinski - 205.2

Sheldon Adamson - 203.8

*Gallant missed weight and forfeits 20% of his purse

Fan voting will determine MFC 38 main event

Twitter & Facebook tallies decide between three title fights

The Maximum Fighting Championship has always taken great pride in being a organization that listens to its devoted fans. And now, the MFC is taking things one giant step further.

With MFC 38: Behind Enemy Lines boasting three title fights in one night - a first in MFC history - the Maximum Fighting Championship is going to let the fans decide which of the three bouts will be the true main event of the evening.

"It's not an easy thing deciding which title fight deserves to be the final fight of the night so why not let the fans pick who they want to see," said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich.

"I'm very excited to see which fight the fans will decide on being the most deserving of the three. We've all heard of 'Rock the Vote.' Well this is 'Punch the Vote!''

The three title fights at MFC 38 are:

Heavyweight Title - Anthony Hamilton vs. Smealinho Rama

Middleweight Title - Jason South vs. Sam Alvey

Bantamweight Title - Tito Jones vs. Anthony Birchak

It's a simple process for voting which will be conducted via Twitter (www.twitter.com/@maximumfighting) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/MaximumFighting).

* Votes on Twitter must include the hashtags #THEMFC, #MFC38 plus a hashtag and weight class for your pick - #HEAVYWEIGHT, #MIDDLEWEIGHT or #BANTAMWEIGHT. Votes must have #THEMFC, #MFC38 and the hashtag of your pick to be considered.

* For voting on Facebook, go to the Maximum Fighting page, click 'Join' and then click 'Like' under the poster for the fight you are selecting. All three title fights have their own individual poster, just keep scrolling till you find it as they move down the news feed as more postings go up.

The fight with the combined most tweets and likes will receive top billing and be the final fight at MFC 38 live on AXS TV Fights on Friday, October 4 from the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. The runner-up fight will be the second title bout, and the fight with the third-most votes will be the first of the title matchups.

Voting begins on Tuesday, August 20 and run through till midnight on Friday, September 20.

Tickets for MFC 38: Behind Enemy Lines are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024.

Southern, Alvey, Harris lead pack of winners at MFC 37

The Maximum Fighting Championship debuted its bantamweight division at MFC 37: True Grit on Friday night, and the result was one of the greatest fights in the history of the company.

A furious and fast-paced thriller between Anthony Birchak and Ryan “Baby Face” Benoit yielded several submission attempts, punishing strikes, and devastating ground-and-pound throughout a 15-minute battle for the ages at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta.

The fight was a brilliant display of resiliency by both fighters as each had their moments to secure victory only to see it slip away and give their opponent an opening.

The packed house and fans watching live on AXS TV Fights were treated to a stellar showing that finally produced a unanimous decision verdict in favor of Birchak (10-1), who not only earned his fourth straight win but also claimed a title shot and a chance to become the inaugural MFC bantamweight world champ. Birchak, who hails from Tucson, Arizona, will fight for that crown later in 2013.

Benoit (6-2) had his own four-fight winning streak snapped but it wasn’t without a heroic effort from the product of Dallas, Texas.

Former MFC middleweight title contender “Smilen” Sam Alvey moved right back into the title picture as he finished off veteran Jay Silva at 1:05 of the third round. Alvey (20-5), who fights out of Temecula, California, nearly ended things midway through Round 2 with flurry before finally turning the lights out on Silva’s night with another heavy-handed barrage. Silva (8-8) needlessly protested the stoppage as it was evident he’d been put away by Alvey, who earned the Knockout of the Night.

The Submission of the Night was a walk in the park for Kurt “The Hurt” Southern, whose wrestling acumen paved the way to a tidy victory over Mukai Maromo.

Southern (12-4) scored a pair of impressive takedowns in the opening moments and never let the feared striking abilities of Maromo get unveiled. Southern negotiated his way into a North-South choke and eventually coaxed the tapout from Maromo at 2:54 of Round 1. In an unusual twist, Southern mirrored the same result over Maromo (8-4) that felled the “Afrikan Assassin” in his last outing – a third-round loss by North-South choke to Graham Spencer in their MFC world lightweight title bout at MFC 36.

And with Spencer focusing on a future in the featherweight ranks, Southern put the call out for a rematch against Jonatas Novaes, who bested him by third-round armbar at MFC 36, but this time the return encounter would be for the MFC’s lightweight crown.

Also registering an impressive submission win at MFC 37 was hometown hero Luke “Hayabusa” Harris. The St. Albert, Alberta, product masterfully utilized his judo black belt skills, tossing Jason Zentgraf to the mat in the early going, and then positioning himself for a display of his jiu-jitsu talents. Harris (10-2) needed all of 2:21 to end it, picking up the 10^th first-round submission of his career with a unique neck-crank choke from side control. The loss was the first in the MFC for Zentgraf (7-2) and brought a halt to his four-fight winning streak.

For the first time in organizational history, the Maximum Fighting Championship aired preliminary bouts streaming live on Facebook, with the infamous “Brother vs. Brother” matchup the highlight of the MFC 37 undercard. In the end it was younger brother Thomas Treadwell scoring the victory over older sibling Mike Treadwell with a submission due to strikes at 2:22 of Round 1.

Other results:

Peter Neufeld (7-3) def. Garrett Nybakken (5-6) – Unanimous decision

Allen Hope (8-10) def. Paul Grandbois (5-6) – TKO, 1:54 Round 2

Jared McComb (5-2) def. Marcus Hicks (14-22) – Tapout via rear-naked choke, 3:09 Round 1

Maged Hammo (5-2) def. Allan Munroe (5-5) – Tapout via rear-naked choke, 2:53 Round 1

For more information, please contact:

Scott Zerr, Director of Media & Fighter Relations

Maximum Fighting Championship

Cell: (780) 914-5813

Fax: (780) 444-5966

Email: scott@maximumfighting.com

Web: www.maximumfighting.com

Follow the MFC on twitter.com/maximumfighting

Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/scottmaxfight

Benoit enjoying verbal strikes with Birchak

#BWBrawl at MFC 37 on May 10 will settle heated squabble

The two new stars in the MFC’s newest division are physically the smallest men on the roster, but they have created one of the biggest buzzes of any fight in company history.

And for Ryan “Baby Face” Benoit he’s enjoyed every minute of the ongoing war of words he’s engaged in against upcoming opponent Anthony Birchak. All of their heated banter is leading to a hotly anticipated battle in the MFC’s debuting bantamweight division at MFC 37: True Grit.

“The Twitter battles and words back in forth have been fun to me. I’ve never had so much public hype on a fight so it’s something kind of new to me but it’s all fun and games,” said Benoit.

“I’ve never truly gotten angry about any of the comments. I just laugh and try to think of something better to say.

“The real battle will be in the ring. Talking trash to me is just for the attention and helps promote the fight and ourselves as fighters. It’s something we will have to get good at and used to as fighters as we grow bigger and bigger in our careers.”

The next big step comes Friday, May 10 when Benoit (6-1) and Birchak (9-1) forget about the barbs and instead exchange strikes and submission. Their fight highlights the AXS TV Fights card emanating live from the Shaw 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).

The verbal rivalry took an interesting turn last week when Birchak and the hosts of an online radio show all stated that Benoit was no big test and that the fight would come to a quick conclusion. Benoit wasn’t the least bit concerned about the on-air shot he was taking, opting to patiently wait for the right time to shoot back.

Ready ... aim ... fire!

“Anthony is going to be on the list of my quick finishes,” stated Benoit.

“His wild brawling and swinging to a takedown won’t work on real skilled fighters.

“I have a feeling his career is about to have a big setback of losses after this because his poor skills are about to be exposed. There is a reason I was begging for this fight and everyone will see why May 10^th.”

Benoit (Twitter: @babyfacebenoit) may very well know what he’s talking about, having racked up four of his six wins inside the opening round plus five career victories coming by way of knockout. The Dallas, Texas, product is keeping a relatively standard method to his training camp, raising the focus in just a few specific areas.

He’s not at all worried about Birchak’s plan of attack. Instead he’s focused on making sure things go his way once the opening bell rings.

“I honestly see the fight going however I want it to,” said Benoit. “If he tries to take me down, it’s bad news for him. My ground game has yet to be exposed, and in all reality, the world hasn’t even seen how good my stand up is yet.”

An impressive outing for the winner of this showdown will put them into a fight to become the MFC’s first bantamweight champion. Benoit wants to makes sure he’s first in line to the crown.

“Being in the MFC is dream come true in my career,” Benoit stated. “I feel very blessed to even be able to get on the show and now the exposure I’m getting as a fighter and a person is amazing.

“I really want that beautiful MFC belt and I’m curious already to see who I will be fighting for it and I’m ready to bring a real belt back home to Texas and show everyone what a Dallas fighter is all about.”

Tickets for MFC 37: True Grit are available at www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024.

GILBERT MELENDEZ & JOSH BARNETT TO HOST SHOWTIME LIVE WEB CHATS THURSDAY & FRIDAY, RESPECTIVELY

Melendez on Thursday, May 17; Barnett on Friday, May 18

1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT

WHO:                   STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez

                                Former Heavyweight Champ & Grand Prix Finalist Josh Barnett 

WHEN: Melendez: Thursday, May 17, at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT

Barnett: Friday, May 18, at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT                   

ACCESS #:            Fans can submit questions via Twitter using the hashtag #StrikeforceChat, via the Strikeforce Facebook page www.facebook.com/StrikeforceMixedMartialArts or via Ustream at www.Ustream.TV/SHOSports.

WHAT:                 Melendez and Barnett will participate in the SHOWTIME Live Web Chats found at http://sports.sho.com/chat as the countdown continues to the mega-STRIKEFORCE event this Saturday,May 19, live on SHOWTIME^® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) and SHOWTIME EXTREME^®(8 p.m. ET/PT) from HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

The main event will feature Barnett against Daniel Cormier in the Final of STRIKEFORCE: World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament. In the co-feature, Melendez will defend his STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Championship against Josh Thomson.

In other fights on SHOWTIME: Rafael Feijao vs. Mike Kyle, light heavyweights; and Nah-Shon Burrellvs. Chris Spang, welterweights.

Preliminary fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME: Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg, lightweights; Virgil Zwicker vs. Carlos Inocente, light heavyweights; Gian Villante vs. Derrick Mehmen, light heavyweights; and Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort, welterweights.

CUNNINGHAM – TARVER: A Social Media Experiment

PHILADELPHIA (April 25, 2012)—After many months of disregarding and downplaying a potential bout with former two-time IBF Cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, former Light Heavyweight world champion Antonio Tarver has finally stepped up to the plate, well sort of.

For the past several months, Cunningham & Tarver have been going back in forth on twitter but whenever the prospect of a fight gets brought up, Tarver has had one excuse after another and then Tarver took a June 2^nd fight with little known Lateef Kayode.

Well finally Tarver, has acknowledged that a fight with Cunningham would be a meaningful one and has said a fight with Cunningham could happen if Cunningham could get support of the fans to tune in by garnering 20,000 twitter followers.

Team Cunningham decided to step up to the challenge and has launched a twitter campaign titled, "Can Twitter Make A Fight?- @USSvsMagicMan". This social media experiment will see if twitter is a powerful enough tool to get this fight made with the support of 20,000 boxing fans. The team acknowledges that this is a tall order given the lack of attention the cruiserweight division gets in the states, but they feel that if fans want to see a good fight, this should not matter.

When asked about the prospect of this fight happening, Cunningham said, "This is a fight I have wanted for the longest and Tarver has made up many excuses to not make it happen. I was honestly ready to move on from the idea, but he made the challenge and me and my team are crazy enough to call him on it. Following @USSvsMagicMan is not about being a fan of mine or Tarver's it's about being a fan of boxing and wanting to see a good fight and taking action to get it made".

Boxing fans are now asked to simply follow @USSvsMagicMan and when the number soars to the magic number of 20,000 then this important fight can and will happen.