O’Connell to clash with Valimaki at MFC 39

Degenhardt/Chiappe, Gallant/Boyle matchups added to No Remorse roster

The Maximum Fighting Championship is excited to announce three more main card matchups for the upcoming MFC 39: No Remorse taking place on Friday, January 17 in Edmonton, Alberta, and live on AXS TV Fights.

Former MFC world light-heavyweight champion Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki returns to where his career took off, and now has opponent in the form Sean O’Connell #52 in the World Rankings, who enters the Maximum Fighting Championship riding a five-fight winning streak that includes his most-recent victory over big-name veteran Marvin Eastman.

Also added to the lineup for MFC 39 is a middleweight showdown pitting talented striker Chase Degenhardt against hard-throwing brawler “Ruthless” Ryan Chiappe, plus a battle been two explosive lightweights as Aaron “Gorilla” Gallant meets Derek “The Gargoyle” Boyle. Both of these fights have been agreed to in principle.

“The anticipation level for the return of Victor Valimaki to the MFC is even greater than I thought it could be,” said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. “I think people truly believe in Victor and they want to see him succeed. However, he’s going to have his hands full in Sean O’Connell.”

All three fights will take place on the main card of MFC 39, and are added to a lineup that includes the MFC world lightweight title fight between Kurt “The Hurt” Southern and Tom “Da Tank” Gallicchio along with the welterweight clash of Gilbert Smith against Jason “The Mover” South. A co-headlining title fight will be added shortly. The MFC’s first show of 2014 will be held at the Northlands Expo Centre.

Valimaki (17-8), who will have the home-town advantage of fighting in Edmonton, returns to the MFC ring for the first time since 2007 and a little more than six years since claiming the organization’s 205-pound division crown with a submission win against Jason Day. In O’Connell (14-4), who agreed to a multi-fight deal, Valimaki faces a fighter on a tremendous hot streak and a holder of seven victories by way of knockout. The Salt Lake City, Utah, product, who stands six-foot-two, also has two wins via submission.

Degenhardt (8-3) will look to build on a streak of two straight wins that includes a second-round stoppage at MFC 35. The Edmonton, Alberta, native will have a sizeable height advantage as he stands six-foot-four compared to Chiappe at five-foot-10. But the powerfully built Chiappe (10-8), who fights out of Vancouver, B.C., is a dangerous foe who boasts eight knockouts amongst his 10 victories. Chiappe will be in search of his first victory under the Maximum Fighting Championship after falling short in a spirited tussle at MFC 31.

The AXS TV Fights card will open with a bang as Gallant (6-5), who fights out of Calgary, Alberta, takes on Boyle (10-6) of Lethbridge, Alberta, in a clash of two fighters who have been known to put their opponents away quickly.

Gallant’s current four-fight winning streak is highlighted by a defining moment at MFC 38 when he put together an amazing, record-setting knockout of just seven seconds against Matt Jelly. Meanwhile, Boyle is no stranger to a tidy finish as his last outing under the MFC banner lasted only 20 seconds before he put a stamp on a win over Dan Ring.

Tickets for MFC 39: No Remorse are on sale now via the MFC Ticket Hotline by calling (780) 504-2024 with more tickets available atwww.ticketmaster.ca December 4. 2013 10:00 am

Former light-heavyweight champ Victor Valimaki returns to the MFC

‘The Matrix’ – Part 2

The man who became the Maximum Fighting Championship’s second-ever title-holder is returning to where he career first blossomed.

Former MFC light-heavyweight champion Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki has signed a multi-fight agreement with the Maximum Fighting Championship, and will make his return to the ring at MFC 39: No Remorse in January 2014 live on AXS TV Fights.

It’s a monumental homecoming for Valimaki, who claimed the MFC’s 205-pound division title at MFC 10 in September 2005. Though his career took various twisting turns and he had his share of personal difficulties outside of the ring, Valimaki’s bridge to the MFC never burned, and there is still much left for him to accomplish under the MFC banner.

“I’m a sucker for a happy ending, and this could be truly one of the biggest happy endings in our history,” said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich.

“Victor has immense talent … more raw, natural talent than 95% of the fighters out there. He just needs to be focused, and everyone I’ve talked to is giving me glowing reports on what I could only call the ‘new’ Victor.

“Sometimes you have to go through hell to get to heaven. Victor has made that journey and now it’s time to reap the rewards.”

Valimaki (17-8) became one of the original MFC stars when he upset legendary veteran Dan “The Beast” Severn at MFC 8 in September 2005. After claiming the MFC title with a win over Jason Day one year later, Valimaki defended the belt in February 2007 with a startling, come-from-behind knockout win over Jared Kilkenny at MFC 11. But in August 2007 at MFC 13, Valimaki had the title snatched away from him in a TKO loss to Roger Hollett.

Now 31, Valimaki vows to be better than ever as he attempts to regain the crown he once wore so proudly.

“I left things undone. I’m back to where I began and I’m going to prove to everyone why I had that belt in the first place,” said Valimaki, who believes personal growth will be the biggest factor in his rejuvenation.

“I was a kid mentally speaking back then. I was too easily distracted. Now my head is where it needs to be and nothing is going to faze me.”

Valimaki basically took himself out of the winning ways he developed over his early time in the MFC with an assortment of issues outside of the ring which in turn affected his in-ring performance. Those that have known him the longest say he has righted his own ship and is much more prepared for the rigors of training camps and the bright lights of fight night. Valimaki is well aware that he has more detractors than believers at this point, but he is determined to show everyone that he can live up to his own abilities and the hype that was once associated with his name.

“In the back of mind I knew I was holding myself back because of my struggles,” he explained. “But now I feel better and clearer about what I want to do with my career. This is my time now. It’s come later than some people’s but I feel I’ve restarted my career.

“To the critics, I’d just say wait and see. You’ll see a big difference.”

Valimaki holds other notable victories over Vernon White, Lew Polley, and Noah Inhofer, and has also faced off against David Heath and Alessio Sakara.

Tickets for MFC 39: No Remorse are on sale now and available via the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024.

RYAN FORD PROVES ONCE AGAIN THAT HE’S “THE REAL DEAL” AT AMMA 9

Sold-out event featured all knockouts and submissions

Edmonton, Alberta (Canada): It was a night filled with finishes at Aggression MMA’s fight event in Edmonton this past Saturday, February, 11^th, as the AMMA fighters did what they do best: entertain. Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford (17-4) secured his fifth victory in his last six fights, while Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki (17-8) ended a three-fight skid with his first win since 2009. In addition, top prospects “Big Bad” Stephen Beaumont (5-0), Sheldon Westcott (6-1-1), and Luke Harris (7-1-0-1) all grabbed big submission victories. The standing room-only crowd witnessed incredible fight action, and in the end, it set the tone for a big 2012 for Aggression MMA.

“What an awesome night of fights! From Ryan Ford to Victor Valimaki to Luke Harris…all our guys really laid it on the line for the fans,” said Aggression MMA Co-Owner Harvey Panesar. “The standard has been set for 2012, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure we raise it at every event.”

“The fight went well,” said Luke Harris. “I planned to stand and bang a bit more, but it’s hard to pass up a submission opportunity when it comes up. Next, I plan to fight again as soon as possible. After that, it’s the BJJ Pan-Ams. I’m planning on a very active year.”

Here are some of the highlights of AMMA 9:

-         Victor Valimaki earned a shot at the Aggression light heavyweight belt with his TKO win.

-         Matt Bagshaw showed his grappling skills with his brutal heel-hook submission of Greg Welsh in the unofficial “Submission of the Night.”

-         After his rear-naked choke submission victory over Nick Heynen, Stephen Beaumont asked Aggression MMA officials for a shot at the AMMA lightweight title. His request was granted.

“We are very proud of our fighters,” stated Aggression MMA Co-Owner Moin Mirza. “Every fight had a decisive finish, and I can’t really think of a better way to send fight fans home happy. If this past weekend’s event was any indication, it’s going to be a big year for Aggression MMA.

“But it’s time for certain Aggression fighters to step up their level of competition. Stephen Beaumont showed he's ready for the next step and I'm hoping other guys will follow suit.”

Here are the full results of the night’s fights:

Co-Main Events

Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford defeated Ricky Goodall via TKO (elbows) at 3:37 of the 1^stround

Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki defeated Tim Chemelli via TKO (punches) at 1:21 of the 2^nd round

Main Card

Stephan Beaumont defeated Nick Heynan via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:57 of the 1^st round

Sheldon Westcott defeated Jay Jensen via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:26 of the 1^stround

Matt Bagshaw defeated Greg Welsh via submission (heel-hook) at 0:38 of the 1^st round

Jarod McComb defeated Chase Dagenhardt via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 0:45 of the 3^rdround

Luke Harris defeated Elliot Duff via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:52 of the 1^stround

Undercard

Paulo Azambuja defeated Adrian Cardinal via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:17 of the 1^st round

KB Bhullar defeated Simon Shirt via TKO (punches) at 4:28 of the 1^st round

Stay tuned for more details on the next exciting Aggression MMA fight event! For more information, please visit our website at http://www.aggressionmma.com/