There's no doubt that MFC 17: Hostile Takeover turned out to be one of the
best cards in the history of the Maximum Fighting Championship.

An excellent title fight capped the night, two fast-paced lightweight bouts
increased the competitive nature of the MFC's most-stacked division, and a
stunningly quick and powerful knockout launched the international broadcast
on HDNet. But outside of the live audience who were there to see it, the
undercard didn't get the exposure it deserved. All things considered the
undercard fighters impressively overachieved.

And what these guys are doing is becoming the next wave of top fighters in
the MFC. The original cast included names like Dennis Hallman, Benji Radach,
Jason St. Louis, Max Marin, and Dan Severn. They were eventually phased out
by the likes of the new breed - Jason MacDonald, Patrick Cote, Bill Mahood,
Ivan Menjivar, Blake Fredrickson, and Jake Hattan.

Now it's time for the new stars. Guys like champions Roger Hollett and Pat
Healy as well as the top contenders like Ryan Ford and Ben Henderson. And
right alongside them are the guys just about to make their big burst onto
the scene.

Instantly becoming a contender for the MFC Fight of the Year was an exciting
showdown between Gavin Neil and Evan Sanguin. The two young Canadians put on
a clinic in hard-nosed, straight-forward attack mode. It was somewhat
surprising that neither of them fell sooner than they did as they both
delivered several spectacular shots that should have stopped an opponent in
his tracks. But they didn't and the fight energized the entire sold-out
crowd at the River Cree Resort and Casino.

While Sanguin came up short, he put in a terrific effort and proved that he
could go toe-to-toe when necessary. Neil finally put aside his pitty-pat
striking and put everything he had behind his assault. He may not look the
role as he lacks the chiselled physique and he's rather shy, but "Forrest
Gump" sure can fight. From out of nowhere Neil has suddenly become a big
factor in the 155-pound ranks.

Much was said and written going into Hostile Takeover that the card would
settle who sits atop the MFC lightweight ladder. Like Neil, Ryan Machan was
not really a major factor heading into MFC 17 but he is right there now at
the top of the heap after completely dismantling former top contender Ryan
Heck. Machan simply overpowered Heck with an aggressive nature that was
never seen before in him. It's made all the difference and has put him
within striking range of the belt.

Maybe the biggest unforeseen force coming out of the Hostile Takeover
undercard is Elliot Duff. Long and lanky, Duff didn't come across as the
most dangerous of opponents especially considering that his opponent Brandon
Curts had a rather impressive debut at MFC 16. Duff, though, had the right
stuff. He dominated Curts. The best part about his bout was that his corner
implored him to turn the heat up when he had Curts down. You could literally
see Duff's ears perk up when his cornered barked out instructions. He had a
"Yes, sir" look on his face as he took the advice to heart and finished off
Curts with vicious ground and pound.

While his record may read at a mere 3-0, Duff has made an instant impact in
the much-in-need middleweight division. Is he a serious threat? Only time
will tell but he could very easily make a case for himself by the end of the
year.

Well done to the undercard crew for getting MFC 17 off on the right note.
Some of you may soon see the TV lights before too long.

MID-YEAR REPORT CARD: The 2nd annual MFC Year End Review and Top 10s are
just two shows away with MFC 18 and 19 on the horizon for September and
November.

Three shows are in the books for the 2008 schedule and here's a few thoughts
on what's happened so far this year:

Biggest Accomplishment: Ahead of schedule, the Maximum Fighting Championship
landed a North American-wide TV contract with Mark Cuban's HDNet. With that,
the MFC became the first Canadian-based organization to have its shows air
live on television and the first to be aired in the U.S. and Mexico. It all
combined to cement the MFC as Canada's top MMA company and started the
ascent to be among the top shows in all of North America.

Biggest disappointment: The heavyweight clash between Eric Pele and Chase
Gormley. Pele came with a knockout reputation but it was obvious from his
performance that his focus is on being a tattoo artist rather than a
fighter. Gormley wasn't much better though he gets a break for taking the
fight on short notice. Still he wasn't exactly thrilling either and the
combination made for a show-stalling 15-minute nap.

Top veteran: This would have to go to Pat Healy. On relatively short notice,
Healy accepted the shot at the MFC welterweight title. He then took a
beating for over two rounds from Ryan Ford before using every bit of his
veteran savvy to secure an armbar and lock up the championship belt. It was
the kind of victory that only someone with Healy's level of experience could
secure and it showed what kind of heart is needed to be a champion.

Best first impression: There were several fighters who made their MFC debut
in the past few months. And while many of them are likely to go on to bigger
and better things, there might not have been a better first impression than
that of Dave Nippard. In his first fight - and taking it on short notice to
replace an injured teammate - Nippard needed just eight seconds to land a
vicious straight right that KO'd Carlos Espinosa at MFC 15.

Top young gun: The MFC has reloaded time and time again with great
up-and-coming talent and that crop is the thickest in the lightweight
division. And in the 155-pound ranks there is an abundance of skilled
fighters all of whom could likely beat each other on any given night. The
inside edge, for now, belongs to Ben Henderson who has beaten Mike Maestas
and Ricardo Tirloni in his two MFC fights. Seemingly one victory away from a
title shot, Henderson has all the tools to be the complete fighters and a
champion.

Biggest question: There are many of course with two key shows left in the
year, but certainly one of the biggest would have to be the championship
structure which in itself has many follow-up questions. Who is the biggest
challenge to Roger Hollett at 205? Can Ryan Ford take his game to the next
level and get a rematch with Pat Healy? Is there a middleweight out there to
assume the mantle from Patrick Cote? Which of the all-star cast at
lightweight will take full control of the division?