For the first time in MMA history, an Ultimate Fighter champion will fight outside the UFC cage.   On October 2, The Ultimate Fighter 4 champion Travis Lutter will face Jason MacDonald in an exciting main event at MFC 22 in Edmonton, Alberta. 

Joe Rogan recently tweeted that Lutter was "The Michael Jordan of BJJ" - a title at which Lutter scoffs. "It is a nice compliment by Joe, but a little bit of an exaggeration.  I am no Michael Jordan."  The humble 36 year old continues, "I am a little better than your average fighter at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu."  A little better?  Just ask current MFC Middleweight champion Patrick Cote how good Travis'ground game really is.  Lutter arm barred Cote in the first round of the TUF 4 Finale.

Lutter left the UFC after losing to Middleweight champion and pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva and former Middleweight champion Rich Franklin.  After rumored fights between Joe Doerksen, Dean Lister, and others fell through, Travis was left without a fight for the last 16 months.

"I was saying Yes, Yes, Yes (to proposed fights), but fights fell through.
I love fighting.  I love the competition.  I wanted to fight right away after the Rich fight."

Lutter is frustrated when talking of his UFC release.  "I lost to the current Middleweight champion and the former Middleweight champion.  BJ Penn lost twice in a row to Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes and he is still there.  Chuck Liddell has lost twice in a row as well.  I know I pissed off some people when I did not make weight, but I don't understand why I cannot get fights. I believe I am capable of beating any Middleweight in the UFC."

One wonders if other promotions, like Strikeforce, are afraid to have their champions defeated by this UFC castoff.  "I am bigger and better than Jake Shields and I can take Robbie Lawler down."  Lutter is happy to finally be fighting in the MFC. He has a one fight deal, but "as long as they are willing to pay me, I am willing to stay.

How does he feel about coming to face Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald in front of his hometown fans?  "I am sure I am going to get booed against Jason but I am used to that, but I love the Canadian fans and they seem to love me,"
the Fort Worth, Texas resident enthusiastically states. "Canadian fans have been really, really good to me.  When I fought Rich Franklin in Montreal, I could not get back to my hotel room as I signed autographs for 1.5 hours."
Travis is astounded by the level of interest in MMA in Canada and comments, "I think half of the Las Vegas crowd can be Canadian.  They are just die hard MMA fans and I love that."

Travis, whose second child was born three weeks ago, has been training hard for his upcoming fight at his Travis Lutter BJJ Academy in Fort Worth.  He is expecting a battle with Jason MacDonald. "Jason is really, really tough and resilient.  He is good at everything.  He is not spectacular at anything but he is good enough at everything that he gives everyone a tough time.  He escaped Demian Maia's submission attempts 4 or 5 times.  He got beat up by Rich Franklin but he showed his toughness in that fight." 

How does the Lutter, the Abu Dhabi veteran, expect the October 2, MFC fight to go?  "I think that MacDonald is going to try to keep it standing, but he may try to put me on my back.  My wrestling is better than his and I have a tendency to take people down," states the TUF 4 champion.  "Regardless, when you fight someone like Jason MacDonald, you know you are in for a fight!"