ECSC STATEMENT – MFC 33,  That was held on MAY 4, 2012

BOUT: DIEGO BAUTISTA VS. SABAH FADAI

Background on the Bout Referee:

The referee for this bout was from Manitoba.  He has refereed from the local level up to and including the MFC previously and the UFC.  He is considered of one Canada’s foremost MMA referees. 

At the one minute mark of the first round, the referee terminated the bout announcing that an illegal knee strike had occurred, delivered by Sabah Fadai to Diego Bautista. 

The referee’s decision, announced by the ring announcer, was that it was an accidental foul, not an intentional foul.  Since the call was made during the first round of the fight and since Bautista could not continue, in accordance with the Unified Rules of MMA, the bout is declared a “no contest”.  That is the rule.  The decision is final.

BOUT: ADAM LYNN VS. MUKAI MAROMO

Background on the Bout Judges:

One judge was from Edmonton, Alberta, one was from Red Deer, Alberta and one was from Winnipeg, Manitoba.  

The fight went the full three rounds (15 minutes).  The final result was announced as a split decision (28-29, 28-29, 29-28) in favour of Maromo.

The Lynn camp asked for an appeal of the decision.  In the presence of representatives from the Lynn camp, the ECSC checked the judges score cards to verify the scores 28-29, 28-29, 29-28 were recorded correctly.  With representatives from the Lynn camp present, the ECSC checked the recording of the official scorekeeper’s score sheet to verify the recording of each round and the totals for each judge.  They were recorded correctly.

The practice in MMA is that the judges’ scores are final.  The ECSC respects and follows this practice.  In this instance the judges’ decision is final.

Following each event in Edmonton there is a debriefing of the officials by the ECSC.

This post fight debriefing is standard practice by the ECSC.  The feedback is used as one of the determinants of future officiating assignments for events at this level. 

The ECSC has been contacted by the President of MFC and informed that a rematch, this time of five (5) rounds, has been offered to both fighters as a title fight at the next MFC event to be held in Edmonton, August 10, 2012.

Pat Reid

Executive Director

ECSC                             

MFC Staff

Many questions, including those in the Z-Files Top 10, were posed prior to MFC 33: Collision Course.

After one of the wildest, bloodiest nights in MFC history, many questions were answered and even more have arisen in the aftermath.

*It was perhaps the most dominant performance ever in an MFC title fight as Nathan Coy brutally bashed Ryan McGillivray with an unrelenting ground-and-pound attack that ultimately forced an overdue doctor’s stoppage TKO at the end of Round 3 (at least a round too late in the opinion of many fans and insiders). Coy promised he would break McGillivray’s will, and he did just that, taking him down, avoiding submission attempts, and raining down an assault. It was very much a man (who became “The Man”) against boy (or “The Kid” in this case) scenario … Coy’s first defense of his newly won MFC welterweight crown is slated for MFC 34 with an opponent to be named shortly. Whoever it may be will need to bring something to the table that McGillivray didn’t … In an interesting turn, Coy chose to leave his belt at the MFC headquarters in Edmonton, saying he’ll pick it up for the pre-MFC 34 press conference, weigh-in, and for the walk to the ring. The American Top Team rep is not much for collectibles, keepsakes, and memorabilia so when he needs the belt it will be safe and sound and ready for wear … McGillivray, who spent much of the post-MFC 33 night in hospital, is going to be on the shelf for some time – speculation ranging from five months to one year. A single dad and gym owner, McGillivray is surely going to take a long look in the mirror before jumping back into things.

*Everyone who made their case in person, via phone, via email, via text message, via Twitter and Facebook, snail mail, smoke signal, Pony Express, Morse code – any form of communication possible, frankly – they are all correct. The judging in the Adam Lynn-Mukai Maromo fight was flat-out wrong. Terrible, abysmal, corrupt, ridiculous, suspect, idiotic … pick your word. It was a horrendous verdict. But a tip for everyone who responded – send your complaints and criticism to the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission, not the MFC. No major promotion anywhere picks the judges or has any say, implied or otherwise, in the outcome of a fight when it goes to the judges’ scorecards. To say the MFC is responsible for the judges’ decision is ludicrous … In the end, the MFC did what it could and made the best “fix” possible – an immediate rematch and with the title on the line. Do it one more time, this time over five rounds, and the winner takes the belt home. The fight, original or sequel, is worth seeing again.

*MFC 34 was going to be called Brute Force, but that’s been shifted to another event down the road, as ‘34’ is now titled Total Recall to enhance the rematch tone which includes Lynn-Maromo II, Derek Parker vs. Jared McComb II, Sabah Fadai vs. Diego Bautista II (no-contested at MFC 33 due to accidental foul), and possibly one or two others.

*Look for Josh “The Beast” Bryant to make his long-awaited return to the MFC organization at Total Recall … Is there also an outside shot that his training partner, onetime MFC middleweight/light heavyweight contender David “The Headhunter” Heath, is at ‘34’ as well?

*Not for some time has there been a more highly touted MFC debut than that of Jacen Flynn, who is slated to come aboard at Total Recall. Not even Dhiego Lima was this advance hyped. Dhiego, if you recall, was a late filler taken on under plea from his brother and former champ Douglas. It worked out pretty well.

*Originally set for MFC 33, a rematch between Dwayne Lewis and Aron Lofton had to be called off due to Lewis’s hand injury. With Lewis nearing ready status again, the fight would have been a perfect fit for the Total Recall theme. Alas, now Lofton is out but not due to injury. On the same night as MFC 34, Lofton is getting married in Texas. Shockingly, his fiancée said “I Don’t” to rescheduling the ceremony (just kidding, Poster Boy).

*The big boys are back at MFC 34 with the return of the heavyweight division. Some interesting names have cropped up in the search to find Tim “The Thrashing Machine” Hague his first opponent under the MFC banner. Of course, Todd Duffee is out there, and Hague would love to avenge that hard-to-swallow defeat. Tony Lopez has surfaced as a strong possibility, and very intriguingly, so has the name Wilson Gouveia. Yes, the former middleweight and light heavyweight, last seen demolishing Dwayne Lewis at MFC 32, raised his hand when the call for foes went out.

*You have to love the skill of Luke Harris. He is a devastating practitioner of judo and jiu-jitsu who has rattled off nine straight wins. But what is unlovable is the lack of desire to take on bigger name opponents. Edwin Dewees was not a major step up, particularly when he came in significantly out of shape. Harris has good enough game to take on major players in the MFC’s middleweight ranks including Jacen Flynn, Josh Bryant, David Heath, even a Solomon Hutcherson, but Harris – or more likely his advisors – aren’t willing to make it happen, and that is a shame.

*Another gent in the ‘you have to love’ department is Jamie Toney who came back from getting walloped by Dhiego Lima to pick up wins over Kyle Jackson and Andrew Buckland. But Toney wasn’t able to put away either opponent, and that is a glaring hole that is keeping him from being right in the mix.

*A hat trick of up-and-comers to look for in the near future on MFC cards – Dan Ring, Brendan Kornberger, and Josh Kitchen.

 

MFC Staff Curtis Ledger

The heavyweight giants of the MFC are preparing to make a comeback at MFC 34: Total Recall.   Let the predictions, projections, and proclamations begin.   Now that MMA’s most powerful weight class is returning, fans and fighters are bound to ask the questions  who will be fighting, who will be winning, and how much excitement can the MFC drum up for the big men.  These questions will be answered over time, but who wants to wait?   Let’s consider some possibilities right now, and think about first things first.  Who should be, would be, or could be signed?

With the rejuvenation of the weight class, it may be wishful thinking to assume it will be immediately filled with top 20 heavyweights.   Building the weight class with promising prospects, venerable veterans, and flashy fighters can create hype around the division and attract more and more top talent. Canadian UFC veteran, Tim Hague, has already signed on as a great start.   This is the time for old stars to find new life and new stars to come to life in the MFC.   Let’s consider some possibilities.  Some of them, of course, are more possible than others, but it can’t hurt to dream.

THE CANADIANS

Vaughn Anderson

The MFC has its roots in Canada, and the organization has always been a place to showcase some of the best fighters from one of the best fighting nations.  Why not showcase more Canadian talent?   On the upside, Vaughn is Canadian, 15-1-1, and has competed at heavyweight.  On the downside, he lives in China, fights in China, and usually competes at 170. 

THE FORMER ALL-STARS

Todd Duffee

You think Tim Hague wants a shot at redemption from his knockout loss to Duffee in 2009?    This would be an incredible way to kick off the heavyweight division in the MFC.  Please, Mark.  Make it happen!

Brett Rogers

Rogers had a phenomenal start to his professional MMA career before getting derailed by some of the best in the world.   The man has his haters, but those haters may fail to remember 3 of his 4 career losses came to Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, and Josh Barnett.   That’s a tough run for anyone in the division; furthermore, this is a guy who’s gone to decision only twice in 15 fights. 

THE WILDCARDS

Tyler East

When you have a reputation for first round knockouts and TKOs like Tyler East, they call you “The Beast.”  At 6’6’’ and 240 pounds, East has the size and mobility to cause serious damage in the heavyweight division, and that’s an easy comment to make considering his current 7-fight win streak.  The question is can he continue his reign of destruction against the heavyweights of the MFC.

Thiago Santos

He landed an illegal fight-ending groin kick.  He came in grossly overweight.  He suffered bad press and heavy criticism.  There’s a few reasons to be wary of Thiago Santos, but there’s also a few reasons for wanting to see him compete in the MFC.  He’s 10 – 1.  He’s monstrously huge.  He’s a finisher.  Should the opportunity come, he’s a great signing for a growing division.

THE OTHERS

Jeff Monson, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, Abe Wagner, Sean McCorkle, and Wes Sims are some other guys who could help build a reputation for the division as it grows and develops.   Maybe the MFC could even give Bob Sapp the chance to take a dive or two.  Just kidding.

There are some ideas to consider, MFC fans, and that’s just the tip of a very big iceberg.  What are your thoughts?   What do you think of these fighters?  Who do you want to see in the MFC heavyweight division?   Tweet your opinion to the MFC (@MaximumFighting) and me (@Addicted_Ledge).

“It’s the doctor’s job to make sure I can go, not Greg’s”

By Vigilante MMA

 Much has been made of Greg Jackson’s corner work in last weekend’s MFC welterweight title fight between Nathan Coy and Jackson protégé Ryan McGillivray. made its way around the cyber world via Facebook, Twitter and several other MMA sites. Today, we went straight to the source and spoke with Ryan McGillivray.

Fans watching the MFC broadcast saw what many considered an irresponsible neglect for McGillivray’s safety. No so fast, says The Kid. “It’s kind of upsetting how down everyone is on Greg,” he told VigilanteMMA.com. “There’s a couple reasons why I have the corner: obviously for strategy; and to motivate you in case things aren’t going well. In no way do I think my corner is there to stop a fight,” he continued. “I think it’s the doctor’s job to make sure I can go, not Greg’s.”

He also explained that although he’s been training in New Mexico for a while now, it was Jackson’s first time cornering him. That also could have been a factor in how Jackson chose to motivate him. “He didn’t know how I handled stress or being cut. He really didn’t know if I was hurt or tired. I think people should give him the benefit of the doubt for that too.”

After the third round, things got tricky. That’s when everyone watching at home thought McGillivray was out on his feet—or his stool—while Jackson goaded him to continue. Again, that’s not necessarily the case, according to Ryan. “I don’t remember (that point) of the fight,” he told us. “But if you asked me this second if I wanted to continue in the 4^th round, I would say yes absolutely. It’s not in me to quit so I was ready to go out there.”

Professional fighters know their bodies and minds will be pushed to its limits every time they enter the cage or ring. McGillivray reaffirmed that. “People have to understand that we put ourselves in this position of being hurt and being injured,” he recognized. “People have to understand that we’re ok with that, and we’ve kind of accepted that.”

As fans sat and witnessed the fight—and the subsequent encouragement from Jackson—it may have looked worse than it was, according to McGillivray, who admitted he “unfortunately” watched a replay of the fight when he got home. “It looked bad and I definitely wasn’t feeling good,” he acknowledged, “but as a fighter I’m willing to fight through that. It looked bad, but I’m ok with it.”

And in case there was ever a question, McGillivray will continue training at Jackson’s as soon as he’s back to full strength. He told us how much he enjoys working with his teammates and coaches in New Mexico and considered it an honor to have Jackson in his corner on Friday and “I’d be privileged and honored to have him come out for me again.”

“Everyone’s open to having their own (opinions) but I just wanted to let everyone know that I have no ill will and I’m fine.”

By VigilanteMMA.com

There’s a fine line between motivating a protégé and risking his well-being. Friday night, Nathan Coy captured the Maximum Fighting Championship middleweight title by dominating TUF alum Ryan McGillivray at MFC 33. Coy showed incredible ground and pound and McGillivray—the hometown favorite—showed incredible courage. But that wasn’t the main story here. Instead, it begs the question, what is the corner’s role in a fight? Is it to encourage the fighter and help him win? Or is it more than that? Does a coach have an obligation to protect his fighter when things get out of hand?

That’s a tough question, especially when it concerns one of the most respected and successful coaches in all of MMA, Greg Jackson. After 2 rounds it became apparent that McGillivray was getting manhandled by Coy. When the bell rang to end the 2^nd frame, McGillivray curled up and didn’t move for a moment. The ref—who’s main job is also to protect the fighters—didn’t take action, but instead posed a question to the bloodied McGillivray. “Ryan can you get up now?” When no answer came, he asked another, “Can you answer the bell and get to your corner?”

The fighter somehow managed to get up and stagger to his corner and get some medical attention. The announcers wondered aloud if the fight would be stopped and commented on the amount of blood. When he finally sat in his corner, he was met with veteran coach Jackson’s word of wisdom: “Get your posture up; you’re fine. It’s just a little blood.” McGillivray was clearly exhausted and leaned on the ropes until told to fight again.

The third round began and it was more of the same. McGillivray mounted very little offense before ending up on the ground again eating even more shots—especially elbows. You could hear Jackson off camera from the corner, “work back up Ryan!” he yelled. Perhaps the only thing preventing Coy from dishing out even more punishment was the fact that he couldn’t seem to get his footing due to the large amount of blood all over the canvas.

With just under 2 minutes to go in the round, the ref warned McGillivray that if he didn’t fight back, he’d stop the fight. He didn’t fight back—he threw exactly zero punches the rest of the way. But the fight wasn’t stopped. Instead, when the bell rang to signify the end of the 3^rd round of the 5-round fight, the ref told him to get up “under your own power.” He could barely do so and basically crawled to his corner. The announcers—Michael Schiavello and Pat Miletich—wondered what Jackson would say and do. Good question.

What McGillivray did was pretty normal. He sat unresponsive in the stool, appearing to have fallen asleep. Jackson again told him “you’re fine” and even had to slap him in the chin and on the arms while yelling at him to “wake up.” Unbelievably, Jackson added, “you can win this fight.” Fortunately, the ringside physician had other plans. While Jackson cajoled his fighter to start the 4^th round, the doctor saw that he couldn’t safely continue and stopped it.

The beating McGillivray took was among the worst I’ve seen over a prolonged period of time. Miletich seemed to agree when he suggested Jackson should have thrown in the towel. But in fact, Jackson never even considered throwing in the towel. He sent him back out there in a no-win situation until the doctors saved his fighter. Is that Jackson’s job? Telling a guy to “wake up” doesn’t constitute solid coaching or motivational speaking, in my opinion. Talking a guy into standing up when he doesn’t want to can’t be called inspirational, can it? I seriously question Greg Jackson’s actions in this fight. He put Ryan McGillivray in danger that night. That’s not something I expect out of a long-time and well respected coach like Jackson.