**MFC READIES FOR FIRST TITLE FIGHT**

*Patrick Cote set for world middleweight bout against Jason MacDonald*

 

It was a first-class scene as the Maximum Fighting Championship held a press conference in Edmonton for Friday’s MFC 9 – No Excuses show.

The Maverick Brewing Co. played host to the press conference and there was a tremendous turnout of media, fans and sponsors who were all eager to get a first glimpse of the main participants on the fight card as well as a first look at the new MFC world middleweight championship title belt.

Friday’s Main Event will be the first title fight held in the MFC as Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald squares off against Patrick “The Predator” Cote for the MFC world middleweight championship. Also on hand were the combatants in the evening’s Superfight - Mike “The Wolverine” Maurer and Darren “The Big Nasty” Apels.

Cote, a three-time competitor in the UFC, wasn’t the least bit concerned about coming into MacDonald’s home turf for such a big fight.

“I beat the last guy I fought in his home town (a second-round tapout over Bill Mahood in Prince George, B.C.) and I fought Tito Ortiz in front of 17,000 people who hated me,” said Cote, who is the TKO Major League MMA’s light heavyweight champ.

“I don’t care about any of that stuff. I’m coming here to put on a good show. This is a very important fight.”

A “good show” for Cote likely means the opportunity to stand in the middle of the ring and trade big shots with MacDonald. But even if MacDonald prefers to take the fight to the ground, Cote is prepared.

“I hope he wants to stand and go with me. It would be better for the crowd, but I don’t think Jason wants that,” figured Cote. “I’ve trained a lot on my wrestling and ju-jitsu and I’m ready to do anything. If he makes one mistake, I’m going to win.”

The beautiful new MFC middleweight belt was on display and it definitely caught the eye of both MacDonald and Cote. Mr. Mark Pavelich, the MFC owner and president, put a lot of heart and soul into setting up this fight, picking the perfect two fighters for the contest.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better first MFC title fight,” said Mr. Pavelich. “These are not only the two best 185-pound fighters in Canada but they are among the best in the world. Whoever wins this fight, be it Jason or Patrick, I want them to have as much pride in wearing this belt as I have in presenting it. I want them to wear it with honour.”

Despite several sharp-tongued jabs taken by Apels in the Wednesday edition of The Edmonton Sun, Maurer refused to take the bait and get caught in a war of words with Apels.

“I learned from my dad and my coaches to let my actions do the talking whether that’s on the football field or in the ring,” said Maurer, the Edmonton Eskimos running back who was the 2005 Grey Cup Game’s Most Outstanding Canadian.

Apels backed off when the spotlight was shone on him in press conference but was still focused on proving that Maurer had no business being in the ring.

“I hope Mike’s not too upset by what I said but I’m coming to fight and I hope he is too,” said Apels.