(PRESS RELEASE) -- The Maximum Fighting Championship has bolstered its lineup for MFC 36: Reality Check with a pair of key fights in the middleweight division featuring fan favorites.
Both critical contests in the MFC’s talent-laden 185-pound division will be part of the AXS TV Fights main card broadcast taking place live on Friday, February 15 from the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. The AXS TV Fights main card launches at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (check local listings for channel designation).
“The MFC really started to produce exceptional talent in the middleweight division in 2012, and these two fights – part of our first show in 2013 – is a direct result of that talent influx,” said Mark Pavelich, Owner/President of the Maximum Fighting Championship.
“There was a huge level of excitement around the MMA world when we signed Jay Silva, and immediately Jacen Flynn jumped at the opportunity because he wants to prove he’s much better than when we saw last time out.
“As for Jason Zentgraf, he wanted to step up in competition and he matches up very well with Luke Harris. And Luke is very eager to start a new winning streak. Both these guys want to be front and center in the title picture so it is a fitting matchup – and I believe it will be a very exciting one as well.”
Silva (Twitter: @jaysilvamma) will be making his organizational debut and he enters the MFC ring having won three of his last five fights including the biggest victory of his career as the Huntington Beach, California, product is coming off a stellar second-round submission of Kendall Grove.
In Flynn (Twitter: @JacenFlynnMMA), Silva meets an opponent who has nine victories by way of submission and holds career wins over notables Denis Kang, Dean Lister, and Edwin Dewees. Flynn, who fights out of Twin Falls, Idaho, had his four-fight winning streak snapped at MFC 34 when he dropped a first-round TKO verdict in a title eliminator to now-reigning MFC middleweight champ Elvis Mutapcic.
Zentgraf (Twitter: @JasonZentgraf) rides into MFC 36 carrying a three-fight winning streak capped most recently by his first-round submission over Cody Krahn at MFC 34. The Missoula, Montana, product has flexed his substantial submission skills, earning all six of his wins via tapout and five of those six victories coming inside the opening round.
“I’m totally pumped for this fight,” said Zentgraf, who opened up the opportunity by extending a challenge to fight Harris on the MFC website.
At MFC 34, Harris (Twitter: @HayabusaHarris) saw his impressive nine-fight unbeaten run come to an end with a first-round TKO setback against Joseph “Leonidas” Henle. The St. Albert, Alberta, product has won all nine of his bouts by way of first-round submission, including a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees at MFC 33. Already an accomplished judo player, Harris was awarded his second black belt and now holds that prestigious level in both judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Adding to the middleweight frenzy at MFC 36, an undercard bout has also been set in the division. Coming off his thrilling victory at MFC 35, Paul Grandbois (5-4) will toe the line with Cody Krahn (11-6) in a showdown of rival Edmonton, Alberta, fighters. Last time out, Grandbois (Twitter: @PunisherPG) put forth the performance of his career with a Knockout of the Night finish and a potential MFC Fight of the Year for his second-round TKO finish of Jason Kuchera. Five of Grandbois’ wins have been via T/KO with four of those five coming in the opening round. Krahn has lost two straight with his last victory coming at MFC 31 when he submitted Ryan Chiappe. All 11 of Krahn’s win have come in Round 1, three via knockout and eight by submission. Tickets for MFC 36: Reality Check are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 758-1632.