David Heath hit the daily double at his last MFC outing.
He hit the finish line against Solomon Hutcherson with a win in his pocket and the bonus of capturing the Knockout of the Night at MFC 26 with a highlight-reel stoppage from a picture-perfect left-handed Superman punch that brought a sold-out crowd to its feet in a heartbeat.
Yet Heath expects more from himself. Although he looked sensational at the end of the bout, Heath remains critical of the performance.
“I feel really poorly about how I performed against Solomon in a couple of areas and I can’t wait to wipe that egg off my face,” recalled Heath (16-6). “I’m a bit embarrassed about part of it and some poor bastard is going to have to pay.”
Lined up to be Heath’s intended target is Glover Teixeira (10-2) and the two will get down to business at MFC 27: Breaking Point on Friday, November 12 at the River Cree Resort and Casino, just outside Edmonton, Alberta. The bout will be one of the featured matchups on the main card airing live on HDNet Fights.
Already one of the MFC’s fan favorites, Heath further endeared himself to the already-partial crowd with offensive flare (including a spinning backfist) and the massive shot that ended Hutcherson’s night in bloody and bruised fashion. The Superman punch finish was a thing of beauty and a sure-fire contender for the MFC’s 2010 Knockout of the Year. Now Heath will have a chance to follow up that performance and put a wrap on a terrific campaign when he meets Teixeira at MFC 27.
The sold-out crowd will be anticipating another stylish show from Heath, and the Tulsa, Oklahoma, product is just as eager to give it to them.
“I just like to fight and I think I’m pretty good at it so I’m going to have fun and put on a show for the people who pay me to do it – the fans,” said Heath. “I’ll start looking for the knockout but I’ll take a submission or hope for a decision in an all-out war if that’s what it takes. I would like another trophy though.”
Heath can certainly expect a war from the Brazilian Teixeira, a reputed striker who boasts eight knockouts among his 10 career victories. But Heath’s enthusiasm for the sport and drive to succeed has reimmerged over the past year and the opportunity to get into a toe-to-toe battle is right up his alley.
“I do think it will be a mostly stand-up fight but I’ve learned that you have to be prepared for anything and everything,” noted Heath, who is riding a run of five wins in his last six fights into the showdown with Teixeira.
Case in point was Heath’s clash at MFC 20 against former light heavyweight champ Roger Hollett – another renowned heavy hitter yet Heath used his savvy skills to secure a quick first-round submission. Heath also expected a more diverse matchup against jiu-jitsu practitioner Mike Nickels at MFC 22 but it turned out to be a stand-and-strike war that ultimately earned both fighters a share of the MFC’s 2009 Fight of the Year.
Heath found his stride against Hutcherson and seemed ready to take on anyone willing to step up in the MFC’s middleweight ranks. Yet one fight later it’s back to the light heavyweight division.
“The reason I made the move to 185 was to gain more favorable matchups in regards to size and strength,” reflected Heath, who recently signed a new, three-fight exclusive contract with the Maximum Fighting Championship.
“Glover is listed as being under six feet and doesn’t look to be huge. Also I’ve watched video on him and I believe his style to be favorable for me so really it wasn’t a hard decision at all. I will weigh the same come fight time as I would if I were fighting at 185 anyway so I feel great about it. I love the matchup.”
With a win over Hutcherson in the bank at middleweight, and the possibility of victory on the horizon against Teixeira at light heavyweight, Heath could be on the verge on writing his own ticket towards one of two title shots.
“I think I could compete in both weight classes but I honestly I think I need to focus on the 185 belt,” noted Heath. “I think I’m pretty close to getting a title shot and I want to focus on defending it once I win it ... which I will.”
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