Exclusive Interview with President of MFC Mark Pavelich on MFC 27, WEC/UFC merger, and MMA in Ontario

Last Night I had the privilege of sitting down with Canada's longest standing professional MMA show the Maximum Fighting Championships or MFC President Mark Pavelich. 
Of course we talked about the upcoming show on Friday MFC 27: Breaking Point, a show Pavelich dubbed as the "best fight card in Canadian history" with some of the most exciting fighters the MFC has to offer.   Mark did not believe that this has the biggest names in Canada, he isn't delusional, but he did have a good point.
"A lot of the biggest name fighters, don't always come to fight, all these fighters on this card come to fight."
Mr. Pavelich also brought up a good point in that match-ups make fights and that these fights are matched up to be exciting and this card will prove that names don't makes fights styles do.
When asked about this Friday's stacked card there was one thing that was clear, Mr. Pavelich is extremely excited about this show and expects an amazing showing from his companies most exciting fighters. I absolutely agree with him as this card is stacked with fighters that come to hurt their opponents, the kind of fighters that finish fights, the kind of fighter MFC is known for.
Kajan Johnson had his opponent pull out and instead of Orestes Betran now Kajan is expected to take on Ryan Healy twin brother of Pat Healy and all around a tougher match up, but in the MFC fighters have to expect a tough match-up everytime out, because that makes for the best fights and that's why the MFC is the best, exclaimed Pavelich.

After discussing this week's show and going into 2011 and what the Pavelich's expect for the future,
first Mark said first off, he is taking a break.  He has been working way too hard and needs a break, some time to relax and spend some time with his family.  Mark also mentioned that his family will likely be moving back to Ontario and will only be having 3 shows in Edmonton in 2011, giving me some insight into his plans for Ontario's MMA scene.  Mark said that the MFC likely will not be holding it's first show until May or June as the legislation will likely not be cleared until then.  It was also said that all the other promotions in the area are tiny and that having a show with 1 decent name does not make a great show.  "These Quebec shows and Ontario shows that work in Quebec are just small, whoever thinks they have a bigger show than the MFC in Canada must be drunk", and went on to say" if I don't get my respect in 2011 I'm jumping off a bridge."  We have the 3rd biggest show in the World, UFC and maybe Strikeforce is bigger.  One thing many people don't know either is that Scott Coker does not own Strikeforce, Mark told me, the San Jose Sharks do.  "Coker doesn't have any passion, he is just doing a job."

When asked about the WEC/UFC Merger Mark told me that the WEC went out of business, when they came to Edmonton the next day the papers said, "Pavelich's Crush WEC".  Pavelich also went on to say that the WEC is stacked with amazing fighters and they threw great shows, they just didn't make money.

So of course the million dollar question, "What is happening with your roster of fighters from Canada" I asked.  Mark said that they do need more Canadian fighters but that the ones they have are amazing and need more exposure, Dwayne Lewis is one of the most exciting Fighters in Canada and many Canadians don't know him.  Ryan Ford obviously he would like to see do better, but he always comes to put on a show and is an amazing fighter.  When I asked Mark where the next wave of great fighters for the MFC will come, he told me that he really doesn't know, that if you are an amazing or exciting fighter, he wants you.  If you are those things and Canadian, then you might have a step ahead but he looks for talent first. 

I have a feeling if the Pavelich's move to Ontario, they will have no problem finding an abundance of amazing home-grown talent!!