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Ryan McGillivray Wants His Crown


Ryan McGillivray knows he has a big job ahead of him.

But he’s conquered a lot in a short period of time. He’s overcome a broken back. He has bounced back from losses. And he jumped headfirst into the responsibility of being a single dad.

When MFC 33: Collision Course rolls around on Friday, May 4, though, McGillivray admits that the task at hand will be the toughest of his mixed martial arts career, yet it also comes with the greatest reward he’s ever had a chance to obtain.

McGillivray (12-5-1) will lock horns with Nathan Coy (10-4) at MFC 33 with the winner claiming the MFC welterweight title. The bout headlines the Collision Course card airing live from the Mayfield Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, on HDNet Fights. The six-bout main card begins at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (check local listings for channel designation).

“The Kid,” now all of 25, has been through a lot. It will all be worth it if he wears the MFC crown after conquering Coy.

“I am very excited to have a chance at a very respected title,” said McGillivray. “It has been a very long road and feels like all I have been through – good and bad – has been worth it. It has always been a dream of mine to have this title fight.”

McGillivray has been eyeing an MFC title for years. He has fought 13 times under the organization’s banner – a total second-only to Dwayne Lewis’s 15 appearances. McGillivray’s run in the MFC has included nine straight shows to start his career, as well as brief stints at both lightweight and middleweight.

Home-field advantage will be in McGillivray’s favor in his quest for the belt. A growing legion of fans, the McGillivray Mob if you will, offer up encouragement, but Coy is as unflappable as they come.

“Coy is probably the toughest guy I have fought in my career and I have no doubt I am going to need to be at my best to win the title,” offered McGillivray. “I know he has had a long road as well and will be equally motivated to take that belt.”

Coy is far from an easy foe. Now fighting out of Coconut Creek, Florida, Coy demonstrated a good chin and stiff hands in upsetting Dhiego Lima at MFC 32 back in January. Without a doubt, though, Coy’s strength is his wrestling as the former NCAA champ from Oregon State University mauled Lima with a heavy ground game. On the same card, McGillivray pulled his own contendership victory from the grip of defeat. Bloodied and behind on the scorecards, McGillivray found an open spot and seized the win with a third-round submission over Diego Bautista.

Getting Coy on the ground could play into McGillivray’s favor as 10 of his 12 victories have come by way of submission, six of those by his favored method of stoppage – the armbar. McGillivray knows he’ll need everything in his arsenal including an ever-improving striking game to have a chance to derailing Coy.

“I don’t think it’s any secret the pedigree he has with him with his national level wrestling,” noted McGillivray. “I am aware he is going to be looking to take me down and finish me there. I plan on making him pay on his way in and working my submissions in all areas so my BJJ is better than ever.

“He has a lot of decisions so I will be more than ready to go six rounds. Yes, six rounds. I want to be able to outwork him and at the very least out-heart him. It should be a tough, entertaining fight.”

Tickets for MFC 33: Collision Course are on sale now and available exclusively through the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024.

Lewis & Lofton ready for rematch


Back on July 25, 2008, an expected slugfest turned into a one-sided and very brief drubbing.

When Dwayne “D-Bomb” Lewis and Aron “The Poster Boy” Lofton squared off at MFC 17, two powerfully built strikers were set to drop the hammer on each other. Lofton exploded. Lewis never got out of the starting blocks.

Teeing up his right hand from the opening bell, Lofton fired a perfectly timed overhand missile that connected point-blank with Lewis’s chin. Lewis spun like a top and dropped face first to the canvas. Only 17 seconds in, it was all over.

And although he would go on to win seven straight, nine of his next 10, and get a shot at the MFC light-heavyweight title, that resounding loss has constantly nagged at Lewis. Almost a full four years later, he’ll get his shot at redemption, while Lofton will look to put a final stinging touch on their rivalry.

Lofton-Lewis II will be part of the main card at MFC 33: Collision Course, taking place on Friday, May 4 in Edmonton, Alberta. Emanating from the Mayfield Conference Centre, MFC 33 will air live on HDNet Fights starting at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (check local listings for channel designation).

For his role in the feud, Lewis is keeping things somewhat low-key. He’s preferring to focus on the task at hand, but he did offer at least a stern vow to the faithful in the Lewis Army.

“I’m truly looking forward to clashing with Aron Lofton on May 4. I guarantee it won’t be the same outcome,” said Lewis (12-8), who will likely have a passionate group of his supporters in attendance for the encounter.

The Fort McMurray, Alberta, product will need all the support he can get as he aims to overcome a recent skid. Riding a seven-fight streak, Lewis was foiled in a matchup by former MFC champ Emanuel Newton at MFC 25, but then rebounded with two of the biggest wins over his career – a thunderous first-round knockout of Mike Nickels and a narrow split-decision verdict over Razak Al-Hassan.

Those victories earned him the title shot against Ryan Jimmo, but a doctor’s stoppage in Round 3 resulted in a TKO setback. Nagging injuries kept Lewis out of action for nearly a year and he returned at MFC 32 only to be worked over by Wilson Gouveia who doled out relentless punishment until the fight was halted late in Round 2.

Down two straight for the first time since mid-2008, Lewis needs to rebound and earn his measure of revenge or face what would certainly be an end to his five-year odyssey.

While Lewis enjoyed a good deal of success after his first encounter with Lofton, “The Poster Boy” rode highs and lows that caused him to take a long hard look at where he stood and where he wanted to be in MMA.

“I’m still one of the best looking fighters produced by the MFC,” laughed Lofton.

Following his KO of Lewis, Lofton (8-5) won three of his next four before coming into a crossroads matchup against veteran Marvin Eastman at MFC 21. With the title picture staring back at him, Lofton didn’t get the job done as he surprisingly dropped a second-round TKO result to the venerable “Beastman.” Lofton then truly dropped out of the scene when he was caught in a first-round submission by former MFC light-heavyweight champ Roger Hollett at Heat XC 4 in late 2009.

Once the most marketable fighters in the MFC stable, Lofton was suddenly off the map completely. So he changed the map.

Lofton moved his base from Oklahoma to Texas. But a change in scenery was just geographical – much more went into Lofton’s new approach. It was a big switch in lifestyle as well. He’s still a jovial, fun-loving guy as that won’t ever change. His level of maturity has changed 180 degrees. Now a soon-to-be married father, Lofton has taken his responsibilities and training seriously.

“I train with some amazing guys here in Austin and have learned a lot about myself as a fighter,” offered Lofton. “I don’t drink, don’t go out, don’t eat crap and take much better care of myself physically and mentally. When everything is lined up I am a dangerous task for any opponent.”

Of his eight career wins, surprisingly the heavy-handed Lofton boasts just a single knockout (four of his submission victories have come via guillotine choke). But that solo KO was a memorable one for both parties involved. Lofton would very much like a real-life replay.

“I knew the fight was coming sooner or later and now the time has come for Mr. Lewis to attempt to redeem that highlight KO,” Lofton touted.

“Dwayne has been on a tear since our first fight and I have no doubt he is a different fighter. However, so am I and I have been waiting for this time to come. I hope Dwayne is taking me seriously as I am him because if not there are going to be a lot of disappointed ‘D-Bomb’ fans in Edmonton on May 4.

“At the end of the day I am a headhunter and I’m looking for another addition to the highlight reel.”