McKee to defend MFC crown against Fickett

[keithlewis]

McKee to defend MFC crown against Fickett - Lightweight championship at stake as co-main event at Supremacy


Title-holder Antonio McKee will face the toughest test of his reign as the Maximum Fighting Championship's lightweight champ when he comes into the ring at MFC 28: Supremacy.

At the same time, Drew Fickett's first foray into the MFC will take him right into the deepest waters of the organization's lightweight division.

It's a perfect storm.

As the co-main event for MFC 28: Supremacy, McKee (25-4-2) will defend his belt for the second time when he takes on Fickett (40-13) on Friday, Feb. 25 live on HDNet Fights from the River Cree Resort and Casino, just outside Edmonton, Alberta.

"No one - and I mean absolutely no one - gets an easy ride in the Maximum Fighting Championship," said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich.

"McKee wants to claim he's still the man in the lightweight division . then go prove it against one of the hottest fighters on the planet. And Fickett says he's coming to the MFC to choke out everyone. Great . now go do it against the champion who has lost only once by submission in 12 years.

"The winner will truly deserve the championship belt."

Fickett, who joined the MFC earlier this week with a multi-fight contract, will ride a four-bout winning streak into the showdown with McKee. The pair has some interesting similarities through their respective well-established careers including a fair number of common opponents.

McKee, who represents his own Team Body Shop from Lakewood, California, earned the MFC's 155-pound title in his debut fight, securing a five-round decision victory over Derrick Noble. Fickett began his 2010 resurgence, and ended a sour losing skid, with a second-round submission of Noble.

Both fighters have scored decision wins over fellow veteran Edwin Dewees, and both hold victories over Carlo Prater. McKee defeated Prater in what was supposed to be his first title defence but the bout was changed to a three-round affair when Prater missed weight. McKee went on to post a dominating three-round verdict. Fickett has topped Prater twice in his career, submitting him in the third round of a bout in 2004 by way of guillotine choke, and then needing only two minutes to beat him last year via rear-naked choke.

McKee is undefeated under the MFC banner. On top of his wins over Noble and Prater, McKee notched one of his most impressive victories when he earned just the third TKO win of his lengthy career thanks to first-round smashing of Luciano Azevedo at MFC 26.

The televised main card for MFC 28: Supremacy is finalized with:

Light-heavyweight title - Dwayne Lewis vs. Ryan Jimmo
Lightweight title - Drew Fickett vs. Antonio McKee
Lightweight - Kajan Johnson vs. Richie Whitson
Light-heavyweight - Razak Al-Hassan vs. Rodney Wallace
Welterweight - Thomas Denny vs. Sheldon Westcott
Lightweight - Robert Washington vs. Tyrone Glover


A three-fight undercard will be finalized in the near future.