It would appear that Maximum Fighting Championship president Mark Pavelich is behind on some fees owed to the River Cree Resort & Casino located near the city of Edmonton, Canada according to TheGarv.com.

Pavelich has reportedly been suspended by the Association of Boxing Commissions for “non-payment of fees owing to the commission” which will be lifted once he pays up.

The Garv.com was tipped off today that a member of Canada’s athletic commission filed a request to to the head of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) to officially suspend Mark Pavelich, president and promoter of Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) for “non-payment of fees owing to the commission”.

6/17/10: It looks like the fees owed by Pavelich and MFC stem back to an event in February, and more than one attempt was made to arrange payment with no response from MFC. From what I understand, the suspension is officially in place, but will be lifted if Pavelich settles up. He’s expected to do so in the next few days.

The MMA News has interviewed the MFC president in the past, and is known for some of his colorful comments on the UG forums. Hopefully this won’t effect some of his promotions upcoming events such as the HeatXC show next month and the next MFC show in the fall, which he’s looking to hold in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada for anyone living in that area. That event should showcase an MFC middleweight title bout featuring BJJ specialist Thales Leites.

The Maximum Fighting Championship welcomes all media, fans, and sponsors to a revealing and action-packed Open Training Session on Thursday, February 18.

This special event featuring some of the MFC’s biggest names will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Hayabusa Training Centre located at 125 Carleton Drive in St. Albert, Alberta. This will be a great opportunity for everyone to get an up-close look at the final preparation of fighters who will be under the spotlight at MFC 24: Heat XC on Friday, February 26 at the River Cree Resort and Casino, as well as those getting ready for MFC 25: Vindication schedule live Friday May 7.2010 @ Edmonton Expo/Northlands, also live on HDNET TV.

“Few people really realize what it takes to be an elite mixed martial arts fighter,” said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. “The physical demands of this sport are so intense that it takes an opportunity like this Open Training Session to really appreciate what is expected of these athletes.

“Once the media, fans, and sponsors get the chance to see these athletes train, I guarantee they will have a whole new level of appreciation for them.”

MFC/Heat XC fighters who will be taking part in the Open Training Session will include:

* Travis “The Gladiator” Galbraith, middleweight – facing the toughest test of his career as he goes up against feared English striker Tom “Kong” Watson, a training partner of Georges St. Pierre.
* Ryan “The Big Deal” Jimmo, light heavyweight – winner of 11 straight fights, preparing to square-off against the very formidable Wilson Gouveia in May
* Nick “The Quiet Assassin” Penner, light heavyweight – first time at new weight class, winner of nine straight fights readying for showdown with Chris Price.
* Nick Hrynchyshyn, welterweight – fast-rising star and one of the most-popular young fighters in the organization
* Jason Gorny and Garrett Nybakken – both up-and-coming fan favourites

Just a few tickets remain for MFC 24: Heat XC. Remaining tickets can be purchased by calling the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024 or through Ticketmaster at (780) 451-8000, www.ticketmaster.ca, and Ticketmaster outlets.

Press Release.

Nathan Gunn had everything going for him in his MFC debut – that is until things went horribly wrong.

The welterweight prospect had a solid first round in his first fight under the spotlight, well enough to earn him the nod for taking the opening five minutes against veteran Pete Spratt on the MFC 22: Payoff card. But Gunn made a fateful error along the way. When he had Spratt in trouble, he failed to put the hammer down and finish the fight.

Instead, Gunn let Spratt off the hook and paid for it dearly. The heavy-handed Spratt blasted Gunn face-first to the canvas in Round 2, scoring the win, the Knockout of the Night, and the MFC’s 2009 knockout of the Year.

Gunn (7-1) will try to regain his footing as an up-and-comer at MFC 24: Heat XC when he meets Thiago Goncalves (11-3) on Friday, February 26 at the River Cree Resort and Casino.

“I felt a fought a smart, good fight against a great striker . I just let it slip away and did not attack and go for the finish when I had my opportunities,” reflected Gunn. “When you are fighting someone with the firepower of Pete Spratt, well, you see all it takes is one punch no matter how much of the fight you control.”

It wasn’t a pleasant experience for Gunn, but one that he takes away a valuable lesson from.

“The biggest thing I took from the Spratt fight is not to hold back. You don’t get a second chance when you have your opportunity to finish,” said the Thunder Bay, Ontario, product.

“That along with experiencing my first KO and loss, I have nothing to lose from now on. I am going to go for broke and let things fly and see how it all plays out. As far as I’m concerned I am either walk out with a win or Thiago is going to have to do the same thing that Spratt did and that’s finish the fight in spectacular fashion and have me waking up looking at the ceiling again.

“One thing I can promise is I am going to be a ball of energy and go in there looking to have fun and to put on a good show for everyone.”

While being on the wrong end of the Knockout of the Year was a black mark on Gunn’s resume, he expects to rebound from the loss and take advantage of the situation presented to him – an opportunity in front of another sold-out MFC audience to showcase his skills. Gunn has accurately assessed his best
chance of winning by approaching the fight with a frenetic pace. If he’s going to catch Goncalves, it’s likely to be early and in the stand-up before the Brazilian jiu-jitsu talents have a chance to go to work.

“He’s been training with the best in the world his whole life,” noted Gunn. “It is an honor to once again be put in a position to test myself against someone with his background and abilities. I have never seen him fight and don’t know much about him besides what I have heard about his ground skills and that he’s a big 170-pounder with power.”

While Goncalves remains a bit of a mystery, Gunn is hopeful that he can rely on some past success in his upcoming battle. Gunn previously beat Tyler Jackson, one of Goncalves’s training partners, in early 2009 so going two-for-two against teammates would make for a great start to 2010.

“I’m pressing hard with my cardio and expecting to come into this fight in tremendous shape, allowing me to be able to push the pace and not hold back any offense like I did in the Spratt fight,” said Gunn. “You will definitely see me looking for offense from any position I might find myself in. I’m grateful the MFC has given me a chance to come back and put on a show for the crowd again and I am not going to disappoint – that’s for sure.”

Gunn vs. Goncalves will open the main card at MFC 24: Heat XC which will be broadcasting live online at www.maximumfighting.com. Tickets for MFC 24 are still available via the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024 or through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca, charge-by-phone (780) 451-8000, and Ticketmaster outlets.

An expected intense showdown between two veteran lightweights will headline the card set for MFC 24: Heat XC on Friday, February 26.

Onetime MFC lightweight title challenger Derrick “The Eraser” Noble (25-12-1) will look to get back into 155-pound championship picture when he takes on “The Texas Gunslinger” Yves Edwards (36-15-1) in a clash that will top the lineup of fights at the River Cree Resort and Casino just outside Edmonton, Alberta.

Both fighters are known for putting a exclamation point on the fights. In his 25 victories, Nobles has 19 stoppages – nine by knockout and another 10 by submission including his somewhat surprising second-round guillotine choke win over jiu-jitsu practitioner Ariel Sexton at MFC 19. Edwards, meanwhile, has ended 29 of his 36 wins inside the distance – 14 by knockout and 15 by submission with his most-recent verdict being a first-round TKO of Kyle Jensen.

“This year, I’ve made it clear to the fighters in our organization that I want them to be exciting, get the crowd out their seats, and end fights in style,” noted MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. “Derrick and Yves are the kind of fighters that won’t sit back, they won’t lay around, and they won’t be looking to drag things out.

“Both of them know how important this fight is to their respective careers and they are both well aware what lies ahead for them with an impressive win. They won’t be hoping to win by lame decision. They both want a big, convincing victory.”

Noble is eager to put his last MFC outing behind him. The Cuba, Illinois, native couldn’t pull the trigger enough times in his encounter with Antonio McKee, resulting in McKee being awarded a five-round decision and the MFC lightweight belt.

“I expect this fight with Yves to be full of fireworks and to be completely different from my last MFC fight,” said Noble. “Putting Yves and myself in the ring together is a fight the fans are going to enjoy.

“I’m really excited about this fight. Fighting guys like Yves is what my entire career has been about. I always fight tough guys and have never turned down a fight, so as soon as I was offered the fight it took me all of 10 second to say yes. I’m looking to get back to the top and Yves is a good way to make that happen.

“It’s a dangerous fight for both of us. I’ve fought good strikers so I know how to deal with that. I respect Yves and what he has accomplished but come February 26th I’ll be looking to take him out just like anybody else.”

Noble has won two straight since falling to McKee and holds career victories over such notables as MFC welterweight champ Pat Healy, Thiago Alves, and Jake Ellenberger.

Edwards, too, is no stranger to big-name fights as his career resume reads like a who’s who of opponents. A winner of five of his last seven fights, the Woodlands, Texas, product has beaten the likes of Hermes Franca, Rich Clementi, Pete Spratt, Thomas Denny, and Dokonjonosuke Mishima during his
career. The 33-year-old has also been in against a long list of notables such as Joe Stevenson, Matt Serra, and Nate Marquardt.

The Noble-Edwards encounter highlights the MFC 24 card which includes two light heavyweight clashes pitting Dwayne Lewis against David Heath, and Nick Penner against Chris Price, along with a middleweight tussle between Tom Watson and Travis Galbraith.

Tickets for MFC 24: Heat XC are going fast and are available through the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024 as well via Ticketmaster at (780) 451-8000, www.ticketmaster.ca, and Ticketmaster outlets. MFC 24: Heat XC will air live via streaming webcast – check out www.maximumfighting.com for all the details.

Tickets are also on sale now for MFC 25: Vindication slated for Friday, April 9, at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. Vindication will air live throughout North America on HDNet Fights. Among the fights scheduled for Vindication is light heavyweight showdown between Ryan “The Big Deal” Jimmo and MFC newcomer Wilson Gouveia. Tickets for that show are available through the MFC Ticket Hotline and via www.winspearcentre.com.