Always an organization at the forefront of change and new ideas, the Maximum Fighting Championship is pleased to announce and confirm three key new procedures.
The most significant new procedure revolves around regulations for title belt matchups and how they relate to weigh-ins. No longer is a title fight immediately relegated to non-title status if one of the fighters fails to make weight.
Listed below are the newly adopted criteria:
Title Fight with a reigning/defending champion
If the champion fails to make weight:
*SCENARIO 1 – The champion vacates the title immediately. The fight remains a five-round contest. If the vacated champion wins the fight, the Maximum Fighting Championship holds the option to automatically consider him the No. 1 contender for the next title fight in that weight class. The Maximum Fighting Championship also holds an option to make an immediate rematch.
*SCENARIO 2 – The champion vacates the title immediately. The fight remains a five-round contest. If the challenger wins the fight, the challenger becomes the MFC champion. The Maximum Fighting Championship holds an option to make an immediate rematch.
If the challenger fails to make weight:
*The champion automatically retains the belt. A non-title fight takes place and the Maximum Fighting Championship solely determines if the bout is a three- or five-round fight. If the challenger wins the bout, the Maximum Fighting Championship holds an option to make a future rematch.
If both fighters fail to make weight:
*The champion vacates the title immediately. A non-title fight takes place and the Maximum Fighting Championship solely determines if the bout is a three- or five-round fight. The Maximum Fighting Championship holds the option to consider the winner of the bout as the No. 1 contender for the next title fight in that weight class. The Maximum Fighting Championship also holds an option to make future rematch.
Title Fight with a vacant championship
If one fighter fails to make weight:
*The fight remains a five-round contest. If the fighter who made weight wins the bout, he becomes the MFC champion of that weight class. If the fighter who failed to make weight wins the bout, that fighter does not claim the title, and the Maximum Fighting Championship holds the option to make him the No. 1 contender and/or to make an immediate rematch.
If both fighters fail to make weight:
*A non-title bout takes place and the Maximum Fighting Championship solely determines if the bout is a three- or five-round fight. The Maximum Fighting Championship holds the option to make a future rematch.
Of utmost concern is fighter safety when dealing with weight cutting issues, and these changes will also allow for more title fights to stay on course.
“Obviously this has been a situation that has come up a handful of times, namely when Mukai Maromo fought Adam Lynn at MFC 34,” noted MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich.
“This new criteria is a way for the fighter who made weight to continue in his quest for the title belt and not be punished for doing everything he was supposed to. It’s important to our organization, our fighters, and our fans that title fights happen with as much excitement as possible, and I hope this endeavor goes a long way as a fail-safe.”
Another new procedure, although not yet finalized, has to do with the weigh-in itself
