Jimmo squares off with Sokoudjou; Light-heavyweight title clash set as MFC 31 main event Oct. 7 in Edmonton

Posted on | August 4, 2011 | No Comments

The Maximum Fighting Championship unleashes a potent lineup for its next event – MFC 31: The Rundown to be held on Friday, October 7 at the Mayfield Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta.

Holding down main-event status for the HDNet Fights televised live card will be a showdown for the MFC light-heavyweight title as reigning champ Ryan “The Big Deal” Jimmo puts his belt and a 15-fight winning streak on the line against the MFC’s newest addition, “The African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. The HDNet fights live broadcast will begin at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m.MT/7 p.m.PT.

Tickets for MFC 31: The Rundown are on sale now and available exclusively through the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024.

Both Jimmo (15-1), who has fought 10 times under the MFC banner, and Sokoudjou (12-8) have recently signed multi-fight contracts, and they will meet head-on for the championship. Both fighters are highly seeded in the world rankings – Jimmo at No. 25 and Sokoudjou at No. 30, according to Fight Matrix (http://www.fightmatrix.com/mma-ranks/light-heavyweight-185-205-lbs).

“I am extremely excited to see what happens when Jimmo and Sokoudjou collide. I truly believe it will be the most explosive title fight ever in MFC history,” said Mark Pavelich, Owner/President of the Maximum Fighting Championship.

“Ryan is a terrific champion and represents the MFC like no other fighter ever has before. Now we’re going to see how he handles the athleticism and pressure that Sokoudjou will put on him.”

Jimmo ran his winning streak to 15 with a convincing decision win over Zak Cummings in the first defense of his title at MFC 29. The 30-year-old, who now lives in Edmonton, Alberta, captured the MFC crown at MFC 28 with a third-round TKO via doctor’s stoppage over Dwayne Lewis. That victory was Jimmo’s sixth career win by knockout.

The most-dominating performance of Jimmo’s career came at MFC 25 back in May 2010 when he put forth a ferociousness never seen before imposing three rounds of punishment on Wilson Gouveia for a clear-cut unanimous decision. Jimmo has not lost since his professional debut in February 2007.

Originally from Cameroon, Sokoudjou now fights out of San Diego, California, and will ride a three-fight winning streak into this MFC debut. Sokoudjou’s most notable career win was a spectacular 23-second knockout of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in 2007.

The 27-year-old has eight career victories by knockout including first-round stoppages of Ricardo Arona, Bob Sapp, and Jon Nortje. Sokoudjou has sensational global appeal having fought in Israel, Australia, Japan, Poland, the United States, and United Arab Emirates.

Two other main-card bouts are also set for MFC 31: The Rundown – both in the lightweight ranks.

In a bout between two top contenders, Richie “Hell Boy” Whitson (11-1) will take on “Ragin” Kajan Johnson (18-10-1) with the winner moving a step closer to a shot at the MFC’s 155-pound title.

Whitson has bounced back from a significant leg injury that has kept him sidelined since his split-decision win over Curtis Demarce in a Fight of the Year contender from MFC 28. The Temecula, California, product will take a five-fight winning streak into the clash.

Johnson, who fights out of Vancouver, B.C., is 6-1 in his last seven fights including a dominating performance over Ryan Healy at MFC 27. Johnson holds 10 submission victories to his credit and picked up his fourth career knockout win with a stoppage of John Russell at Heat XC 4.

The HDNet Fights live television broadcast will open with an encounter between two fast-rising prospects as hometown product Mukai Maromo (5-2) battles “The Persian Warrior” Sabah Fadai (7-1).

A popular up-and-comer from Edmonton, Alberta, Maromo made a splash in his organizational debut at MFC 30 with a 36-second knockout of Scott Cleve.

Fadai, who resides in Chilliwack, B.C., makes his MFC debut carrying a four-fight winning streak. The Iranian-born 25-year-old has lived in Asia of late, and captured two wins in Singapore and two in the Philippines.

Three more bouts will be added to the televised main card, with a full complement of undercard matchups also to be set soon.

The previously announced clash for the MFC lightweight title between recently re-signed champ Antonio “Mandingo” McKee and top-ranked challenger Brian “The Bandit” Cobb has been moved to MFC 32 slated for November (exact date and host venue TBA).