UFC Vet Dean Lister Signs With Canada's Maximum Fighting Championship

Former UFC and PRIDE fighter and Abu Dhabi world submission grappling champion “Boogey Man” Dean Lister (11-6) has signed a multi-fight deal to compete in the largest Canadian MMA promotion Maximum Fighting Championship, MFC accounced Friday.

Lister will debut versus former UFC title challenger Thales Leites (14-3) at MFC 23: Unstoppable on Friday at River Cree Resort and Casino outside of Edmonton December 4.

“This is an outstanding matchup and I am particularly pleased that both Dean and Thales agreed to fight each other so quickly – no discussion, no delays.  Just signed, sealed and delivered,” said MFC President Mark Pavelich.

Lister lost a unanimous decision to “Thunder” Yushin Okami (23-4) at UFC 92 in Las Vegas December 27, 2008.  He went 4-2 in the UFC from 2006-2008.

Leites lost a disappointing split decision to “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (14 -7) at UFC 101 in Philadelphia August 8, just one fight removed from losing a unanimous decision to Fighters.com and UFC Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4) at UFC 97 in Montreal April 18.

Lister’s record includes a first-round submission of Leites’s last opponent, Sakara, at UFC 60 in Los Angeles in May 2006.