Canada's MFC MMA Cuts Titlist Trevor Prangley, UFC Bound?

Canada’s Maximum Fighting Championship MMA promotion has cut their light heavyweight champion, Aussie Trevor Prangley (20-4), for breach of contract, the promotion announced Sunday.

American Kickboxing Academy’s Prangley is a four-time UFC veteran, going a respectable 2-2 from 2004-2006, and went 2-1 in a ’07-’08 Strikeforce stint.  He won the MFC title with a five-round unanimous decision over “Hard-Core Kid” Emanuel Newton (11-5-1) at MFC 21 outside of Edmonton May 15.

Last month Prangley took a fight versus Dennis Reed (44-45-1) at Arena Rumble in Spokane and knocked Reed out in 20 seconds.  MFC claims that fight was a violation of their contract with Prangley and that Prangley has signed to fight outside of the MFC again, a second contract breach according to MFC.

“The MFC won’t sit on the sidelines while its fighters, especially our champions, violate our contracts and fight in smaller shows,” said MFC President Mark Pavelich.  “There is an exclusivity clause in the contracts for a reason.  It is unacceptable that Trevor Prangley and his management have gone about business in such an unscrupulous manner. I will not allow my organization and my title belts to be disrespected this way. Trevor was treated with the utmost respect when he came to fight in the MFC, and in turn for him and his management to treat the MFC this way simply will not be tolerated.”

Fighters.com has contacted Prangley’s management for their side, but have not yet received a response.

A fighter in Prangley’s position must fight to pay their trainers and bills.  So, if MFC hasn’t scheduled Prangley to fight since May, Prangley’s alleged breach of contract could be out of necessity rather “unscrupulous”.

For Prangley, perhaps the cut from MFC will result in a return to the UFC.  The UFC is planning a debut in Prangley’s native Australia at UFC 110 February 20, 2010.  The UFC has already signed a top Down Under prospect, light heavyweight Kiwi James Te Huna (11-4), and conventionally enters a new market by signing native fighters.  Prangley has only one loss since leaving the UFC, a KO to Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago (21-7) at Strikeforce in San Jose in 2007, and demonstrated in his four-fight UFC run that he can compete at that level.