The Maximum Fighting Championship has finalized its 25 July card taking place near Edmonton, Alberta. MFC 17 features a title fight between Fighters.com’s original Fighter of the Month “The Real Deal” Ryan Ford (6-0) and UFC veteran Drew Fickett (34-5). The welterweight title is currently vacant. Edmonton-native Ford will look to extend his win streak. He submitted his last opponent CJ Fernandes (14-7-3) with a rear naked choke in 2:32 at MFC 16. Fickett is also riding a win streak. He has five consecutive victories, four of them by submission. Brad Zazulak (3-0) is also on the card, to fight Ron Faircloth (28-14). Zazulak in his last fight TKO’d veteran “Mr. International” Shonie Carter (41-17-7). ...

I caught-up with "Mr. International" Shonie Carter (37-17-7), who last fought 23 November at MFC 14 versus rookie Brad Zazulak (3-0). Carter lost to the Canadian in the first round due to an arm injury suffered during a takedown by Zazulak. There was a bit of Canadian promoter-on-promoter violence before the event. Hardcore Championship Fighting CEO Keith Crawford had pleaded publicly for the Carter versus Zazulak fight to be canceled because, "Sanctioning any athlete with 96 fights and a wealth of cage/ring experience against an athlete with 2 fights is nothing short of ludicrous." Scott Zerr of Maximum Fighting Championship responded simply, "We feel [Keith Crawford] should mind his own business." "I am healed entirely," Carter said.  "I have been training." "Mr. International" will ply his trade in two nations this month, begining next weekend in Denver. "I'm fighting twice in April, for Worldwide Fighting Championship on the 12th for the middlweight world title versus "The Terminator" John Cronk (17-21) and the 26th in Toronto [at Iroquois MMA Championships] versus "The Angry Hick" Bret Bergmark (4-1-1)," Carter said.  "Then 30 May [at Primetime Fighting] versus Victor Moreno (24-11) in Merrillville, Indiana." ...