The Maximum Fighting Championship will see which of its champion kings will keep their crowns at MFC 40: Crowned Kings taking place on Friday, May 9 at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, and live on AXS TV Fights.

VIP and Row 1-4 tickets for MFC 40: Crowned Kings are on sale now by calling the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024. All other tickets for MFC 40 go on sale Thursday, January 30 at www.ticketmaster.ca.

Three championship fights highlight the lineup for MFC 40 with two champs defending their crowns, and two more worthy combatants will vie for their own throne. And with three title fights scheduled, the MFC is excited to bring back the #PUNCHTHEVOTE campaign which will allow the fans to determine the final order (main event and two co-main events) for the night.

“The #PUNCHTHEVOTE idea at MFC 38 really ignited our fan base to tell us who they wanted to see in the main event,” said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. “It was unique and historic and a huge success, and we definitely want our fans and fighters to be thoroughly engaged in the process.

“Anthony Birchak is truly the face of the MFC franchise from the fighters’ perspective and he’s got a shot at winning #PUNCHTHEVOTE twice, but Sam Alvey, who was runner-up last time, wants the spotlight on him. And the lightweights – a rematch for the title – they’ll want it too. It’s great competition in and out of the ring.

“Our fans deserve the best and we’re solely focused on bringing them the best the Maximum Fighting Championship has to offer.”

Birchak (11-1), the MFC’s inaugural bantamweight champion, will put his title on the line for the first time at MFC 40, and the Tucson, Arizona, fighter has been on a tremendous roll since joining the Maximum Fighting Championship. He followed up his win over Ryan Benoit at MFC 37 by capturing the MFC’s 135-pound division title with a second-round submission of Tito Jones at MFC 38.

A winner of five straight fights, Birchak won the MFC’s Fight of the Year honor for his victory over Benoit and was handed the Submission of the Night in the victory over Jones. He then received even greater notoriety by being featured in Sports Illustrated’s 2013 Photos of the Year as he stood on the ring ropes celebrating his title win. Birchak is currently ranked #55 in the world by Fight Matrix.

Just like Birchak, Alvey (21-5), who is also ranked #55 in the world by Fight Matrix, found championship glory at MFC 38 when he stopped Jason South with four seconds remaining in the fifth and final round of their middleweight title bout. The TKO win put the belt around Alvey’s waist and the Temecula, California, product has earned victories in four of his last five fights.

Opponents for Birchak and Alvey will be announced shortly.

The third title fight slated for MFC 40 is the hotly anticipated rematch between Tom Gallicchio (18-8) and Kurt Southern (13-5) for the MFC lightweight championship.

Gallicchio defeated Southern at MFC 39 via second-round submission but was ruled ineligible for the belt after weighing over the 155-pound limit during the official weigh-in. Under MFC rules, Southern, who had no trouble making weight, receives an automatic title-fight rematch despite the loss.

Gallicchio, who trains alongside Alvey in Temecula, California, notched the 12^th submission victory of his career in tapping out Southern with a rear-naked choke with 29 seconds remaining in Round 2.

Southern, who hails from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, had earned two impressive wins prior to the setback against Gallicchio. At MFC 37, Southern submitted former title challenger Mukai Maromo in the first round, and then at MFC 38, Southern exacted revenge on Jonatas Novaes with a first-round TKO victory.

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