Jun 12, 2009 - Jason MacDonald Signs with Maximum Fighting Championshipþ

J-Mac attack is back
‘The Athlete’ has burning desire for MFC title belt
By MFC Staff

Jason MacDonald is the very definition of the catchphrase “hometown hero.”

In the early days of the Maximum Fighting Championship, “The Athlete” was one of the main attractions on fight cards. His popularity grew at an incredible rate. MacDonald became the star – legions of fans turned out for every show and those loyal followers helped the MFC get credited with having the marketplace’s “sexiest crowd in sports.”

And now MacDonald has returned to the MFC, more popular than ever before and with his eye on a prize that eluded him during his previous tenure with the organization. Speaking on the day of his 34 birthday, MacDonald wanted only one gift and it is one that he can wrap up for himself.

“My goal is to win the MFC middleweight title,” declared MacDonald, who sports a 21-12 record. “The first time around I lost a five-round war with Patrick Cote and now I’ve got the opportunity to chase that dream one more time.”

For MacDonald, claiming the prestigious MFC belt will be all the better if and when he can do it in front of the fans who were there from the start of his stellar mixed martial arts career.

“The first half of my career was in the MFC and I always had the opportunity to fight in front of lots of friends and family. I’m excited to be able to do it again because that always meant a lot to me.”

MacDonald will make his official return at MFC 22: Payoff on Sept. 25 at the River Cree Resort and Casino. Just who he’ll be squaring off against is still being determined but there are a number of candidates out there who have piqued MacDonald’s interest.

“The one guy who impressed me the most was Bryan Baker,” said MacDonald, who got a ringside view of Baker’s first-round TKO win over Rory Singer (a former MacDonald foe) at MFC 20. “He comes to fight and I want to fight someone who wants to throw down, someone who’s going to fight and give us both an opportunity to put on an exciting fight for the fans.

“I think a best-case scenario would be to fight Trevor Prangley but since he just won the title at 205 he’ll probably want to defend that a couple of times though it’s something to look at. I wouldn’t mind avenging my loss to Marvin Eastman because I wasn’t really at the best point in my career back then (2005) but I think he’s more comfortable at 205 now.

“Travis Galbraith is coming down to 185 and that would be exciting. Solomon Hutcherson … anybody really.  I just want to fight in a great fight, get the biggest challenge against the biggest name guy available.”

Though nicknamed “The Athlete” for his Terminator-like overall conditioning, MacDonald also picked up the handle “TUF Killer” in recent times because of his penchant for destroying reality show graduates. He tapped out Ed Herman with one of the most vicious triangle chokes that included a barrage of elbow strikes. He then left Chris Leben a quivering mess with a uniquely dangerous modified guillotine choke. MacDonald made it a hat trick of victories over “TUF” opponents with a ground-and-pound demolition of Rory Singer. MacDonald wouldn’t mind facing down another “TUF” foe if the opportunity arises especially after falling victim to “TUF” slugger Nate Quarry in his last bout.

“There are still some alumni kicking around that I could fight,” noted MacDonald. “I think Edwin Dewees would be great fight. Shonie Carter? At this point in his career I think Shonie is a bit of a joke and I’m not sure that a fight with him would be worth it. I’m looking for quality fights and fights that will get me to the title.”

MacDonald views his return to the MFC as a second-chance opportunity, not just for the chance to win the coveted title belt but also for the glory of personal redemption. He’s been down a rocky road before – a four-fight slump in 2004-2005 that forced a complete re-evaluation of his career. The re-assessment has already started this time around.

“In my mind, the two situations are very similar,” explained MacDonald. “The first time, I’d lost my focus, I was in a lull and was not having any success, and I had to get back on track and get re-focused.

“This time, I found myself with a lot of popularity but I got side-tracked by a lot of other things – opening my own gym, staring my own fight promotion, managing fighters. I was in the gym every day training but I wasn’t solely focused on my own fighting. I lost focus on what I want and that’s to be a great fighter. You don’t realize how bad you still want something until it’s gone.

“An athlete’s career is always full of ups and downs. I’ve been down before and I’ve managed to rebuild myself and I’ve gone on to have some great ups.”

The true “Athlete” is back and he can taste it.

“I’m hungry again. I’m going to do everything in my power to get back on track. I am re-focused. I’m not going to fight for a long time, probably another two years and hopefully I’ll get to 50 fights, but most importantly I want to finish on a positive note.

“There’s nothing greater than being on top of your game. I want to perform well and have fights that I’m proud of like the fights I had against Demian Maia and Jason Lambert. Most importantly I want to fight well. That’s the No. 1 priority.”

Jason will be making his long awaited return to the MFC on September 25, 2009 at The River Cree Resort & Casino www.ticketmaster.ca 780.451.8000

MFC Ticket Hotline 780. 504.2024 www.maximumfighting.com Don't delay 14 straight Sell Outs.