3 Title Fights Slated for MFC 40 ‘Crowned Kings’ on May 9 in Edmonton

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Three Maximum Fighting Championship titles will be up for grabs May 9 when the Canadian promotion hosts MFC 40 “Crowned Kings” at Shaw Convention Centre in Edmonton, Alberta.

Bantamweight champion Anthony Birchak and middleweight ruler Sam Alvey will put their respective titles on the line during the show’s AXS TV broadcast, while Tom Gallicchio and Kurt Southern will rematch over the vacant lightweight strap. Opponents for Birchak and Alvey are expected to be announced shortly.

Birchak became the MFC’s inaugural bantamweight champion this past October, when he submitted Tito Jones at MFC 38. The 27-year-old Arizonan has not lost since September 2011 and will ride a five-fight winning streak into his first title defense.

A Bellator veteran, Alvey joined the MFC following his stint on “The Ultimate Fighter 16” and immediately challenged for the organization’s middleweight belt, dropping a unanimous verdict to Elvis Mutapcic. However, “Smilin’ Sam” then rebounded with a victory over UFC vet Jay Silva and captured the vacant 185-pound title with a fifth-round knockout of Jason South this past October.

Gallicchio and Southern were supposed to scrap over the vacant lightweight title on Jan. 17, but the stakes were changed after Gallicchio missed weight. As a result, Gallicchio’s second-round submission victory at MFC 39 earned him no gold, and a rematch was immediately booked. Prior to his loss to Gallicchio, Southern had stumbled just once in his last six outings. The Canadian has finished 10 of his 13 victims inside the distance and has yet to be knocked out in 18 pro fights.