Prospect facing veteran in welterweight clash at Supremacy
A young gun on the rise will meet a grizzled veteran determined to protect his legacy in an exciting welterweight matchup signed by the Maximum Fighting Championship for MFC 28: Supremacy.
Promising hot prospect Sheldon Westcott (4-1) of Edmonton, Alberta, will take on eclectic warrior Thomas “Wildman” Denny (27-18), who now fights out of Centennial, Colorado, in a featured bout on the main card that will air live on HDNet Fights on Friday, Feb. 25.
Both fighters have already started a heated war of words via social media outlets. The rivalry began with Westcott, who just signed a multi-fight deal with the MFC, calling out Denny, a fighter with 11 years’ experience in mixed martial arts. With the agreement sealed, more verbal fireworks were set off.
“I’ve wanted this fight for three years,” explained Westcott. “His experience is absolutely not intimidating. In fact, it’s going to make me train even harder. I want to beat him faster than (Nick) Diaz did, faster than Georges St. Pierre did. I’m putting an extremely big emphasis on that.”
Denny didn’t hesitate for moment in shooting back.
“I think the kid’s bit off more than he can chew,” said Denny, who also inked a multi-fight contract with the MFC.
“I posted on his Facebook page that his dream to fight me has come true. But he should be careful what he wishes for. His dream just might end up being a nightmare.”
Denny has won five of his last eight fights, and has career totals of six knockouts and 16 submissions. The California native has been one of the sport’s most colorful ambassadors since the start of his career. Of late, Denny became recognized for a stint on the MTV reality series “Bully Beatdown,” but inside MMA circles he is well-regarded for the vast array of notable names on his fighting resume including clashes with Pat Miletich, Joe Stevenson, John Alessio, Duane Ludwig, and Yves Edwards.
The 39-year-old is eager to meet Westcott in his own home town, something he has frequently done against opposition throughout his career. This time, however, Denny has more than ample time to prepare unlike previous bouts that he’s taken on short notice.
“They all say they want to stand and bang with me but then they get hit twice in the face and they want to go to the ground,” noted Denny. “That’s fine too. I’m not too shabby with my wrestling and submissions so Westcott better be careful. I might just put him in his own game and submit him.”
The fight with Denny marks Westcott’s return to the MFC organization. He previously earned a first-round submission win over Jeff Kilisolsky at MFC 18, and added a first-round TKO victory over Kyle Millberry in the inaugural Heat XC event. Already sporting a solid ground game, the powerfully built Westcott went to the Netherlands to work on his stand-up skills alongside well-regarded striker Melvin Manhoef.
“This is easily the biggest fight of my career … it’s only thing that matters right now,” said Westcott.
The main card for MFC 28: Supremacy now includes:
Light-heavyweight title – Dwayne Lewis vs. Ryan Jimmo
Lightweight – Kajan Johnson vs. Richie Whitson
Light-heavyweight – Razak Al-Hassan vs. Rodney Wallace
Welterweight – Thomas Denny vs. Sheldon Westcott
Two additional fights for the main card, plus a three-fight undercard, will be announced shortly. VIP, Row 1, and Row 2 tickets are now available by calling the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024. Remaining tickets will be on sale soon via Ticketmaster.