Everything from bragging rights to a world title will be on the line when the Maximum Fighting Championship brings MFC 12 – High Stakes to Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre on Friday, June 12. MFC 12 – High Stakes, presented in part by the River Cree Resort and Casino, will be a night when fortunes are won and lost, when prestige and pride are risk, and when heart and determination are teamed with power and talent.

"Our sport has grown so much in the last two years and we are so proud to be the front-runners for it Canada," said Mark Pavelich, Owner/President of the Maximum Fighting Championship.

"High Stakes will be the biggest and best ever fight card we've presented to our great fans. We have proven to everyone before that we bring the most exciting, action-packed fights to our ring and we will do it again."

In the main event, undefeated Hawaiian sensation and Pro Camp Sports Management fighter Scott “Punk Haole” Junk will tangle with dynamic veteran Wade “Nightmare” Shipp for the MFC heavyweight title. Junk continued his ascent in the heavyweight ranks with a dominating performance and TKO win over Vancouver’s Dominic Richard at MFC’s Unplugged 3 back in April.

That fight was Junk’s first away from his home on the Islands but the six-foot-one, 265-pounder made an immediate impression on the mainland with ballistic raw power in an old-fashioned rumble with Richard.

Shipp, who fights out of San Diego, is also on a solid streak having won his last four fights – three by submission plus a 31-second TKO. The six-foot-three, 240-pounder definitely has the intent of coming to High Stakes to spoil Junk’s championship party.

High Stakes will feature a colossal clash in the light heavyweight ranks. Defending Canadian soil will be Roger “The Hulk” Hollett, the carved-out-of-granite powerhouse who flexed his incredible knockout capabilities at MFC 11 – Gridiron with a frightening finish to a bout with Edmonton Eskimos fullback Mike “The Wolverine” Maurer.

Hollett, who fights out of Team Titan in Halifax, goes up against American Top Team invader Tommy Lawlor.

One of featured bouts at High Stakes marks the return of the MFC light heavyweight champion Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki. But this is no ordinary return for the two-time UFC competitor and reigning MFC champ.

After many months of bitter words and bad blood, Valimaki will meet longtime nemesis Marcus Hicks. Valimaki has his reputation as Canada’s premier 205-pounder at stake while for Hicks, who has called out Valimaki time and time again, it’s simply time to put up or shut up.

Another featured bout for High Stakes is a welterweight showdown between the nation’s top up-and-coming young gun Ryan “The Kid” McGillivray and the always gritty and game “Cowboy” Graydon Tannas. McGillivray is a perfect 4-0 with all four victories by way of slick submissions – showcasing a few of the tricks he’s learned from his Pro Camp Sports Management teammate UFC star Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald.

And in what is sure to be a highlight of fight night, Brazilian ju-jitsu phenom Fabio “The Mastermind” Holanda will go up against Sean Krysa.

Holanda, who coaches MFC middleweight champion and “The Ultimate Fighter” star Patrick Cote, knows every trick in the book when it comes to stylish submissions, but the Montrealer will have his hands full against Krysa, a native of Georgetown, Ont., who is already among the elite lightweights in Canada.

The remainder of the 10-fight card with standouts like Sean Wright and Josh Kyrejto will be announced soon. Tickets for MFC 12 - High Stakes are available now at the MFC Ticket Hotline (780) 504-2024, at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.ca and charge-by-phone (780) 451-8000.