Anthony Birchak, the Adopted Mexican Son of Edmonton, Looks to Win MFC Bantamweight Belt

Arizona bantamweight Anthony Birchak took many things from his MFC debut this past May, both positive and negative.

“I think that fight was a culmination of things; good, bad, kind of sloppy, but energetic and high-paced at the same time,” Birchak said of his unanimous decision victory over Ryan Benoit.

“Every time I look back at it, I try to see where I could have made better decisions. I think when I was on top of Ryan I was trying to do too much at once, instead of being more calculated and patient.”

Birchak says what he lacked in May will be a strong point when he returns to the cage on Friday night.

“That’s something you’re going to see more of this time at MFC 38; a more elegant style, still with that same aggressiveness and tenacity,” he told MMAWeekly.com.

While his performance could have used some work, one thing didn’t disappoint Birchak’s reception by the fans north of the border.

“I said I wanted to be the adopted Mexican son of Edmonton and they embraced me with open arms, cheered for me and had a lot of good, positive energy for me,” said Birchak. “It made me felt like I was fighting here in Tucson (Arizona) in front of a hometown crowd.”

When Birchak (10-1) returns to Edmonton this Friday, he’ll be doing so for the MFC bantamweight title against veteran Tito Jones (10-6).

“Tito’s a seasoned guy who has been around a while who has fought some decent competition; but he’s 0-3 against (what I consider) tough competition; and I believe I’m just that, tough competition, here to ruin another spot on his record,” said Birchak.

“I think he’s got outstanding counter-boxing, who covers a lot of ground and creates a lot of space that causes his opponents to over-commit to certain situations, where he capitalizes. For me, I just need to stick to my guns and use smart pressure and know when to commit and not to commit.”

With multiple family members having won various championships in a multitude of sports and his own shortcomings motivating him, Birchack’s desire to win the MFC bantamweight title is more than just mere trophy hunting.

“I was supposed to be a four-time state champion wrestler, but girls and partying were too much for me and I didn’t work as hard as I should have,” he said. “I was a three-time state medalist, but I could have done a lot better, and not winning my state title here in Arizona left a bad taste in my mouth.

“Now I’m on an international scene and I’m fighting for a major title. I’m thrilled, ecstatic, and there’s a whole lot more adjectives I could use to explain my excitement. Winning this title means the world to me.”

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