Anthony Birchak defends bantamweight title vs. Kevin Croom at MFC 40

Anthony Birchak was awaiting his opponent the first defense of his Maximum Fighting Championship bantamweight title. Now he has one.

Birchak (11-1) will meet Kevin Croom (13-4) at “MFC 40: Crowned Kings” in two months. MFC officials recently announced Birchak’s challenger for the event.

MFC 40 takes place May 9 at the promotion’s regular home at Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The main card airs live on AXS TV and features two other title fights as middleweight champ Sam Alvey defends his title against an opponent still to be announced, and Tom Gallicchio rematches Kurt Southern for the vacant lightweight belt.

The bout order will again be determined by a fan vote. Fans can vote for their top matchup for the main event with the #PunchTheVote hashtag on social media.

Croom signed a multi-fight deal with MFC that starts with his title fight against Birchak. “The Hard Hitting Hillbilly” has won eight straight fights – and went 7-0 in 2013 with seven first-round stoppages. The Missourian has but four MMA losses – to Bellator vet Jose Vega; World Series of Fighting lightweight champ Justin Gaethje; and UFC vets Ramiro Hernandez and Yaotzin Meza.

“I’m just a guy from a lower-middle class family from Missouri, so being the MFC champion would mean the world to me,” Croom stated. “It would be the coolest thing to ever happen in my life. I feel unbreakable. The biggest thing is I know is that I won’t beat myself. At this level in this sport, everyone is a gifted athlete – so it really becomes more of a mental game. Right now, I have my mental game plan at 100 percent.”

Birchak, MFC’s first bantamweight champion, is on a five-fight winning streak, including two wins under the MFC banner. He won his promotional debut with a decision over Ryan Benoit this past May. And in October at MFC 38, he stopped Tito Jones in the second-round with a rear-naked choke to win the bantamweight belt. The first time MFC ran its Punch the Vote campaign, Birchak found himself in the MFC 38 main event. Nine of his 11 career wins have come by stoppage, with six by submission.

There is one caveat to Croom’s title shot. He first has to get out of a fight against Bryan Goldsby unscathed at Titan FC 27 on Feb. 28, a bout that already was scheduled.

For the latest on MFC 40, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Anthony Birchak)