Despite recent reports emanating from various MMA websites, PRO MMA (promma.info) has learned that Dean Lister will not be fighting Travis Lutter at MFC 21 on May 15.
According to Lister (11-6), he will not be on the MFC 21 card at all and a source close to Lutter (9-5) also confirmed with PRO MMA (promma.info) that nothing was ever signed and Lutter did not expect the fight to happen.
The rumor of the fight seems to have first began after MFC President, Mark Pavelich, announced the match up on a popular internet MMA podcast, Carson’s Corner, then one site reported it and the copy and paste brigade began.
As many may remember, Dean Lister was released from the UFC after his decision loss to Yushin Okami at UFC 92 in December 2008. ‘The Boogeyman’ was the long time King of the Cage Middleweight Champion and was also highlited as Tito Ortiz’s grappling coach on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Lister’s grappling resume is nothing short of spectacular. He is a two time US National Sambo champion, the 2003 Abu Dhabi Champion in the Absolute division, a four time U.S. Machado National Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Champion, and winner of the National Gracie Jiu Jitsu Championships.
Travis Lutter was the middleweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 4: The Comeback. Following his win over Patrick Cote at the Finale, he went on to fight UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva in what was supposed to be a title fight at UFC 67, but Lutter did not make weight.
Although Lutter did look impressive early in the fight with Silva, he was defeated by submission in round two. His also lost his next fight which was against Rich Franklin at UFC 83 in April 2008.
The back-to-back losses combined with the fact of not making weight for a UFC title fight led to Lutter being released from the organization in April 2008.
MFC’s next event entitled ‘MFC 21: Hardknocks’ is set for May 15th at the River Cree Resortl & Casino in Edmonton, AB.