Nick Penner prepped to expose ‘The Exorcist’ at MFC 24: 'Heat XC'

First light heavyweight test for high-rated prospect

Coming off a gusty win in his last outing, Nick "The Quiet Assassin" Penner will make his much-anticipated debut as a light heavyweight at MFC 24.

Penner (9-1) won’t get an easy assignment as a 205-pounder, however, when he meets Chris "The Exorcist" Price (15-3) on Friday, February 26 at the River Cree Resort and Casino, just outside Edmonton , Alberta . The bout, agreed to in principle, will be one of the main-card attractions underneath the main event of the evening featuring a clash between lightweight title contenders Hermes Franca and Per Eklund.

Penner has won six straight fights including his return to the organization when he topped Ryan Fortin in a rugged heavyweight tilt at MFC 23. Despite suffering a nasty cut over his eye, Penner retained his composure to ultimately pull off a rear-naked choke submission finish late in Round 2.

The Edmonton , Alberta , native could quickly become a serious threat in the light heavyweight ranks with his ample skills in both stand-up and on the ground. He has not lost since a narrow decision defeat to former MFC heavyweight title contender Jimmy Ambriz in April 2008.

Meanwhile, Price is on a tear of late as well, coming out on top in seven of his last eight fights with six of those wins coming in the first round. Price also has a well-balanced attack, claiming victory seven times by knockout and four by submission. The former U.S. Marine, who trains in Indianapolis , Indiana , holds a recent victory over veteran Ron Faircloth, coaxing a second-round tapout via triangle choke.

In addition to the light heavyweight bout, Derrick "The Eraser" Noble has tentatively been added to the MFC 24 card with his opponent expected to be finalized shortly.

Noble (24-12-1) will be out to reaffirm himself as a top contender for the MFC lightweight championship, a title he fell short of acquiring at MFC 20 when he dropped a hard-fought five-round decision to Antonio McKee.

The Illinois product found success at MFC 19, earning a second-round submission via guillotine choke over Ariel Sexton. Noble’s career has been spotted with impressive victories over such notables as MFC welterweight champ Pat Healy, Thiago Alves, Shonie Carter, and Jake Ellenberger.

The final list of matchups for MFC 24 will be completed soon.

MFC 24: Heat XC will be the first show that combines the rosters of the Maximum Fighting Championship and Heat XC, the two organizations under the umbrella of Pavelich Sports. It will also be the first fight card streamlined live on www.maximumfighting.com.

Tickets are going fast for MFC 24: Heat XC and are available via the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024 as well as Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca, charge-by-phone (780) 451-8000 and Ticketmaster outlets.