Chris Lee Byrne (4-1) was slated to face Drayton Angus in the middleweight main event of MFL Fight Island 1. Unfortunately, due to recent travel restrictions across Canada, that matchup is no longer happening.
Montreal Fight League was initially planning to transform into Mexican Fight League as MFL shifted its operations to Cancun, Mexico on Feb. 27th.
Byrne, 34, had been evaluating numerous fight opportunities across several weight classes before committing to the MFL contract.
"I've been searching for a fight for the past few months," Byrne told MMA Empire. "Once COVID hit, I had to scale back my training significantly. My gym is currently shut down due to the lockdown."
"I've been going at it solo from home. I reached out to BFL and Rise. Rise extended a title shot offer at heavyweight, but that's not where I want to be. I'm far too light for that division."
Following the MFL delay, Byrne of London, Ont. is turning his attention toward a potential Rise FC appearance in March. Details regarding weight class and opponent remain unspecified at this time.
Byrne has previously trained alongside fighters such as Joel Paquette and Chris Clements, though the pandemic has necessitated adjustments to his training approach—a shift shared by many athletes.
"My boxing coach, Steven Molitor, is well-known in the scene. I also train with Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor Josh Russell in Calgary. Chris Clements handles my head cornerman duties and coaches me in kickboxing and MMA," Byrne explained. "I always try to work with them. But with COVID and now the second lockdown, we're training together far less frequently."
"I'm still putting in regular sessions with my training partners Nate Ledger, Forrest Ayers, Seth Connor, and Rafael Palomeque. We keep pushing forward. The second lockdown is disrupting things though, so I've been seeing most of the crew less often. Right now, Nate and Forrest are the only ones I'm consistently training with."
As the current landscape has grown increasingly scattered, members of the Munda Jiu-Jitsu camp were expected to make their presence felt throughout what was once planned as the full MFL event card before those plans fell through.
"Forrest is putting together his game plan as well," Byrne explained. "He's locked into the MFL card and will step into the cage for his professional debut facing a fighter coming in undefeated at 3-0, competing in the 145-pound division. Then there's Skylar Synesael, my heavyweight teammate, sitting at 1-1 — he's set to take on Jeff Fuchs. Fuchs requested the matchup after his originally scheduled opponent bailed, and he got his wish."
"Our approach is going to be pure Munda Jiu-Jitsu energy — unfiltered and relentless. This is a boutique operation, so don't expect us to charter flights for our coaching staff or anything extravagant. The plan is simple: me, Skylar, and Forrest roll into the arena, get the job done, then head home where we'll handle each other's corner duties."
Looking ahead to his next bout and potentially taking on a management role in the future appear to offer Byrne some much-needed breathing room after a notoriously rough 2020.
"To be completely honest, 2020 was hands down the lowest point I've ever experienced," Byrne admitted. "I dealt with an overwhelming cascade of problems — personal struggles, family turmoil, relationship breakdowns, business complications, and health concerns. Nothing worked in my favor. A lot of things played out publicly for everyone to see."
"But as time moved forward, the pieces started falling into place. Things are looking up now, and 2021 has gotten off to a strong start. The positive developments keep rolling in, including outreach from MTK Global."
Byrne's Shoutouts
"I want to extend my gratitude to my sponsors Hempire London, Lost Soul Art Supply, LiveFit Foods, Flow X, King Faisal, Black Diamond Bar & Grill, Ram Specialized Logistics, Top Crew Barber Shop, The Solar Store, Kulture Canna, Royal Canadian Garden Supply, My team Munda Jiu-Jitsu. And of course Elisa's shout out I keep promising her." Follow Byrne on social media: FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM
You can check out my full conversation with Byrne right here.
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