Craig Shintani's wait for a title shot has finally reached its moment.
The Sherwood Park native, Shintani (7-2), steps into the Octagon against Kelowna's Chris Day (5-5) to compete for the XFFC interim featherweight championship at XFFC 21 this Friday evening in Grande Prairie, Alta. The victor will earn the next opportunity to challenge reigning featherweight champion Tom O'Connor.
Shintani has endured a frustrating layoff, absent from competition since 2017. Originally slated to challenge O'Connor for the XFFC featherweight title in December, the bout fell through after O'Connor withdrew due to injury. Shintani then signed on to face Clay Dixon for the vacant Unified MMA featherweight title, only for Dixon to bolt from the venue moments before the fight began.
"Things haven't been easy lately. It's been a struggle, honestly," Shintani said.
"When bad things happen, they keep happening. But hopefully we can change that with Chris. I just hope he shows up and everything works out as planned so we can finally get a fight on."
The 27-year-old was initially booked to face O'Connor on Friday night before another injury sidelined the champion, raising questions about whether Shintani's run of misfortune would persist.
Then came Day.
Shintani expressed genuine appreciation for Day agreeing to step in on such short notice, saying he holds nothing but admiration for him.
"I'll personally thank Chris when I see him. Darren Cliffe put in serious work to make this happen—he reached out to seven or ten fighters, and most either declined or didn't answer. Chris was the sole person who said yes," Shintani explained.
"I'm grateful just to get back in there. I'm not going to be picky about who I face, where the fight takes place, or when it happens. With Chris coming in on short notice, I respect him immensely."
While preparing for his original bout against O'Connor, Shintani and his corner reviewed extensive footage from his last outing—curiously, a fight against Day himself. Once Day was officially announced as his new opponent, Shintani said the preparation simply involved flipping the perspective of that existing fight footage.
Shintani is confident his camp has designed a strategy that will secure the victory—and potentially bring the fight to an early conclusion.
"Our game plan is solid, focused on the most effective path to victory. I expect it to end via stoppage in the late first or second round," he predicted.
"Of course, we're ready for all three rounds as well. Chris is a durable fighter who doesn't give up, so taking him out won't be straightforward."
Day Isn't Worried About Shintani's Power
Though Shintani has demonstrated notable knockout ability—with three of his victories arriving via strikes—Day, 29, isn't letting it factor into his mindset.
He says he hasn't adjusted any part of his training to specifically counter Shintani's striking, emphasizing instead that execution of his own game plan is what matters.
"Just business as usual for me. I train with some very heavy hitters myself," Day noted.
"If I stick to my game plan and fight intelligently, I believe I'll come out on top against anyone."
Before committing to the Shintani bout, Day dedicated two months to training camps across Thailand, spending time at AKA Thailand and Phuket Top Team.
He described the experience as transformative and believes he's returned home as a stronger fighter.
"It was incredible. A massive opportunity for me," Day said.
"I feel like I've grown significantly since being there. The amount of high-level competition you're exposed to—Thailand truly is the fighting capital of the world."
Day arrives at this fight coming off two defeats—to O'Connor at XFFC 18 and to Denys Zelenskyi at Saturday Night Fights 13.
He says he's desperate for a victory, one that would also pave the way for a title rematch with O'Connor.
"I fully expect to walk away with the win, no doubt about it. I've been training hard for the past three months," Day declared.
"This fight could go the distance, or it could end quickly. Either way, I'm just going to execute my game plan, fight smart, enjoy the moment, and grab that title."
Shintani's Acknowledgements
"I owe thanks to Chris for accepting this bout and to Darren for putting it together. I also appreciate Clinch Fight Shop, Pierce McAllister, my coaches and everyone at Kingdom MMA, my wonderful fiancée, and everyone who's stood behind me."
Day's Acknowledgements
"I want to thank my entire Toshido MMA crew, plus my sponsors A Alimonti's Plastering & Stucco, Doctor Coughee, and Little Creek Grill."
