Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford to Fight Nabil “The Thrill” Khatib at Raw Combat

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Calgary, AB, Canada - Mixed martial arts fighter Ryan Ford (6-1-0) is known as "The Real Deal" for a good reason. Although he's only been competing in MMA for less than two years, the 26-year-old fighter from Edmonton, Alberta has amassed an army of fans in his hometown, going undefeated in five matches to become one of the most popular fighters in the Maximum Fighting Championships.

With UFC veterans Pete Spratt and C.J. Fernandes among his victims, Ford has faced some of the top competition in the 170-pound division. October 25th at the Calgary Corral in Calgary, Alberta, he will seek to add another talented fighter to his win column when he takes on Nabil "The Thrill" Khatib (8-3-0) at Raw Combat.

According to Raw Combat president Dave Houshiar, the match came from a friendly discussion with MFC president Mark Pavelich. "Ford is the superstar of the Maximum Fighting Championships," he explains. "Mark and I get along pretty well, so when he  said 'Do you want to use Ford?', I said ''I'd love to.'"

With the bout agreement signed, Houshiar says Calgary fans are in for an exciting welterweight match. "Ryan is going to go out there and start swinging. He's a go-getter. I figured the only person who I could put up with him is Nabil Khatib. I'm telling you it's going to be exciting. Ryan is so explosive, but Nabil never quits. You try to pick the winner on that one."

While Houshiar isn't sure who will walk away with the win, Ford is certain he has the tools to dismantle Khatib in the Raw Combat cage. "I don't see it matching up well for him," he explains. "I saw his last fight and there was no aggression. I like to push the pace. I throw lots of hard punches. I like to slam. I have a rear naked choke that usually works, so I think I'm going to bring a lot to the table."

Coming off a choke submission loss to 170-pound champion Dan Hornbuckle at the last Raw Combat event, Khatib says his last performance is not indicative of his real abilities.

"He was smart. He didn't want to stand with me. He touched gloves and threw a flying knee," he says. "I was the one who took him to the ground. I was on top but he ended up taking my back. He was relentless with the choke and he kept going until he got it. He beat me straight up."

Facing "The Real Deal", Khatib says he's expecting a better performance from himself. "Ford doesn't have the grappling Hornbuckle has," he comments. "From what I've seen, he's basically a takedown artist with some ground and pound. I think he's going to try to take me down. Of course, I will try to defend the takedown and try to keep it standing. If that doesn't work, I'll try to take him down and see how he likes to be taken down."

With three wins by knockout and three submission victories, Ford doesn't label himself as either a striker or a grappler. "My style is just my own style," he says. "I'm just a guy that people want to come watch because I make sure it's an exciting show."

While Khatib, 39, is also looking forward to an exciting fight, he isn't overlooking the importance of winning. "I'm more near the end of my career," he explains. "I haven't reached the goals that I've wanted yet, while he has plenty of time to reach whatever goals he wants."

And what is Ford's goal? "I want to be the best in the world," he replies, "and to be the best in the world, I have to fight whoever is put in front of me and beat them."

Although Khatib is 13-years his senior, the young warrior from the MFC isn't taking the match lightly. Training with UFC veterans Jason "The Athlete" Macdonald and Victor "The Matrix" Valimaki, he says he'll be more prepared than ever come October 25th.

But "The Thrill" isn't backing down from the challenge. "I may be a little bit older," he says, "but i have a lot left in me."