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News and Notes from Canadian MMA By Kelsey Mowatt Macdonald Speaks Out After Loss to Starnes Jason Macdonald is remaining upbeat and confident in the face of his recent loss to Kalib Starnes at the National Fighting Challenge on November 25. Macdonald took the fight on several days notice after Starnes' scheduled opponent Dennis Hallman, was unable to compete due to a groin injury. Macdonald, who recently defeated Joe Doerksen in October, raised some eyebrows initially when he agreed to face the undefeated Starnes so close to consideration time for The Ultimate Fighter 3. "Well, anytime you take a fight on short notice you always wonder if you could have been better prepared," Macdonald told FCF. Physically, I was not tired during the fight, but he did feel much stronger than me. I'm not sure time could have done anything to change that. I was very busy the weeks prior to the fight. I was teaching a course in Edmonton for work and I was putting in really long days and not really thinking much about fighting. I usually take six weeks to prepare for fights and over that time I get mentally focused and really develop my game plan. That was obviously not possible this time. Mentally, I could have been a lot better prepared. Kalib was a well kept secret and I did not really know what to expect. Kalib was a lot more skilled than I had expected." The fight was the main event at the NFC, and compensated Macdonald well financially in light of the short notice. The loss brings Macdonald's record to 12-6, leaving his chances of making it onto the reality series up in the air. "I'm a fighter and my job is to fight," MacDonald says of his choice. "I see the fight as an opportunity to do what I love doing, which is competing and a chance to collect a good payday. It is a minor setback for me, but I will be back in the ring soon to get things back on track." Ryan "The Lion" Diaz Ready for Championship Bout Team Gibson fighter, Ryan "The Lion" Diaz, continues to prepare for his upcoming 145-pound King of the Cage, Canadian Championship title fight this Saturday, December 3rd in Calgary, Alberta. Diaz will take on Thierry Quenneville for the second time in just over a year, as Diaz came away with the victory in their first encounter at TKO 17: Revenge last September by triangle choke. "I beat him before yes. That doesn't mean anything." Diaz admits. "Each fight is different and both of us are different fighters. I've heard that he has improved his game a lot, but don't forget I've improved my game a lot as well." Diaz is coming off a recently failed attempt to wrest the TKO Super Lightweight Championship from Mark Hominick at TKO 22 and comes into the event with a record of 11-9. Quenneville has won four of five fights since facing Diaz in 2004, and holds a record of 9-3. The title fight this Saturday could be a crucial key in both men's careers and Diaz knows it. "He will approach a rematch with me with a hungry attitude. He wants to win since I beat him before" says Diaz. "What no one knows is that I'm even hungrier after my loss to Mark Hominick. I want to be the best and if he is in my way, then my will to win will be much greater than his." Here is the rest of Saturday's King of the Cage Card to be held at the Stampede Corral in Calgary, Alberta, Saturday, December 3rd:
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