The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

A16 The Canadian Champion, Tueaday, Aprît 17, 2007 I CY enjoys impressive debut in mixed martial arts Delivers third-round Iznockout in Michigan cage match By Steve LeBlanc CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF O ne lok at Craig Cyr and its bard to imagtne that be'd be fazed by anytbing. However, the 34-year old Milton native admits to baving a certain amount of appre- bension earlier this montb in Bay City, Michigan.. 0f course being locked insîde a cage is bound to, be at least a little unnerving for even the most confident and capable of figbters - especially one debuting in a new lorm ol combat alter an eight-year hiatus. -Somewbat, 1 guess," said the soft-spo- ken and stoic-looking mixed martial arts newcomer, wben asked about any butterflies associated with bis first battle in enclosed surroundings. "Its just not sometbing l'm used to.' Retumning to competition after nearly a decade - baving punctuated a bigbly-deco- rated kickboxing career with back-îo-back Florida State and North Eastern titles in the late '90s - there was some question as to Cyr's chances for a successful comeback. Not only was be switching to a new sport, 'l actually surpnsed myseif with how much stamina 1 had, especially having taken the fight on only three-and-a-half weeks notice." .......................... CamS CuS but was starting against a hometown favounite - Michigans Eric Stenson - with seven fights under bis beit, five of them vic- tories. the Cyclone - would soon lay any douhts to test, with a third-round knockout of' bis U.S. rival, courtesy of a thunderous lefi-righi combination to the head and subsequent rear roundhouse kick that put an explosive exclamation point on bis mixed martial arts debut. "It was great to win that hirst match," said the five-foot-nine-inch, I 60-pounder. "Once the bell rang 1 felt good in there. 1 actually surprised myself with how much stamina 1 had, especially having taken the fight on only three-and-a-half weeks notice.' Describing mixed martial arts as combat esee FIGHTER on page A18 =A" wuMuh \~1I?~~3~ j SI' s,-i~ t~ bf ý# Li 1