Spencer (photo via maximumfighting.com)

By Kelsey Mowatt

Graham Spencer won’t be stepping into the Maximum Fighting Championship’s ring until after this summer, but when the featherweight champ books his next bout, Team Alpha Male will help him prepare.

Spencer, who continues to recover from shoulder surgery he underwent last year, recently told Full Contact Fighter that he hopes to fight again in October. While the 10-1 fighter still has plenty of training options in his hometown of Nanaimo, at least some of his camp will be spent in Sacramento, California.

“I might do a little bit shorter this camp just for financial reasons. I might just go for a month or so,” Spencer relayed on Full Contact Fighter Radio recently, when asked if he plans to return to Team Alpha Male for his next training camp. “Just go get some good sparring in before my fight, but I’ve got some good, young guys up here that are really hungry and talented guys that I can train with and get good sparring with…”

Spencer became one of Canada’s top featherweights by developing his skills with Impact MMA, and now Nanaimo is also home to BJJ black belt Rob Biernacki.

“Yup, Impact (MMA) and there’s a new BJJ black belt who moved to town,” furthered Spencer, when asked if he will continue to train with the Nanaimo’s Impact MMA team. “He used to train at American Top Team, and he started a new jiu-jitsu club, Island Top Team, and there’s some really good guys there. He’s (Biernacki) an awesome instructor.”

“He’s done MMA before; he’s trained a bunch but only had the one fight, but he’s a really good coach and he’s been helping me out a lot, especially when I’ve been injured and haven’t been able to go 100%,” Spencer furthered about Biernacki, who received his black belt from UFC vet Charles McCarthy. “We’ve been working a lot on technique and that kind of stuff. I’ve actually been training in the gi for the first time in the last few months.”

Spencer (photo via reignarmy.com)

When Spencer returns to Team Alpha Male, the gym’s head coach will no longer be Duane Ludwig, who recently announced he’s returning to his native Colorado. Ludwig’s decision to leave the squad surprised many throughout the MMA world, due to the success Team Alpha Male has enjoyed under the renowned striker’s guidance.

“I actually helped Duane move into his house when he first got to Sacramento,” noted Spencer, who hasn’t fought since last February, when he submitted Mukai Maromo to become the MFC lightweight champion. “I was little surprised; you know, he’s been doing really well there, but at the same time he’s been doing tons of seminars and building his own brand.”

“Now would probably be the ideal time for him to capitalize on that,” added Spencer, who never had any intention of remaining at 155, and vacated the lightweight title last year. “If he wants to go out on his own, build his own brand, and I know he really wanted to move back to Colorado eventually, so he might as well do it when he’s hot.”

You can read more about Spencer’s shoulder injury and ongoing recovery by heading here.

The MFC’s next card is scheduled for May 9th in Edmonton, Alberta, and will feature Tom Gallicchio versus Kurt Southern to determine the promotion’s lightweight champion.