Tam sim TSO TAWM: Lewiston, Maine (Kaum Ib Hlis Ntuj 30, 2017) - Tshiab England Fights (NEF) rov qab los rau Lewiston rauSaturday, Lub ob hlis ntuj 3, 2018 nrog rau cov kev sib ntaus qib tom ntej mixed-martial-kev kawm cov kev tshwm sim, “NEF 32: Super Saturday.” Nyuam qhuav pib hnub no, NEF announced the addition of an amateur middleweight bout to the card. Josh Jones (2-2) yog teem kom tau raws li Mark Gardner (1-0) ntawm ib tug sib ntaus luj ntawm 185-phaus.
Josh Jones’ rise to the top of the NEF middleweight division in 2017 was nothing short of meteoric. A former basketball star at Erskine Academy in South China, Maine and draftee of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Developmental League, Jones has honed his craft in the martial arts at First Class MMA of Brunswick. It took him a mere 24-seconds combined to knock out his first two opponents this past year. Jones’ four-second knockout of Anthony Spires (0-3) went viral worldwide and was featured on major websites like Bleacher Report. After back-to-back losses to finish the year, Jones is looking to rebound with a win to open 2018.
“I am very honored and blessed to have the opportunity to compete against Mark,” said Jones. “Mark has shown to be an awesome competitor. I look forward to the challenge on February 3rd. As an MMA fighter and competitor, it is always a privilege to step into the cage and perform under the lights for New England Fights.”
Mark Gardner made his debut in the NEF cage earlier this month in Portland. Gardner faced another up-and-coming middleweight in the form of Carlton Charles (1-1). Lub caij sov tas los, it was Charles who handed Josh Jones his first loss. Gardner impressed many in attendance with his gutsy performance against Charles. He had an answer for everything Charles threw at him early in the fight, dispatching Charles in the second round by technical knockout. For those who have followed Maine combat sports for some time, Gardner’s toughness comes as no surprise. His gritty, workmanlike style has been the hallmark of his team, the Academy of MMA in Portland, for many years.
“I’m excited to get back in the cage for my next fight,” declared Gardner. “I learned a lot from my first fight and have been working on my technique. I can’t say much about my opponent, I don’t really know anything about him – I just fight who my coach tells me to fight.”
NEF tus tom ntej mixed-martial-kev kawm cov kev tshwm sim, “NEF 32: Super Saturday,” yuav pom lub tuam txhab ua nws rov qab mus rau lub Androscoggin Bank Colisee nyob rau hauv Lewiston, Maine. The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Lub ob hlis ntuj 3, 2018. Tickets are on-sale now online atwww.TheColisee.com.