Lewiston, Maine (June 10, 2015) - New England ayalwa (NEF), America isibalo-one zesifunda fight ukukhuthazwa, izobamba exubile-karate-arts yayo lesificaminwembili (MMA) umcimbi, “NEF XVIII: EYENZIWE AMERICA,” lokhu ngoMgqibelo ebusuku, June 13, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine. Muva, headliners Bruce “Umfana Omuhle” Boyington (10-8), the NEF MMA Professional Esilula Champion, futhi John “Class First” Ray(2-7) wajoyina NEF co-umnikazi wabantu Math Peterson on a ekhethekile “Head-to-Head” edition of the NEF Podcast. Boyington and Raio discussed the upcoming rematch and the controversy surrounding their first meeting in February 2014, phakathi kwezinye izihloko.

The interview quickly turned to the top of the first fight. Raio appeared to apply a rear-naked choke to Boyington on the mat late in the first round. Boyington began waving his hand in the air and referee Jimmy Bickford quickly stepped in to stop the fight. Much has been made of the infamous “isandla wave.” While Bickford saw it as a sign of Boyington’s submission, Boyington encintisene ukuthi yena nje waqhweba abalandeli bakhe esixukwini ukuthi hold wenza noma yimuphi umonakalo.

“Ngingakutshela ukuthi busuku yaphela kanjani,” recalled Raio of the first bout. “Ngokuyinhloko, Bruce had given me his back. When I took his back, I had the hooks in and I had the rear-naked choke across his jaw line. I was trying to pressure it under his throat, futhi njengoba Ngathatha bicep yami lesencele nesandla sami kwesobunxele uya ngemuva ekhanda lakhe, the Ref wama ukulwa… Kwangimangaza ukuthi wayekade yasentabeni ngoba, ngokwethembeka, Ngangazi ukuthi kwakufanele eziningi ingcindezi umhlathi wakhe… Uma eqinisweni wayeseholela wendiza, ukuthi encela ngaye.”

“Kuleso simo, Ngiyakhumbula ngqo Bickford ongibukayo, Ngikhathazekile ukubhekana, uya for entanyeni yami futhi ngiyathuthuka wendiza,” Said Boyington. “Everybody uqala ebhongayo zangempela elikhulu futhi ngiyakhumbula Bickford wathi, 'Akukho Bruce, awukwazi ukusho ukuthi '… Uma ucabanga ukuthi ngithandana oletha noma Ngikhathazekile osenkingeni noma akakwazi ukuphefumula, you don’t tell the fighter, “Awukwazi ukusho ukuthi,” you just jump in and you stop the fight. I feel like he made a mistake. I feel like he realizes that… Ngibona izinto eziningi ezahlukene ukuthi uJohane uye wathi online, futhi izinto eziningi kwabanye abantu abaye bathi, and that’s when I really started to get bothered by what had happened. I felt like he could’ve handled it better.”

Ngaphambi Boyington adikibale emuva kwakhe, many felt he had been winning that first round. Ngempela, Boyington’s striking seemed to be on point that evening. Peterson asked both competitors to speculate on what would have happened had the referee not stopped the bout at that point.

“Nakanjani, Ngicabanga uJohane ubulokhu akhishwe,” stated Boyington emphatically. “Angicabangi I ngingowakho faka him, because that would be his best chance with me. He’s strong enough to defend a submission.”

“Ngicabanga uma Ref akazange ayeke ngesikhathi, lapho ngisendleleni umhlathi wakhe kanye ibhodi lemisindo yami mina wayezama ngemuva entanyeni yakhe,” Ray babecabanga, “I believe my arm would’ve slid under his throat and it would’ve ended sometime soon before the round. Ngakho, Angicabangi ukuthi bekungaba ofunde nxazonke wesibili.”

Ezinsukwini, amasonto nezinyanga ezilandela impi, both Boyington’s and Raio’s massive fan-followings have been very vocal on social media regarding the outcome of the bout. The heated debate has raged between both sides for well over a year now. With so much at stake for each side at “NEF XVIII,” bobabili abasubathi yayithinta lokho rematch kusho kubo, futhi lokho abakudingayo ukuze afakazele lokhu ngempelasonto ezayo.

“Ngeke nje ngikwazi ukuya khona futhi abashaya John,” Said Boyington. “Ngisho abalandeli bakhe siqu balindele ukuthi… Angikwazi nje ukuya khona on June 13thand beat John Raio. I gotta go in there and destroy him. Or I still lose out on this fight. Ngiyakwazi lokho, and I’m gonna go in there and make that statement. And I’m gonna do it with one arm, ngoba ezinye ingalo is hhayi ngisho besebenza okwamanje… I haven’t worried about this date from day one. It’s nothing to do with John Raio. I don’t disrespect the guy. I don’t not like the guy. He’s a good man. I’m just at another level. I need to show up and prove that. That’s what it is to me. It’s not about me beating John. It’s about me showing everybody where I belong.”

“Endzabeni Bruce aqeda kimi ngokushesha, futhi okwenza kube lula, hhayi ukukhathazeka ngempela mayelana nokulwa ngokweqile, Ngisanda kuwukungabi nanhlonipho like a lot of izinto yena wathi kimi, umndeni wami nabangane bami,” replied Raio. “Kunezikhathi ngemuva kokuthi kuqubuke impi wokugcina lapho abantu base ekubongeni kimi (ku-Facebook) and he’d go on like a one or two paragraph rant on every single comment everyone had put on my page for like three days straight. Ngakho, emva kwalokho ngathi 'Bruce mina akuzona ngempela abangane aphinde,’ so I deleted him. I liked him before that fight… kodwa lapho abantu abadelela kimi like anakho kunzima bathanda nsizwa.”

Ukuze ulalele NEF Podcast yaphelela, sicela uvakashelewww.NewEnglandFights.com/Podcasts/.

Ukuze ufunde kabanzi mayelana gym John Raio sika, sicela uvakashele “Okokuqala Class Fitness and MMA” ku-Facebook. Likewise, ukuze ufunde kabanzi mayelana Boyington sika Taekwondo Academy, sicela uvakashele iwebhusayithi yabowww.BoyingtonsTKDA.com.

Amathikithi for “NEF XVIII: EYENZIWE AMERICA” ukuqalisa nje $25 futhi ukudayiswa manje www.TheColisee.com noma ngokuthi Colisee ibhokisi ehhovisi ngesikhathi 207.783.2009 x 525. Ukuze uthole ukwaziswa okwengeziwe mcimbi fight updates ikhadi, sicela uvakashele iwebhusayithi ukukhuthazwa sika at www.NewEnglandFights.com. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ungakwazi watch NEF imiqophi at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, landela them on Twitternefights futhi ukuhamba neqembu Facebook esemthethweni "New England Ilwisana."

About New England ayalwa

New England ayalwa ("NEF") Yimpi izenzakalo ukukhushulwa inkampani. Mission NEF ukwakha esezingeni izenzakalo for fighters Maine kanye fans ngokufanayo. Executive team NEF has olutheni management combat ezemidlalo, izenzakalo production, ubudlelwane media, marketing, kwezomthetho kanye nokukhangisa.