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Category Archives: mixed martial arts
History making WMMAA Pan-American Championship Oct. 7-9 in Santiago, Chile
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PRO WOMEN’S BOUT HAS ALL THE MAKINGS OF A FIGHT OF THE NIGHT CONTENDER AT NEF 25
Lewiston, Maine (August 17, 2016) – For the second time in New England Fights (NEF) history, a professional women’s mixed-martial-arts (MMA) bout will take to the fight promotion’s cage. OnSeptember 10, 2016 when NEF returns to Lewiston with its next event, “NEF 25: HEROES & VILLAINS,” the professional portion of the MMA card will feature a women’s flyweight bout between Sarah “SwitchKick” Click (0-1) and Valerie “Valociraptor” Aspaas (0-0). Click and Aspaas will look to continue the recent tradition of women’s fights taking “Fight of the Night” honors at NEF events. Judging from the extensive martial arts backgrounds of both competitors, the fight could very well do just that.
Sarah Click made her initial foray into the martial arts world at just eight-years-old when she began training in Taekwondo. Now a sergeant in the United States Army, Click began competing in MMA in 2014 after returning from a tour of Afghanistan. Over the course of her amateur career, Click captured several regional titles throughout New England and New York. She made her professional debut for national promotion Invicta last spring. Click is a member of Team Juniko of Hyannis, Massachusetts.
“I’m really excited for the opportunity to fight at one of New England’s best promotions,” said Click of NEF. “They are doing big things for fighters, and they are coming off one of their best shows to date. Valerie has fought some of the best 125 talent, going the distance with KGB and Kaitlyn Chookagain. I’m going to do what I do best and bring a war that you won’t want to miss!”
Like her opponent, Valerie Aspaas got her start in martial arts at a young age, training in Isshin-Ryu Karate. She currently holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). In 2014, Aspaas won the Buffalo, New York version of the Golden Gloves. She made her NEF debut at “NEF IX” in Biddeford, Maine, defeating Maria Rios (2-3) via unanimous decision. The fight was a brutal bloodbath that had the capacity crowd on the edge of its collective seat for the duration. Aspaas will enter the professional ranks at “NEF 25.”
“My professional debut has been a long time coming, and I am honored to have the opportunity to do it under NEF,” said Aspaas when reached for comment. “I fought for them a few years back, and I believe that the promotion and the people of Maine remember the bloody, exciting battle I fought against Maria Rios. They should expect to see more of the same ferocity and grit from a more evolved version of the Valociraptor when I step back into the cage on September 10th.”
New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 25: HEROES & VILLAINS,” takes place on Saturday, September 10, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525.
For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”
RIZIN FF ANNOUNCES MATCHUPS FOR THREE STAR-STUDDED WOMEN’S MMA BOUTS AT GRAND PRIX EVENT IN TOKYO, SEPTEMBER 25
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DENNING INKS NEW NEF DEAL; WILL FACE TRAHAN AT NEF 25
Lewiston, Maine (August 15, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to Lewiston on September 10, 2016 with the fight promotion’s next event, “NEF 25: HEROES & VILLAINS.” Earlier today, NEF executives announced the re-signing of Lewiston featherweight mixed-martial-artist Matt “Ken Doll” Denning (3-3) to a new developmental deal. The first fight of the deal will see Denning face Taylor Trahan (5-6) on the main card of “NEF 25.”
“I’m excited to have signed another contract with NEF,” said Denning. “I was planning on retiring, but I still have too much fight left in me. I haven’t been doing great record-wise, but if people have seen the opponents I have faced and the performances I put on, they know I’m evolving.”
Denning, a member of Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ), has had eleven of his thirteen combined amateur and professional fights in the NEF MMA cage. He signed his first developmental deal with the promotion in the fall of 2014. Denning got off to a 2-0 start as a pro before dropping three of his next four. He says that his new focus will be on improving his abilities through tough fights rather than trying to pad his record.
“I’m excited to fight Taylor Trahan. He’s a tough, tough fight, but I wanted it. I need the motivation to get back in prime shape like I was when I fought Jeremy Tyler and made my pro debut against Derek Shorey. I’m over records. I’m done with everyone’s opinions. I talked to my coaches and team and I’m going to fight tough guys and do my best to beat them and get better. When I am finally done fighting, I want people to remember that I fought extremely tough opponents and did very well. Thanks to Matt and Nick for asking for me back. I plan on putting on a great show come September 10th. Who knows–maybe the NEF fans will see me in the boxing ring soon! Oss.”
Looking at the length of his career, it is hard to believe Taylor Trahan is only 25-years-old. The native of Littleton, New Hampshire, and current resident of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, made his amateur MMA debut back in 2009, shortly after his 18th birthday. Seven years and 26 fights later, Trahan is recognized as one of the most prolific competitors in all of New England MMA. While he has fought in every corner of the region, Trahan has yet to step into the NEF MMA cage. He predicts that he and Denning will put on an exciting, fight-of-the-night performance in his NEF debut.
“I’m looking forward to being a part of NEF 25,” said Trahan. “NEF always puts on a great show. I’ll be fighting Matt ‘Ken Doll’ Denning. He’s a game opponent, but I see holes in his game that I’ll be looking to exploit. I predict the fight having a lot of fireworks and being fight of the night.”
New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 25: HEROES & VILLAINS,” takes place on Saturday, September 10, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525.
Kazakhstan dominates World MMA Association 2016 Asian Championships
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LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT SLUGFEST SCHEDULED FOR NEF BOXING RING
Lewiston, Maine (August 12, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to Lewiston on September 10, 2016 with the fight promotion’s next event, “NEF 25: HEROES & VILLAINS.” The fight card will feature both mixed-martial-arts and professional boxing bouts. Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the first pro boxing bout signed for the event. Brandon Montella (4-0, 3 KOs) will take on Tollison Lewis (2-1, 1 KO) in a four-round light-heavyweight contest.
Montella graduated from Carrabec High School in North Anson, Maine in 1998. Soon after, Montella joined the United States Marine Corps (USMC). He served in the marines until 2003 when he received an honorable discharge. After spending the better part of a decade in Virginia, Montella moved with his wife to the Boston, Massachusetts area in 2011. He owns and operates The Way, LLC boxing gym in Woburn, Massachusetts. Montella has been on a tear in the boxing ring of late, scoring three knockouts in an eight-month period.
Tollison Lewis cut his teeth in the NEF MMA cage. He has found more success, however, in the boxing ring. Lewis took a fight on one day’s notice against veteran John Webster (8-7-1, 6 KOs) in the fall of 2014. He would dominate that fight and win by decision. Lewis followed up that performance with a stoppage of Zenon Herrera (0-2) last year, earning himself a crack at Brandon Berry’s (11-2-1, 7 KOs) Northeast Junior Welterweight Title earlier in 2016. Lewis predicts nothing short of an all-out slugfest with Montella on September 10.
“I’m expecting a battle,” said Lewis. “I know I’ll be prepared for one. Expect a war! I’m not going to talk about it – I’m going to show it, and losing isn’t an option.”
New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 25: HEROES & VILLAINS,” takes place on Saturday, September 10, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at207.783.2009 x 525.
For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”
M-1 Global continues worldwide expansion
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SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (August 11, 2016) – In nearly 20 years since its founding, M-1 Global has promoted 215 events, including more than 2,000 matches, in 17 different countries on three continents.
M-1 Global’s homeland of Russia has hosted, of course, the most events with 128. Followed by Yuri Fuuta-led Belarus, which in only five years (2010 to 2014) has presented 29 competitions, and Ukraine, led by Dmitry Khristyuk, with 20.
While the three leading hosts of M-1 events are former Soviet Union-bloc nations, the fourth leading host in the MMA World is the United States with 10: 8 independent, M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Breakthrough, which showcased a rising star at that time, “King“ Mo Lawal, versus Mark Kerr in the main event, as well as two super shows in partnership with Affliction, in which Fedor Emelianenko crushed former UFC champions Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski.
In the 2009-2010 era of team World Cup and M-1 Challenge, the most widely traveled around the world, included events held in the Netherlands (5 Teams), Japan (4 Teams), Finland (2 events), along with one-time events in Brazil, England, Spain, Bulgaria and Germany. Representing their country’s national teams in these competitions were the likes of UFC and Bellator fighters such as Gegard Mousasi, Stefan Struve, JakeEllenberger, Karl Amossou, Gu Hyun Lim, Christian M`Pumbu, Mikhail Zayats,Dave Jansen, Hakran Diaz, Daniel Weichel and Niko Puhakka, the future winner of Grand Prix KSW.
M-1 Global’s recent history in Georgia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan added to its collection of diverse location events, plus an unprecedented event in China for any MMA organization, the inaugural show, “Battle in Heaven,” was held in Beijing, followed by the Chhendu stage of the tournament, “Road to M-1”. Also, the “Road to M-1” project was a trial for M-1 Global’s move into Germany.
Seventeen countries have hosted M-1 Global events as the Russia-based organization continues to expand its borders. Future M-1 Global plans include hosting events in the UAE, Indonesia and Monaco.
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BELLATOR 93 REMATCH TO FEATURE PROMINENTLY ON NEF 25 FIGHT CARD
Lewiston, Maine (August 11, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to Lewiston on September 10, 2016 with the fight promotion’s next event, “NEF 25: HEROES & VILLAINS.” NEF executives announced earlier today that Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (7-5) and Jon Lemke (5-6) will square off for the second time in their respective careers. Lemke won the first meeting at NEF’s co-promotion with Bellator, “Bellator 93,” in the spring of 2013. The bout will take place in the 155-pound lightweight division.
Originally scheduled to take place earlier this month at “NEF Presents Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight” in Bangor, Erickson-Lemke II was postponed when Erickson suffered an injury in training. Devin Powell (8-1) stepped in to replace Erickson in the bout. While he was stopped late in the first round, Lemke put on a valiant performance, shattering Powell’s nose in the process. Lemke hopes to get back on the winning track at “NEF 25.”
“My last couple of performances have been a bit disappointing for me as a fighter, so I wanted to fight again as soon as possible and figure this out,” said Lemke. “I am incredibly grateful for another opportunity to fight for NEF. I am learning how to separate who I am as a person and man versus who I am as a fighter when I step in to that cage. This will enable me to stop holding back and really leave it all in the cage. Jesse is a fighter through and through and this will be a great battle for sure.”
Erickson, on the other hand, is coming off a brutal knockout victory over Amos Collins (4-5) this past June. It was just the latest in a string of improved striking performances from Erickson in the past couple of years. He says that he will welcome the opportunity to stand and exchange with Lemke should the opportunity present itself.
“I can’t wait to step into the NEF cage against Jon,” said Erickson. “I have a lot of respect for him. He is a talented well rounded fighter and always puts on a show. He beat me in my pro debut, but that was years ago and I’m very excited to show everyone how far I’ve come. I’m not the same fighter I was then and now that I’ve recovered from injury, I look forward to competing against him. Most people expect me to look for the takedown to utilize my jiu jitsu, but I love to strike and want to show him and everyone else that I’ve got Thor’s hammer in these hands. If he thinks the outcome will be the same and he will walk through me, it’ll be a rough night for him. Victory or Valhalla.”
New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 25: HEROES & VILLAINS,” takes place on Saturday, September 10, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525.
For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”
BANTAMWEIGHT STANDOUTS JOE WARREN AND SIRWAN KAKAI SET FOR BATTLE DURING CO-MAIN EVENT OF ‘BELLATOR 161’
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (August 10, 2016) – A bantamweight showdown pitting Joe Warren (13-5) against Sirwan Kakai (12-4) has been added to the main card of “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson,” which takes place on September 16 inside the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, Texas, and will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE.
The bantamweight contest joins a heavyweight main event featuring Cheick Kongo (24-10-2) taking on Tony Johnson (10-2), and the U.S. debut of Anastasia Yankova (3-0), who meets Veta Arteaga (2-0). Additional contests will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” start at only $25 can be purchased at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster, or the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park Box Office. The event will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT.
A 15-fight veteran of Bellator MMA and champion in not one but two different weight classes, Warren enters the cage with an 11-4 mark under the Scott Coker-led promotion, including multiple streaks of five consecutive wins. Dating back to 2015, the 2006 Pan American and World Champion wrestler has made three consecutive appearances in Bellator’s main event, including an impressive unanimous decision victory over L.C. Davis at “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis.” Hailing from Denver, Colorado, the “Baddest Man on the Planet” will look to become the first-ever fighter to knock out Kakai when the two meet in main card action on SPIKE.
Nicknamed “Zohan,” Kakai comes into the fight in search of his first career win under the Bellator MMA banner. At just 26 years of age, the Swedish submission specialist hopes to make a splash against the former two-division champion in Warren. Since making his professional debut in 2008, Kakai has recorded 12 wins as a pro, with half coming by way of submission. Prior to joining the Bellator MMA fray, Kakai made a splash fighting under the direction of the UFC, recording a unanimous decision victory over Danny Martinez in his promotional debut. Kakai now faces one of the most challenging opponents Bellator MMA’s stacked bantamweight division has to offer when he enters the cage on September 16 at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.
Updated “Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson” Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (24-10-2) vs. Tony Johnson (10-2)
Bantamweight Co-Main Event: Joe Warren (13-5) vs. Sirwan Kakai (12-4)
Flyweight Feature Bout: Anastasia Yankova (3-0) vs. Veta Arteaga (2-0)