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Category Archives: mixed martial arts
NEF 23 WEIGH-INS TO BE HELD AT RED FACE JACK’S THIS FRIDAY
Hyannis, Massachusetts (May 11, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF 23: CAGE THE CAPE” this Saturday, May 14, 2016 at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The event will be the first sanctioned mixed-martial-arts (MMA) show ever held on Cape Cod. Earlier today, the promotion announced that it would conduct the event weigh-in this Friday, May 13, 2016, at 5:00 pm EDT at Red Face Jack’s Pub. Red Face Jack’s Pub is located at 585 Main Street in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts.
Weigh-ins are open to the public. All of the fighters competing on Saturday night will be at the weigh-in, including headliners Brendan “Lock Down” Battles (0-0) and Mike “The Mustache” Hansen. Fans and press are encouraged to attend. Fighters and NEF executives will be available for interviews at the request of press.
The “NEF 23” fight card (subject to change):
PROFESSIONAL FIGHTS
MIDDLEWEIGHT: Crowsneck Boutin vs Ruben Redman
HEAVYWEIGHT: Brendan Battles vs Mike Hansen
LIGHTWEIGHT: Derek Shorey vs Matt Denning
AMATEUR FIGHTS
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT: Tracey Schryba vs Victor Irwin
BANTAMWEIGHT: Kylie O’Hearn vs Angela Young
CATCHWEIGHT: Thomas Lee Davis, Jr. vs Anthony Spires
CATCHWEIGHT: Fabian Miranda vs Steve Bang
CATCHWEIGHT: Ed Forlenza vs Frank Johanson
CATCHWEIGHT: Razzle Dazzle vs Dustin Veinott
“NEF 23: CAGE THE CAPE,” takes place this Saturday, May 14, 2016 at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Tickets for “NEF 23” are $40 for general admission and $60 for cageside. They are on sale now at www.NewEnglandFights.com/Tickets
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 the promotion on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”
About New England Fights
New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for New England’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.
WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING ADDS SECOND TITLE FIGHT AND NEW MAIN EVENT BETWEEN MARLON MORAES AND JOSH HILL TO WSOF32 ON SATURDAY, JULY 30
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MARLOES COENEN RECEIVES NEW OPPONENT AHEAD OF ‘BELLATOR 155’ — ALEXIS DUFRESNE REPLACES JULIA BUDD
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (May 10, 2016) – Due to injury, Julia Budd (8-2) has been forced to withdraw from her inaugural Bellator MMA Women’s Featherweight Championship Bout against Marloes Coenen (23-6). As a result, Alexis Dufresne (5-2) will take her place and challenge Coenen during the featured preliminary contest of “Bellator 155: Carvalho vs. Manhoef” at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho, on May 20.
The fight joins a card that already features a colossal Middleweight World Championship main event, in which Rafael Carvalho (12-1) defends his belt against the fiery Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (30-12-1). In addition, former Bellator MMA featherweight titlist Pat Curran (21-7) will return to action for the first time since June, when he faces the resilient Georgi Karakhanyan (24-5-1) in the card’s co-main event. The last two men to challenge for Will Brooks’ lightweight title, Marcin Held (21-4) and Dave Jansen (20-3) will also be in action. Rounding out the televised portion of the event will be two heavyweight fights, when Dan Charles (10-3) meets Augusto Sakai (9-0) and Joey Beltran (17-12) takes on Chase Gormley (12-5).
Tickets for “Bellator 155: Carvalho vs. Manhoef” start at just $25 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, the CenturyLink Arena Box Office or CenturyLinkArenaBoise.com. The event airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while the can’t-miss preliminary card airs live on Bellator.comand The Bellator Mobile App.
A former Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion, Marloes Coenen, is riding a two-fight winning streak and undefeated record under the Bellator MMA fray into her bout with Dufresne. “Rumina” began her career winning eight consecutive fights and 13 of her first 14. The 35-year-old has been competing professionally since 2000 and has been an integral part of the progression of women’s mixed martial arts, challenging some of the best that the sport has to offer. Now, it’s back to the drawing board for the Dutch submission specialist when she looks to spoil the Bellator MMA debut of Alexis Dufresne.
The 25-year-old Alexis Dufresne began her career with a blazing start, earning victories in her first five scraps, all of which she ended in the first round. Born in Temecula, Calif., “Sneaky Zebra” has strung together an impressive resume, including three straight first round knockout wins dating back to her 2013-14 seasons and most recently two appearances for the UFC. Dufresne will be making her Bellator MMA debut next Friday and hopes to get back to her winning ways when she fills in for the absent Julia Budd on short notice.
Complete “Bellator 155: Carvalho vs. Manhoef” Fight Card
Bellator MMA Middleweight World Title Fight: Rafael Carvalho (12-1) vs. Melvin Manhoef (30-12-1)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Co-Main Event: Pat Curran (21-7) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (24-5-1)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Dan Charles (10-3) vs. Augusto Sakai (9-0)
Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Dave Jansen (20-3) vs. Marcin Held (21-4)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Joey Beltran (17-12) vs. Chase Gormley (12-5)
Preliminary Card
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Marloes Coenen (23-6) vs. Alexis Dufresne (5-2)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Joe Hamilton (3-0) vs. Tyler Freeland (3-0)
Bellator MMA Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Veta Arteaga (1-0) vs. Jackie Vandenburgh (0-1)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Vince Morales (3-1) vs. Hamilton Ash (3-1)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Brendon Raftery (4-2) vs. Casey Johnson (4-0)
Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Scott Thometz (9-5) vs. Josh Tyler (7-3)
Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Sean Powers (9-5) vs. Will Noland (15-6)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Ricky Steele (5-0) vs. Erick Cronkhite (2-1)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Jesse Brock (21-8) vs. Olly Bradstreet (39-12)
World MMA Association 2016 Asian Championship RESCHEDULED Aug. 17-21 in South Korea
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MONTE CARLO, Monaco (May 8, 2016)- The World MMA Association (WMMAA) has announced that, due to venue availability issues, its second annual Asian Championship has been rescheduled from May 27-30 to August 17-21 at the same site, the Hwasoon Culture and Sports Center. in the Republic of South Korea.
The Asian MMA Championship will feature the top amateur MMA fighters in six different weight classes.
“We had to postpone our annual Asian Championships but this way we’ll have even more time to prepare for the biggest amateur MMA event of the year on the Asian continent,” WMMAA president Vadim Finkelchtein said. “The location and venue remain the same, which is great news because the site our South Korean Federation was able to find really suits our championship very well.”
An international judges’ seminar will be held Aug. 17-20, to certify and accredit judges. Only accredit judges will be allowed to work during the Asian MMA Championships. Preliminary and semifinal matches will be Aug. 19, followed by the championship final matches.
The official weigh-ins and competition draws will be conducted Aug. 27,
The Asia Division Congress: Battle of the Nomads of the WMMAA Pro Asian Division will be held Aug. 20.
Individual team competition will be held in accordance with the “Official Rules of Mixed Martial Arts Competition, subject to WMMAA approval. Including revisions, additions and clarifications of certain clauses. Matches will held in accordance with the Olympic system with two third-places in each of the six weight divisions.
Team scoring is awarded by the maximum amount of points scored by individual team members on the following basis: 1st – 10, 2nd – 8, 3rd – 6, 4th – 5, 5th – 4, 6th – 3, 7th – 2, 8th – 1.
All individual first-place winners will be awarded special championship belts and medals, second and third-place finishers will receive a medal and certificate. Teams finishing among the top three in the final standings will be awarded cups and certificates.
In addition to the host, South Korea, other eligible countries to compete in the Asian MMA Championship include Afghanistan, China, Chinese Taipei, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Singapore, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
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NEF CAGES THE CAPE ON MAY 14 WITH THRILLING FIGHT CARD
Hyannis, Massachusetts (May 6, 2016) – It will be no day at the beach, but they might just leave some blood on the sand. New England Fights (NEF) plans to storm Cape Cod on Saturday, May 14, 2016 with the first-ever mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event to be held on the popular tourist destination. The northeast’s top regional fight promotion will pack up its cage in one week and make the 200-mile trek south from NEF’s base of operations in Lewiston, Maine to the Hyannis Youth & Community Center (HYCC).
The attention the event has received has been staggering. “The Cape Cod community has welcomed us with open arms,” said NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo. “The HYCC is a great venue with an awesome staff. Patti Lloyd at the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce has been a huge help in making this event happen as well. And we have some fantastic new sponsors on the Cape like Bodystrong Fitness who have helped us spread the word.”
Indeed, the word has spread and ticket sales have been so strong, and demand so overwhelming, that the promotion had to order more chairs and tickets when cageside inventory sold out last week. “The fans were asking us to add some more cageside seats, so we happily accommodated them,” noted DiSalvo.
And fight fans in attendance will be treated to a night filled with wild cage action. The card is stacked with world class wrestlers and martial artists from Maine, Cape Cod and Massachusetts’ South Shore. Hyannis-based Team Juniko will be prominently featured in no less than six of the evening’s bouts.
Brendan “Lock Down” Battles (0-0) of Juniko is scheduled to make his professional MMA debut in the heavyweight main event, locking horns with Mike “The Mustache” Hansen (4-3). Battles was a three-time All American wrestler out of nearby Nauset Regional High School where he won two state championships and three New England championships. He was 2-0 as an amateur MMA fighter. Hansen has a wrestling pedigree of his own, having captured a state title for Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Maine. Hansen is a ten-year-plus veteran of the MMA cage.
The co-main event of the evening will feature a rematch from “NEF 15” in November 2014. “Shatterproof 2.0” Derek Shorey (3-6) will look to avenge a loss to Matt “Ken Doll” Denning (2-2). Shorey’s supporters have claimed for the past year-and-a-half that Denning’s submission victory was a fluke and that Denning would not be able to defeat Shorey a second time should the pair ever meet again. Those claims will be put to the test in Hyannis in this lightweight rematch.
“It was a short notice fight that NEF asked for, and I know Derek wanted a rematch,” said Denning. “After I beat him again, I’ll prove it wasn’t a fluke. I wanted this fight so I could get some new fans in Massachusetts and show my skills. I have had two losses in a row to great guys and want to get back in the win column.”
“I thought I could beat him the first time, and he caught me with an armbar,” Shorey admitted. “This time I will leave that cage the victor.”
“It’s one of those fights we always get asked whether there will be a rematch,” stated NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “This will finally prove, once and for all, whether Matt Denning got lucky coming up with that armbar that night. Whatever you do, don’t blink! These two guys are finishers. Whatever the outcome, it’s not going to the judges. Someone’s getting knocked out or submitted in this one.”
In another pro fight, longtime NEF mainstay Crowsneck Boutin (1-2) will take on another promotion regular in the form of Ruben Redman (0-0). The bout will be Redman’s professional debut after six amateur fights with NEF in Maine. Boutin is a prolific striker based out of the Choi Institute in Portland. The fight will take place at the middleweight limit of 185-pounds.
The amateur headliner will see Dustin Veinott (4-4) in a flyweight showdown with Ryan “Razzle Dazzle” Kane (4-3). Veinott is the former NEF MMA Amateur Flyweight Champion. He dropped the title in a very close split decision loss to Ryan Burgess (2-0) last November. Kane, from Plymouth, Massachusetts, is a member of Team Juniko and an accomplished competitor in the ancient Greek martial art of Pankration.
A women’s fight will be prominently featured on the amateur card. Angela Young (1-1) is scheduled to face Kylie O’Hearn (0-0). Young is coming off a big win just two weeks ago against Hannah Sparrell (1-1) at “NEF 22” in Lewiston. O’Hearn, another product of Plymouth, Massachusetts and Team Juniko, will be making her amateur MMA debut. The fight will take place at the bantamweight limit of 135-pounds.
Young’s teammate Victor Irwin (1-0) will make the five-hour road trip along with her from Bangor, Maine to compete in Hyannis. Irwin will square off with newcomer Tracey Schryba (0-0) in the amateur light-heavyweight division.
Brewster’s Ed Forlenza (0-0) makes his amateur debut against Frank Johanson (0-1) in a 160-pound catchweight bout. Forlenza is a 2004 graduate of Nauset Regional High School where he was a standout on the wrestling team. Johanson’s opponent pulled out of their bout on fight day two weeks ago at “NEF 22.” Not one to let a good fight camp go to waste, Johanson agreed to take the fight with Forlenza in Hyannis.
In another 160-pound catchweight bout, Steve Bang (3-4) takes on Fabian Miranda (2-0). Bang is a member of the famous father-sons fighting family of Auburn, Maine. Miranda represents Team Juniko and will look to add to his undefeated record in the fight with Bang.
Rounding out the fight card is a 190-pound catchweight bout featuring Anthony Spires (0-1) and Thomas Lee Davis (1-0). Spires, an independent fighter from Maine, hopes to rebound from a loss in his debut last fall at “NEF XX.” Davis is a member of Team Juniko.
“NEF 23: CAGE THE CAPE,” takes place Saturday, May 14, 2016 at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Tickets for “NEF 23” are $40 for general admission and $60 for cageside. They are on sale now at www.NewEnglandFights.com/Tickets
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 Challenge featherweight champion Ivan Buchinger to defend title June 4 vs. Undefeated challenger Magomed Idrisov
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Two Main Card Fights Complete ‘Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo’ on May 14
SAAD AWAD-‘CYBORG’ SANTOS & ADAM PICCOLOTTI-RAY WOOD ARE OFFICIAL
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (May 5, 2016) – A welterweight matchup pitting “Cyborg” Santos (21-16) against Bellator MMA veteran Saad Awad (18-7) and a lightweight meeting featuring Adam Piccolotti (7-0) versus Ray Wood (6-1) have been added to the main card of “Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo,” which airs LIVE and FREE on SPIKE and takes place on May 14 at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
These matchups join an electric main event between light heavyweight phenoms “King Mo” (19-4, 1 NC) and Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (15-3, 1 NC). In addition, a heavyweight bout between Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) and Josh Appelt (12-5) will serve as the evening’s co-main event and undefeated Andre Fialho (6-0) will face Rick Reger (7-1) in a welterweight feature fight.
The contests make up the televised portion of “Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo,” which airs LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT while the preliminary card will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. Tickets start at just $30 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster, and the SAP Center Box Office.
After beginning his career with five consecutive victories, the 32-year-old Saad Awad has continued to put together an impressive resume, including significant wins over the likes of Joe Duarte, Sergio Rios, and most recently Rob Sinclair. A 10-time veteran of Bellator MMA, “Assassin” has three first-round knockout wins, two of which came in the first 45 seconds of the bout. In 2013, the California native handed Will Brooks the only loss of his career thus far, stopping hiim with a punch only 43-seconds into the fight.
“Cyborg” Santos has begun his 2016 campaign with a bang, recording victories in each of his first two bouts, including a crowd-silencing win over hometown favorite Brennan Ward in his Bellator MMA debut at “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson.” Of his 21 career wins, the 38-year-old welterweight has recorded 12 knockouts, 10 of which came in the opening frame of the bout. The heavy-handed Brazilian originally made four appearances under the Strikeforce banner from 2009 to 2011, before signing a multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA in March of 2016. “Cyborg” will look to add to his current winning streak when he challenges Saad Awad, who will be moving up in weight class to 170-pounds.
The 27-year-old Piccolotti has been flawless early in his young career, earning victories in all seven of his professional bouts, including three wins since joining the Bellator MMA team. A native of Northern California, he made his promotional debut against Andrew Ramm at “Bellator 133: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko,” with a unanimous decision win and then added to his admirable resume by finishing his 2015 campaign with a victory over Mario Soto at“Bellator 147: Thomson vs. Villaseca.” Making his 2016 debut, the submission specialist will have little time to prepare for his new opponent Ray Wood as the two look to square off on May 14 at the SAP Center.
Ray “All Business” Wood made a splash in his Bellator MMA debut, when he finished Chris Jones with a spinning-back fist that resulted in a first round knockout at “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell.” The 26-year-old Maine native has begun his professional career with a flashy 6-1 record, including four knockout victories and two first-round finishes. After beginning his career under the direction of regional promotions, Wood now has his eyes set on establishing himself among the top of Bellator’s always-competitive featherweight division. Watch the fight below.
Complete “Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo” Fight Card:
Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Main Event: Phil Davis (15-3, 1 NC) vs. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (19-4, 1 NC)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) vs. Josh Appelt (12-5)
Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Adam Piccolotti (7-0) vs. Ray Wood (6-1)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Saad Awad (18-7) vs. Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (21-16)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Andre Fialho (6-0) vs. Rick Reger (7-1)
Preliminary Card:
Bellator MMA (160 lb.) “VOW” Prelim Bout: Joshua Hardwick (Debut) vs. Jorge Acosta (1-1)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Prelim Bout: Victor Jones (0-1) vs. Anthony Taylor (0-1)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Prelim Bout: Danasabe Mohammed (3-0) vs. Martin Sano (4-1)
Bellator MMA Flyweight Prelim Bout: Josh Paiva (7-1) vs. Steven Gruber (5-1)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Prelim Bout: Sam Spengler (8-5) vs. Doyle Childs (2-1)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Prelim Bout: Josh San Diego (6-1) vs. Jeremiah Labiano (9-4)
Bellator MMA (130 lb.) Catchweight Prelim Bout: Alvin Cacdac (16-12) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (10-5)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Prelim Bout: Thomas Diagne (5-5-1) vs. Mark Dickman (10-2)
Bellator MMA Strawweight Prelim Bout: Stephanie Frausto (5-5) vs. Jamielene Nievara (3-1)
Bellator MMA Middleweight Prelim Bout: Andres Alcantar (3-0) vs. Nick Pica (5-0)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Prelim Bout: James Chapman (Debut) vs. Sean Tucker (Debut)
STARS FROM ALL WALKS OF MMA SET TO MEET FANS DURING BELLATOR MMA ‘FAN FEST’ AT SAN JOSE’S DAVE & BUSTER’S ONFRIDAY, MAY 13
Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champ Liam McGeary Joins “Stitch” Duran as Well as MMA Legends Royce Gracie, Randy Couture, Cung Le, Mark Coleman at the Bellator MMA Fan Fest Prior to Saturday’s “Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo” Event at SAP Center
Event is exclusively for Bellator Nation members – Join Bellator Nation now
WHAT: Bellator Fan Fest at Dave & Buster’s
Fans of all ages are invited to Dave and Buster’s in Milpitas, CA to meet and get autographs from some of the top names in all of mixed martial arts. Fans will also have the opportunity to win tickets and great prizes, as well as snap a photograph with the Bellator ring girls.
Fan Fest is exclusively for Bellator Nation Members only, becoming an official Bellator Nation Member is simple and FREE. Click here to register and RSVP to Fan Fest. If you are already a member of Bellator Nation you will receive an email invitation to RSVP.
WHERE: Dave & Buster’s
940 Great Mall Dr.
Milpitas, CA 95035
WHEN: Friday, May 13 at 8 p.m. PT
WHO: The first British World Champion in the history of MMA will always be Liam McGeary. At 6’6 the towering fighter has achieved notoriety around the world with his impressive skillset, which has seen him end fights with impressive knockout power as well as jiu-jitsu prowess. Currently undefeated at 11-0, the future is bright for the Bellator MMA Champion. Most recently, McGeary defeated Tito Ortiz in the main event of the groundbreaking “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1.”
The name Gracie is synonymous with MMA, and that is largely in part to Royce Gracie, the man who is considered to have invented the sport as we know it today. The winner of the first several UFC events, Gracie would dismantle multiple opponents in a single night, many of which were much larger than him. For many years there was no answer for the Gracie Jiu Jitsu technique that he brought into a fight. Today, it’s hard to find an MMA fighter who hasn’t trained in the art of jiu jitsu. Most recently, Gracie defeated Ken Shamrock in the main event of the record-breaking “Bellator 149.”
One of the most recognizable MMA fighters of all time, Hall of Famer Randy Couture transitioned nicely into the entertainment world after his fighting career, starring in several television shows and movies, most notably the Expendables franchise and Dancing with the Stars. Inside the cage, Couture was a fearless underdog, often defeating men with great size advantages. “The Natural” was a multi-time heavyweight and multi-time light heavyweight champion in the UFC.
When watching any combat sports event, it’s odd not to see Jacob “Stitch” Duran as the professional cutman on duty. Recently, Bellator MMA was pleased to exclusively secure his services as cutman for the foreseeable future, after “Stitch” signed a multi-year contract with the Scott Coker-led promotion. “Stitch” is seen everywhere combat sports events take place, and played a vital role in the recent smash blockbuster, “Creed.”
If there is one legend in attendance who knows a thing or two about kickboxing and MMA, it’s Cung Le. Born in Vietnam, Le fought 17 times around the globe and never lost before making the leap from kickboxing to MMA, where he won the Strikeforce middleweight championship. From there, the San Jose, Calif. – based fighter would continue to expand his recognition past the world of combat sports, starring in multiple feature films. Le remained competitive into his 40’s, finishing Rich Franklin in what was unanimously considered the 2012 knockout of the year.
A legend in the heavyweight division, Mark Coleman was the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournament champion, the promotion’s first Heavyweight Champion, and the Pride Fighting Championships 2000 Open Weight Grand Prix champion. The accolades don’t stop there; Coleman represented the United States at the 1992 Summer Olympics and won gold medals at the Pan American Championships in freestyle wrestling in 1990, 91 and 92.
FIGHT INFO: “Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo” takes place on May 14, and airs LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT and features a light heavyweight main event of Phil Davis versus King Mo.
Tickets start at just $30 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster, and the SAP Center Box Office.
MAIN EVENT ANNOUNCED FOR NEF MMA DEBUT ON CAPE COD
Hyannis, Massachusetts (May 3, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF) America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF 23: CAGE THE CAPE” on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Earlier today, NEF announced the main event of the fight card. Brendan “Lock Down” Battles (0-0) has signed to face Mike “The Mustache” Hansen (4-3) in a professional bout at a fight weight of 265-pounds.
Brendan Battles is a native of Eastham, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. There, he was a three-time All American wrestler for Nauset Regional High School. During his high school career, Battles captured a total of two state championships and three New England championships with an amazing 161 wins to his credit prior to graduating in 2012. A multi-sport athlete, he later played defensive end and tackle for the University of Connecticut. Battles made his NEF debut earlier this year at “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS” when he efficiently dispatched of Mike Hansen’s Berserkers teammate, Dave Smith (2-2) in the first round via TKO ref stoppage. Battles trains out of Gracie Fitness and is a member of Team Juniko based out of Hyannis.
“I look forward to Mike coming down to my backyard for my first professional fight,” said Battles. “I know he is a tough fighter, but I look forward to showcasing the skills I have acquired thus far as I continue my journey to become a well-rounded MMA fighter.”
Mike Hansen is the founding member of Berserkers MMA based out of Rumford, Maine. He won a Maine state championship in wrestling as a heavyweight in 2004. Hansen made his MMA debut shortly after graduating from high school, only to step away from the sport for a decade in order to serve his country as a combat engineer in the United States Army. He returned to the MMA cage in 2015 as a member of the NEF roster. Hansen has become known for taking tough fights against opponents that he is generally undersized next to. Less than two weeks ago, he defeated former top-tanked amateur light heavyweight Jesse “The Barbarian” Baughman (0-2) via first round submission at “NEF 22: ALL ROADS LEAD HERE.” Always up for a challenge, Hansen requested the opportunity to face Battles in his highly anticipated professional debut.
“I like this fight because I get to fight in Massachusetts again,” stated Hansen. “I made my pro debut at Club Lido at the ‘Wonderland’ Blue Line stop just over a decade ago. I rode the ‘T’ from Fenway to Wonderland on August 6th, 2005 to make my debut against Eric Brown who I beat by rear naked choke at 1:27 in the first round. Jumping up two weight classes sucks, but I’ve competed at this weight many times. Battles is a very accomplished athlete with a stacked resume. With only three minutes of cage time, I think it’s time Battles was in the cage with someone ready to fight. I will gladly welcome Battles to the professional ranks and see how he stacks up. I’m going to stand right in front of him and make him beat me up and, if he can, he’s a good fighter. If he can’t, it is because I didn’t want him to. On May 14th, we will have a fight my friend!”
“NEF 23: CAGE THE CAPE,” takes place Saturday, May 14, 2016 at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Tickets for “NEF 23” are $40 for general admission and $60 for cageside. They are on sale now at www.NewEnglandFights.com/Tickets
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.”
About New England Fights
New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for New England’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.