Category Archives: mixed martial arts

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

FOURTH PRO BOUT ANNOUNCED FOR FEBRUARY 8 MMA EVENT IN PORTLAND

December 11, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Portland, Maine (December 10, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) will hold its next mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF 42: Symphony of Destruction,” on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at Merrill Auditorium in Portland. Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional catchweight fight to the card. Nate “Backpack” Boucher will make his professional debut against “Sleepy” Norman Fox (0-1) at a fight weight of 130-pounds.

2019 was a banner year for Boucher. He finished his amateur career with a stellar 6-3 record and captured NEF’s amateur flyweight title at “NEF 41” last month in what would be his final amateur fight. Boucher has won his last four fights in a row – all by first round rear-naked choke submission. Shortly after his title victory, Boucher engaged in a heated exchange on Facebook with Fox who challenged Boucher to enter the pro ranks to fight him. Boucher was quick to accept the challenge. He currently represents Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) of Lewiston, Maine.

“I closed out 2019 by doing exactly what I said I was going to do,” stated Boucher. “I went 3-0 and won the New England Fights Amateur Flyweight Title. I planned on taking time off to focus on my unborn child’s arrival. However, Norman had quite a mouthful to say and asked for the fight. So, I did what fighters do and took the fight immediately. Norman is in for a long night on February 8th. I hope for his sake that he fully prepares for this. The way I see it, I was given a gift to kick off my pro career. Thank you to Cure Cannabis and the rest of my loyal sponsors and supporters for helping me get to this point in my career—I look forward to the next level with all of you.”

Norman Fox returns to the NEF cage after a four year hiatus from competition. He was last seen at “NEF 21” in February 2016 in a losing effort in his professional debut. Fox went 4-2 as an amateur, finishing his opponents in all four of his wins. Fox is currently a member of First Class MMA based in Brunswick, Maine.

“Nate is one-dimensional,” declared Fox. “All he can do is wrestle. If he doesn’t immediately shoot for a takedown, he will as soon as my hands touch his face. I’m dangerous everywhere. If he does get the fight to the ground, he will regret it.”

The catchweight bout joins an already star-studded lineup on the professional portion of the card. Previously announced for “NEF 42” is a five-round professional lightweight title fight between former NEF champion and World Series of Fighting veteran Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (17-11) and WEC and UFC veteran Josh “The Fluke” Grispi (14-5). Another lightweight fight announced for “NEF 42” will feature two Maine fan-favorites as reigning NEF Professional Featherweight Champion Josh “Hook On” Harvey (7-0-1) puts his undefeated record on the line against Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (9-8) in a non-title encounter. And Bellator veteran Dominic “Domnation” Jones (2-3) and Carl Langston (0-4) will square off in a professional featherweight contest.

New England Fights’ next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 42: Symphony of Destruction,” will take place on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.PortTix.com.

LFA, mixed martial arts, MMA

LFA SIGNS INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH FIGHT GLOBE

December 11, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

Las Vegas, NV – LFA has signed an international distribution deal with FIGHT GLOBE to distribute its content to the international public as announced by the industry leader for independent distribution of MMA and kickboxing content. FIGHT GLOBE will distribute LFA’s content outside of the United States and Canada, allowing an international audience to experience MMA in its purest form.

“I am excited to announce the partnership between LFA and FIGHT GLOBE,” stated Ed Soares, CEO of LFA. “LFA is the world’s #1 premier developmental organization in MMA and FIGHT GLOBE is one of the world’s largest independent distributors of MMA content. This will help grow the LFA brand on a global scale, while giving our fighters worldwide visibility.”

FIGHT GLOBE is a worldwide leader for the distribution of MMA and kickboxing content with offices located in The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia. It owns, manages, and distributes television media rights with a sterling reputation among sports federations, promoters, and rights holders from around the world. FIGHT GLOBE represents some of the most influential combat sports events from all over the globe.

“We are very excited for this new partnership with LFA,” stated Sabine Kesseler, CEO of FIGHT GLOBE. “LFA is one of the Top MMA promoters in the United States with a great roster of professional fighters. Plus, their event production is always on point and we are very proud to work with them.”

In 2017, RFA and Legacy FC merged to form LFA, the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts. The combined forces of LFA launched the careers of over 170 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC. In May 2018, the promotion joined the London Trust Media Holdings group of companies. In November 2019 the promotion announced a broadcast partnership with UFC FIGHT PASS®.
Please visit LFA.com for bout updates and information. LFA is on Facebook at Legacy Fighting Alliance. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and Twitter at @LFAfighting.

About LFA:LFA is a professional Mixed Martial Arts promotion that gives rising stars and top contenders the opportunity to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry. LFA was formed by the powerhouse merger between RFA and Legacy FC. LFA presents live Mixed Martial Arts events on a monthly basis around the United States to markets including Atlanta, Minneapolis, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Based in Las Vegas, NV, LFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. About FIGHT GLOBE:FIGHT GLOBE (FightGlobe.com), an Athletic Sports Group company, is the number one independent distributor of MMA and kickboxing content worldwide. It owns, manages and distributes television media rights and has established an exemplary track record in distributing TV and media rights for sports federations, promoters and rights holders. FIGHT GLOBE represents some of the most popular and influential combat sports events from all over the globe. Annually FIGHT GLOBE distributes over 300 live combat sports programming, ancillary fight sports content and hundreds of hours of archived content to broadcasters, in more than 150 countries across the world reaching 1 billion-plus households.About LONDON TRUST MEDIA:London Trust Media is a diversified business focused on the Internet and media industries – bringing the Internet back to its original state and bringing power back to the people. London Trust Media runs the leading no-log VPN service provider in the world Private Internet Access (PIA) as well as Kore Asian Media, Linux Journal, freenode, Snoonet, JOG, BlockExplorer, and Provocateur. Please visit their website at londontrustmedia.com for more information.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA

FULL RESULTS & PHOTOS FOR BELLATOR 234: KHARITONOV VS. VASSELL

November 17, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

Full Fight Photos Here

*Bellator 234: Kharitonov vs. Vassell* Main Card

*Heavyweight Bout:* **Linton Vassell** (19-8, 1 NC) defeated **Sergei Kharitonov** (30-8, 2 NC) via TKO (strikes) at 3:15 of round 2

*Lightweight Bout:* **Sidney Outlaw** (14-3) defeated **Roger Huerta** (24-12-1, 1 NC) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

*Lightweight Bout:* **Aviv Gozali** (4-0) defeated **Zaka Fatullazade** (14-9) submission (anaconda choke) at 0:56 of round 1

*Welterweight Bout:* **Haim Gozali** (12-6) defeated **Artur Pronin** (16-4) via submission (heel hook) at 4:12 of round 1

*Middleweight Bout:* **Austin Vanderford** (9-0) defeated **Grachik Bozinyan** (10-4) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

**Preliminary Card**

*Featherweight Bout:* **Sinead Kavanagh** (6-4) defeated **Olga Rubin** (6-2) via TKO (strikes) at 4:37 of round 2

*Welterweight Bout:* **Robson Gracie Jr.** (3-0) defeated **Ameer Bashir** (0-2) via submission (triangle choke) at 4:39 of round 1

*Heavyweight Bout:* **Adam Keresh** (4-0) defeated **Vladimir Fedin** (15-6, 1 NC) via TKO (strikes) at 3:29 of round 1

*Welterweight Bout:* **Shimon Smotritsky** (6-0) defeated **Illia Hladkii** (3-1) via TKO (strikes) at 2:10 of round 1

*Lightweight Bout:* **Vuqar Keramov** (14-3) defeated **Gustavo Wurlitzer** (22-24, 1 NC) via KO (strike) at 1:29 of round 1

*157-lb. Contract Weight Bout:* **Kirill Medvedovsky** (12-7) defeated **Akhmed Fararzha** (6-2) via submission (guillotine) at 0:46 of round 2

*Bantamweight Bout:* **Raz Bring** (5-2) defeated **Naziri Daniliuk** (2-2, 1 NC) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-28)

*Lightweight Bout:* **Mikail Dulgher** (4-1) defeated **Ofir Leibel** (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

*Bantamweight Bout:* **Ron Becker** (4-2) defeated **Artem Kazartsev** (0-2) via TKO (strikes) at 2:57 of round 1

*Bantamweight Bout:* **Ben Cohen** (1-0) defeated **Maksym Tkachuk** (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:19 of round 1

*Light Heavyweight Bout:* **Eli Aronov** (4-0) defeated **Sari Hleihil** (2-4) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 28-27)

*Flyweight Bout:* **Itay Lipszyc** (1-0) defeated **Itzik Yakobov** (0-1) via submission (straight ankle lock) at 2:51 of round 1

*220-lb. Contract Weight Bout:* **Noam Voldman** (1-5) defeated **Nisim Rozalis** (0-2) via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

*Featherweight Bout:* **Itay Tratner** (1-0-1) vs. **Elias Mamadov** (1-1-1, 1 NC) ends in a split draw (28-27, 28-29, 28-28)

*Welterweight Bout:* **Tomer Maslis** (1-0) defeated **David Malka** (0-1) via TKO (strikes) at 1:32 of round 3

*Please note that a preliminary welterweight bout between **Nika Ben Tuashy** (2-0) and **Rafael Aronov** (1-3) was cancelled due to injury.

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

FOUR MMA CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT COLLISION COURSE IN PORTLAND

November 12, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Portland, Maine (November 10, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) held its most recent mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF 41: Collision Course,” on Saturday night at Aura in Portland. Four titles were decided on a thirteen-fight card held before a capacity audience.

In the main event, Cara Greenwell (10-4) played the role of spoiler, winning the NEF Amateur Women’s Strawweight Championship with a unanimous decision over Bangor, Maine’s Glory “The Fury” Watson (6-1). Greenwell came all the way from Oklahoma for the fight. It is the first blemish on the previously-undefeated Watson’s amateur record.

“Killa” Kam Arnold (6-1) retained the NEF Amateur Bantamweight strap with a devastating second-round knockout of Walt Shea (3-2) in the evening’s co-main event. It was Arnold’s second successful defense of the title and the sixth knockout victory of his amateur career.

Zac “Rocky” Richard (5-2-1) captured the NEF Amateur Lightweight Title with a unanimous decision win over “Magic” Mike Murray (2-1). The fight went back and forth for five grueling rounds and looked at one point like the doctor at cageside would stop the bout due to an injury on Richard’s knee. The fight continued, however, and Richard pulled out the win on the judges’ scorecards.

Nate Boucher (6-3) defeated Steve Desjardins (5-4) via submission in the first round to become the new NEF Amateur Flyweight Champion. The win was Boucher’s fourth in a row.

In addition to the fights, NEF announced that its first event of 2020 would take place on February 8 as the promotion debuts at the 1900-seat Merrill Auditorium in Portland. The show is titled “NEF 42: Symphony of Destruction” and tickets went on sale Saturday night at www.PortTix.com.

Already announced for “NEF 42” is a five-round professional lightweight title fight between former NEF champion Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (17-11) and WEC and UFC veteran Josh “The Fluke” Grispi (14-5). Boyington has not fought in his home state of Maine in two years, while Grispi has been absent from competition since his release from the UFC in 2013. Boyington previously held the promotion’s lightweight title before vacating it to sign with the World Series of Fighting.

Another lightweight fight announced for “NEF 42” will feature two Maine fan-favorites as Josh “Hook On” Harvey (7-0-1) puts his undefeated record on the line against Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (9-8). Harvey is the reigning NEF Pro Featherweight Champion and one of the top prospects in the entire country. Erickson will be looking to bounce back from a loss last summer in his attempt to capture the lightweight strap.

A third pro fight was announced for “NEF 42” that will feature locals Dominic “Domnation” Jones (2-3) and Carl Langston (0-4). Jones most recently competed for global promotion Bellator on a fight card in Connecticut. Langston, after a solid amateur career, will be looking for his first professional win in front of his hometown crowd.

The official results from Portland, Maine:

Cara Greenwell def. Glory Watson via unanimous decision
Kam Arnold def. Walt Shea via knockout, round 2
Zac Richard def. Mike Murray via unanimous decision
Nate Boucher def. Steve Desjardins via tap to rear-naked choke, round 1
Solomon Spigel def. George Pissimissis via technical submission, round 1
Joe Howard def. Jesse Fitzsimmons via doctor stoppage, round 1
Greg Ishihara def. Dylan Williams via technical knockout, round 1
Justin Middleton def. Jon Assam via tap to rear-naked choke, round 1
Brian Cosco def. Clifford Redman via technical submission, round 1
Caleb Austin def. Ryan Fogg via technical knockout, round 2
Nate White def. Austin Hamilton via technical knockout, round 1
Brandon Maillet-Fevens def. Tyler Knights via tap to rear-naked choke, round 2
Chandler Chapman def. Tim Bergeron via unanimous decision

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 fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA

FULL RESULTS & PHOTOS FOR BELLATOR 233: SALTER VS. VAN STEENIS

November 12, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

Full Fight Night Photos Here

**Main Card:**

**John Salter** (17-4) defeated **Costello van Steenis** (12-2) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

**Andrew Kapel** (15-6) defeated **“King Mo” Lawal** (21-10) via KO (punch) at 1:22 of round one

**Arlene Blencowe** (13-7) defeated **Leslie Smith** (11-8-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

**Tyrell Fortune** (8-0) defeated Zu Anyanwu (15-6) via TKO (punches) at 1:56 of round two

**Preliminary Card:**

**Aaron McKenzie** (7-1-1) defeated **Sean Clements** (3-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:31 of round one

**Lucas Brennan** (2-0) defeated **Jacob Landin** (0-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:38 of round one

**Tyree Fortune** (5-0) defeated **Chuck Campbell** (2-1) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

**Logan Storley** (11-0) defeated **E.J. Brooks** (13-6) via TKO (injury) at 5:00 of round one

**Julius Anglickas** (8-1) defeated **Jordan Young** (11-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

**Amanda Bell** (7-6) defeated **Janay Harding** (5-4) via TKO (punches) at 4:44 of round three

**Kyle Crutchmer** (5-0) defeated **Robert Gidron** (4-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

**Romero Cotton** (4-0) defeated **Jason Perrotta** (3-4) via verbal submission (injury) at 2:16 of round one

**Christian Edwards** (2-0) defeated **Cesar Bennett** (0-1) via knockout (head kick) at 0:16 of round one

**Grant Neal** (2-0) defeated **Jimmy Lugo** (1-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-28)

Please visit Bellator.com for more information.

****

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR, BELLATOR AND THE USO TEAM UP TO SALUTE THE TROOPS WITH SPECIAL LIVE EVENT IN HAWAII ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20

November 12, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

**JOSH BARNETT MAKES HIS BELLATOR DEBUT AGAINST RONNY MARKES IN HEAVYWEIGHT MAIN EVENT ON PARAMOUNT NETWORK**

**LOS ANGELES –** To honor the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, Bellator MMA has once again partnered with the USO to present a special live event free for the troops, along with their friends and families, on Friday, December 20. Emanating from Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, this unique show will be headlined by a heavyweight bout featuring the Bellator debuts of “The Warmaster” **Josh Barnett** (35-8) and **Ronny Markes** (19-7).

For a second year, the USO and Bellator team up to honor the men and women who fight for our freedom and to bring entertainment and a piece of home to service members based in Hawaii during the holiday season. This *Salute the Troops* event will bring Bellator athletes and personalities to the military community and provide a live free event as a thank you for their sacrifices and dedication to our country, especially for those who are separated from family and home during the holidays. Much like last year, Bellator and the USO will also partner for a week of special events in Hawaii leading up to the big weekend of exciting fights on December 20 and 21.

As the leading military support organization, the USO strengthens America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. This holiday season, hundreds of thousands of service members will remain on duty, away from home. The USO, through its programs, services and entertainment tours, is committed to bringing a piece of home to our nation’s service men and women. MMA fans and military supporters can help keep troops strong and connected to home by visiting www.USO.org/Holidays and by using the hashtag **#USOHolidays** when sharing how they have helped the USO’s critical mission to make the holidays special for our military heroes.

*Bellator and the USO Present: Salute the Troops* will air on Paramount Network on Friday, December 20 at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT. The entire event will also stream on DAZN, while preliminary bouts will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Details for exclusive ticket distribution will be announced in the coming days.

This unforgettable night will be part of an historic weekend culminating with the previously announced *Bellator Hawaii: Macfarlane vs. Jackson* on Saturday, December 21. This highly-anticipated fight card includes undefeated Bellator women’s flyweight champ **Ilima-Lei Macfarlane** defending her title against **Kate Jackson**, and **A.J. McKee** taking on **Derek Campos** in a quarterfinal matchup of the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix.

After signing with Bellator in April, former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett will make his return to MMA competition for the first time since 2016. A second-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Barnett has remained prevalent in the combat sports realm, competing in jiu-jitsu events, promoting and performing at his own professional wrestling shows and working as a color commentator for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Barnett is no stranger to the devoted MMA fanbase in Hawaii, fighting for regional Hawaiian promotion Superbrawl in 1999 and 2000, a stint that included three fights in one night to win the Superbrawl 13 heavyweight tournament. One of the top heavyweights of all-time, the Strikeforce, Pride, UFC, K-1, NJPW, Pancrase, and Affliction mainstay owns victories over legendary stars, including Dan Severn (2x), Semmy Schilt (2x), Randy Couture, Mark Hunt, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Pedro Rizzo, **Sergei Kharitonov**, **Frank Mir**, **Roy Nelson** and Andrei Arlovski.

Fighting professionally since 2007, Ronny Markes will join the Bellator ranks following 26-fights all over the globe including three wins in UFC. Competing for a majority of his nearly 13-year career at middleweight, the 31-year-old will now lace up the gloves as a Bellator heavyweight. Hailing from Natal, Brazil, Markes is coming off a TKO victory in June, and will add another big-name fighter to his list of opposition, a list that includes fights against Yoel Romero, Thiago Santos, Aaron Simpson and Paulo Filho.

Updated *Bellator and the USO Present: Salute the Troops* **Fight Card:**

*Heavyweight Main Event:* **Josh Barnett** (35-8) vs. **Ronny Markes** (19-7)

*Card subject to change

Please visit Bellator.com and USO.org for more information.

mixed martial arts, MMA, NBC

United Fight Alliance Expands Network Coverage to NBC Sports Boston

November 5, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

**TAMPA, Fla. (October 31, 2019) –** **United Fight Alliance (UFA)**, a Sports, Media and Entertainment Company comprised of fight promotions across the country and abroad, has signed a distribution agreement with **NBC Sports Boston** to expand its existing distribution on **NBC Sports Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia, California** and Northwest. Beginning in November, Combat Sports fans can now watch UFA’s one-hour programming, which features intense fights from the best names and up-and-coming fighters in MMA, Boxing, Muay Thai, Lethwei, Kickboxing and more, throughout the New England area.

UFA’s CEO **Jay Adams** stated, “I grew up in Boston, so this is a bit of a homecoming and a real treat for me. I got my start in sports broadcasting at WBZ-TV and was very lucky to work under the tutelage of elite anchors, reporters and producers including Al Miller, Mike Dowling, Bob Neumeier and the New England Sports Grand Pooh-Bah himself, Bob Lobel. With the Pats, Bruins, Celtics and Sox, New England Sports Fans are used to the best and that’s just what we plan on bringing them!“

United Fight Alliance’s debut program on NBCS Boston airs this **Saturday, November 2^nd at 11pm ET**. UFA will typically air Saturdays at 10pm or 11pm ET subject to the live event schedule. UFA averages over 130 hours of airing time a month throughout the US and with the addition of NBC Sports Boston UFA will now reach over 79 million households domestically.

**NBC Sports Boston** reaches more than 4 million households in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Programming includes the **Boston Celtics, New England Revolution,** Arbella Early Edition, Boston Sports Tonight, Celtics Post Up, Talkin’ Baseball, Monday Night Patriots, Quick Slants, New England Tailgate, Football Day in New England including pre and post-game programs surrounding all Patriots games, CAA football, basketball and more.

**NBC Sports California** broadcasts regional coverage of professional and college sports events throughout Central and Northern California and offers live coverage of MLB’s Oakland Athletics, NBA’s Sacramento Kings and NHL’s San Jose Sharks. The network also airs select MLS San Jose Earthquake games.

**NBC Sports Northwest** serves all of Washington State and Oregon and is the 24/7 exclusive home of the Portland Trail Blazers. The network also provides in-depth coverage of the region’s most prominent teams including the Seattle Seahawks, Oregon Ducks and Oregon St. Beavers.

**NBC Sports Chicago** is the regional sports home of the Blackhawks (NHL), Bulls (NBA), Cubs (MLB), White Sox (MLB), along with providing extensive coverage of the Bears (NFL) and additional locally focused collegiate/preps programming.

**NBC Sports Washington** is the official sports network of the NHL’s Washington Capitals, NBA’s Washington Wizards, NFL’s Washington Redskins and ACC. NBC Sports Washington – the leading multiplatform sports media organization serving the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia – delivers more than 400 live events per year, along with Emmy Award-winning news, analysis and entertainment programming.

**NBC Sports Philadelphia** presents live game coverage and original programming to nearly three million viewers in the Philadelphia area, Southern New Jersey and Delaware. The network features the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies, plus has extensive coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles.

For a complete list of networks, channels and the UFA airing schedule, visithttp://www.
unitedfightalliance.com/tvschedule

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

FOUR TITLE FIGHTS HEADLINE FINAL NEF CARD OF 2019 IN PORTLAND

October 29, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Portland, Maine (October 23, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to Aura in Portland, Maine on November 9, 2019 with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 41: Collision Course.” Tickets for the event are currently on sale at www.AuraMaine.com. Earlier today, NEF announced the full fight card for the event – a total of 17 bouts scheduled for the evening.

Four amateur title fights will headline the card. It will be the first time since “NEF 9” in August 2013 that an amateur fight has been the main event of one of the promotion’s cards. (Of note, “NEF 9” was an all amateur event.)

“NEF 41” will also mark the first time a women’s bout has headlined one of the promotion’s events as undefeated Glory “The Fury” Watson (6-0) takes on Cara Greenwell (9-4) to crown the inaugural NEF Amateur Women’s Strawweight Champion. Watson will have a chance to make history in the bout by becoming the first NEF athlete to simultaneously hold titles in two weight divisions. She is the reigning NEF Amateur Women’s Flyweight Champion.

“Killa” Kam Arnold (5-1) will defend the NEF Amateur Bantamweight strap against Walt Shea (3-1) in the evening’s co-main event. Arnold has held the title since June 2018 and most recently defended it at “NEF 38” last spring with a 21-second knockout of Henry Clark (5-5). It will be Shea’s second attempt at capturing the title after a losing effort at “NEF 30” in August 2017.

Zac “Rocky” Richard (4-2-1) will face “Magic” Mike Murray (2-0) for the vacant NEF Amateur Lightweight Title. Both athletes are coming off wins last month in Orono, Maine at “NEF 40.” Richard knocked his opponent out with a slam in the first round of his bout while Murray submitted his opponent – also in the first round.

Nate Boucher (5-3) and Steve Desjardins (5-3) are scheduled to meet for the vacant NEF Amateur Flyweight Championship. Boucher is on a three-fight win streak, finishing all three opponents in the first round by submission. Desjardins returned with a first-round victory last month at “NEF 40” after an absence of several years from cage competition.

As of press time, NEF executives were searching for an opponent for NEF Amateur Welterweight Champion Duncan “The Highlander” Smith (5-3). Unfortunately, Smith’s original challenger, Jordan Norman, recently pulled out of the fight when he could not gain medical clearance.

Matt “Ken Doll” Denning (5-10) and Keegan “The Flu” Hornstra (4-11) will square off in a professional catchweight contest. Both will be looking to rebound from recent losses. Denning was defeated on a card in Massachusetts last Saturday night, while Hornstra lost to Dominic Jones at “NEF 39” this past summer in Lewiston, Maine. The fight will take place at an agreed-to weight of 176 pounds.

The full “NEF 41” fight card (subject to change):

AMATEUR TITLE FIGHTS

115*TITLE: Glory Watson (Young’s) vs. Cara Greenwell (Independent)

135*TITLE: Kam Arnold (c) (Recon) vs. Walt Shea (First Class MMA)

155*TITLE: Zac Richard (Nostos) vs. Mike Murray (Camden Combat/Foundry)

125*TITLE: Steve Desjardins (Independent) vs. Nate Boucher (CMBJJ)

PROFESSIONAL MMA

155: Josh Harvey (Vision Quest Muay Thai) vs. Jonathan Hines (Independent)

176: Matt Denning (Independent) vs. Keegan Hornstra (Evolution Athletix)

AMATEUR MMA

145: Jesse Fitzsimmons (Nostos) vs. Joe Howard (CMBJJ)

265: George Pissimissis (Wai Kru/Pedro’s Judo) vs. Solomon Spigel (First Class)

135: Andrea Howland (Michigan Top Team) vs. Megan Rosado (Evolution Athletix)

170: Justin Middleton (Independent) vs. Jon Assam (First Class)

170: Greg Ishihara (Recon) vs. Dylan Williams (Independent)

155: Clifford Redman (Independent) vs. Brian Cosco (Redline)

155: Lucas Donald (Independent) vs. Will McCall (Evolution Athletix)

205: Henry Jeffs (Independent) vs. Titus Pannell (T4 Survival)

130: Ryan Fogg (Team Elemental) vs. Caleb Austin (CMBJJ)

175: Roland Beaulieu (Maineiac Militia) vs. Austin Hamilton (Independent)

145: Tyler Knights (Independent) vs. Brandon Maillet-Fevens (CMBJJ)

New England Fights’ next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 41: Collision Course,” will take place on Saturday, November 9, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine. Tickets are on sale now atwww.auramaine.com.

About New England Fights

M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA, Russia

M-1 Challenge 105 Official Results & Pictures

October 22, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

Sergey Morozov retains

M-1 Challenge bantamweight title

Assu Almabaev upsets

Chris Kelades to capture M-1 Challenge Interim flyweight crown

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (October 20, 2019) – Kazakh Power was on display at yesterday’s M-1 Challenge 105, in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, in which they won five of six fights, including a pair of M-1 Challenge titles, and a draw.

In the main event and a rematch, Sergey Morozov (16-4), of Kazakhstan, fended off American challenger Josh “The Finisher” Rettinghouse (16-5), winning a five-round unanimous decision to successfully defend his M-1 Challenge bantamweight title.

Morozov won his fifth straight and sixth fight in his last seven since his original match and loss to Rettinghouse. Morozov captured the M-1 Challenge bantamweight title last June at M-1 Challenge 102, also held in Nur-Sultan, when he stopped previously unbeaten Alexander Osetrov in the fourth round.

Almabaev (11-2), fighting out of Kazakhstan, was a relatively late replacement for his fellow countryman, former M-1 Challenge Interim flyweight champion Arman Ashimov, who was forced to withdraw due to an injury suffered during training camp.

Improving his M-1 Global record to 3-0, Almabaev took a five-round unanimous decision from Kelades, who was making his first title defense. Almabaev has positioned himself for a showdown with undisputed M-1 Challenge flyweight titlist Alexander Doskalchuk, who is recovering from an injury.

Also fighting on the main card, former M-1 Challenge light champion Artem Damkovsky (23-11), of Belarus, won a three-round unanimous decision over Russian Vladimir Kanunnikov(9-2), Brazilian lightweight Michel “Sassarito” Silva (22-8-1) recorded a technical knockout of Russian Khamzat Dalgiev (11-3), using a ground-and-pound attack, and Kazakhstan welterweight Isatay Temirov (6-1-1) and Russian Danila Prikaza (12-3-2) battled to a three-round split-draw.

Judges were working overtime on this highly competitive card as eight of 12 bouts went the full distance, including two draws and three split decisions. Once again, M-1 Global presented a true International event with 11 different countries represented in The Rage: Kazakhstan, USA, Canada, Belarus, Russia, Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, Cuba, Azerbaijan, Sweden and Georgia.

Brazilian bantamweight Rafael Dias (16-5-1) edged previously undefeated Zalkarbek Zarlyk Uulu (3-1) by way of split decision on the undercard, while Swedish welterweight Per Franklin (9-5-1) and Gadzhibaba Gadzhibabayev (3-0-1) fought to a split draw.

Kazakhstan featherweight Sabit Zhusupov (8-2) took a unanimous decision from RussianGleb Khabibullin (4-1), Russian welterweight Magomedkamil “Junior” Malikov (7-1) stopped Brazilian veteran Rubenilton “Rubinho” Pereira (20-8) on punches in round two, and Russian heavyweight Yuri Fedorov (3-2) used a guillotine choke to defeat Cuban Michel Batista (4-2) in the opening round.

Kazakhs won the opening two bouts of the night on the pre-underdcard: lightweight Azamat “Azu” Markabaev (3-3) submitted Georgian Beqa Gogoladze (0-2) in the second round with a rear naked choke, and flyweight Zhuman “Arian” Zhgumabekov (8-4) decisioned pro-debuting Kyrgyzstan Ruslan Kudaiberdirev (0-1).

Official results below:

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT – M-1 CHALLENGE BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Sergey Morozov (16-4, M-1: 10-3), Kazakhstan

WDEC5

Josh Rettinghouse, (16-5, M-1: 4-1), USA

(Morozov retained M-1 Challenge bantamweight title)

CO-FEATURE – M-1 CHALLENGE INTERIM FLYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Assu Almabaev, (11-2, M-1: 3-0), Kazakhstan

WDEC5

Chris Kelades (14-5, M-1: 3-2), Canada

(Almabaev won M-1 Challenge Interim flyweight title)

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Artem Damkovsky (23-11, M-1: 14-8), Belarus

WDEC3

Vladimir Kanunnikov (9-2, M-1: 0-2), Russia

Michel Silva (22-8-1, M-1: 4-3), Brazil

WTKO1 (1:48 – ground & pound)

Khamzat Dalgiev (11-3, M-1: 8-3), Russia

WELTERWEIGHTS

Isatay Temirov (6-1-1, M-1: 1-0-1), Kazakhstan

Danila Prikaza (12-3-2, M-1: 8-4), Russia

UNDERCARD

HEAVYWEIGHTS

Yuri Fedorov 3-2, M-1: 3-1), Russia

WSUB1 (Guillotine Choke)

Michel Batista (4-2, M-1: 0-1), Cuba by way of USA

WELTERWEIGHTS

Magomedkamil Malikov (7-1, M-1: 4-1), Russia

WTKO2 (1:21)

Rubenilton Pereira (20-8, M-1: 4-5), Brazil

CATCHWEIGHT

Gadzhibaba Gadzhibabayev (3-0-1, M-1: 1-0-1), Azerbaijan

Per Franklin (9-5-1, M-1: 0-0-1), Sweden

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Sabit Zhusupov (8-2, M-1: 3-0), Kazakhstan

WDEC3

Gleb Khabibullan (4-1, M-1: 2-1), Russia

BANTAMWEIGHTS

Rafael Dias (16-6-1, M-1: 2-2-1), Brazil

WDEC3

Zalkarbek Zarlyk Uulu (3-1, M-1: 0-1), Kyrgyzstan

PRE-UNDERCARD

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Azamat Markabaev (4-2, M-1: 1-0), Kazakhstan

WSUB2 (Rear Naked Choke – 2:48)

Beqa Gogoladze (0-2, M-1: 0-1), Georgia

FLYWEIGHTS

Zhuman Zhumabekov (8-4, M-1:10-0), Kazakhstan

WDEC3

Ruslan Kudaiberdirev (0-1, M-1: 0-1), Kyrgyzstan

INFORMATION:

www.M-1Global.com

www.mixfight.ru

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews

@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

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