Category Archives: MMA

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

CALEB AUSTIN AND DILLON HENRY TO MEET IN FLYWEIGHT MATCHUP AT NEF 42

December 15, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Portland, Maine (December 13, 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 an amateur flyweight fight to the card. Caleb “Dr. Feelgood” Austin(3-0) will meet Dillon Henry (0-3) at a fight weight of 125 pounds.

Undefeated Caleb Austin returned to NEF this past fall after more than two years. It took Austin just over a minute to pound out a victory over Cory Richards (0-1) at “NEF 40” in September. In November, Austin went into the second round with Ryan Fogg (0-1) before picking up another technical knockout win. With current amateur flyweight champion Nate Boucher (6-3) turning pro at “NEF 42,” Austin will be considered one of the top contenders to the vacant strap should he get past Henry.

Success in athletics is nothing new to Caleb Austin. He put together an impressive record of 208-11 wrestling for Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Maine and won state titles at 126 pounds his junior and senior years. The Lewiston Sun Journal named Austin the “Wrestler of the Year” in 2017. After graduation, Austin continued wrestling while attending the University of Southern Maine. He currently represents Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) of Lewiston, Maine.

“The amount of support that I’ve received since September when I made my return to the MMA cage has been humbling,” said Austin. “I’m in the gym and running every single day with February on my mind. Going 2-0 this fall season was great, but I’ve got bigger things in front of me for 2020. I will win the NEF Flyweight Championship next year and Dillon Henry is just the next obstacle in front of me on my way toward that goal. I want to win more quickly and more cleanly every time I get in the cage. It’s an honor every time I get to fight in front of the NEF fans—and I can’t wait to do it again at the Merrill Auditorium on February 8th.”

Dillon Henry comes to the cage on February 8 looking for the first win of his amateur career. Henry debuted last February against the aforementioned Nate Boucher who already had six fights under his belt at the time. This past September Henry competed against Stephen Desjardins who came into that bout as a seven-fight veteran. Henry was getting the upper hand against Desjardins until he dislocated his own shoulder throwing a punch in the first round. He currently represents First Class MMA of Brunswick, Maine.

“I was going say a lot, but life can take unexpected turns and you start fighting for new reasons,” said Henry. “I look forward to February 8th, enough said.”

“A fighter is more than his record and Dillon Henry is a great example of that,” noted NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “Dillon is always taking tough fights with the goal of getting better as an amateur so that he can eventually make his mark as a pro. Caleb is his next challenge and I’m certain that Dillon will bring the fight and make this a fun one for us as fans. Caleb came in quickly made an impact over the fall season. Can he continue his undefeated streak to start off a new year and a new decade? We’ll find out February 8th.”

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.

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.

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

TOP RANKED LIGHTWEIGHT RETURNS TO NEF CAGE AGAINST DECORATED ARMY RANGER

December 15, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Portland, Maine (December 12, 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 an amateur lightweight fight to the card. Mohammad Al Kinani (7-1) will take on Justin Middleton (1-0) at a fight weight of 155 pounds.

Mohammad Al Kinani is currently the number-one-ranked lightweight amateur in all of New England MMA. He last appeared in the NEF cage in November 2018. Al Kinani holds a perfect record of 3-0 with the promotion and has finished all three opponents in the first round via technical knockout. One of the top prospects in the region, Al Kinani represents Evolution Athletix based in Saco, Maine.

“I’m excited as always to fight in Portland,” noted Al Kinani. “It’s different fighting in Portland. I have a lot to prove against Justin Middleton February 8th at Merrill Auditorium. Be ready to see a different animal to start up the New Year. Portland is my town – my territory.”

Justin Middleton burst onto the NEF fight scene with an upset victory over Jon Assam (1-2) last month at “NEF 41” in Portland. Middleton came into the bout as the underdog as it was both his debut against the more experienced Assam and Assam represented an established fight team while Middleton was an independent competitor. He submitted Assam via rear-naked choke in the first round. Middleton is a longtime, distinguished, and heavily-decorated Army Ranger that served the United States proudly in Iraq.

“I’m honored to have such a seasoned and accomplished opponent so early in my career,” said Middleton. “I know that it’s going to be a challenge, and I will be training accordingly. 155 is the optimum performance weight for me, and I will be coming with everything I’ve got. I’m sure Mo and I will give the fans a war.”

About New England Fights

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.

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, MMA

TEN PARTICIPANTS FROM LAST MONTH’S OPEN TRYOUT IN HONOLULU ADDED TO BELLATOR’S BACK-TO-BACK EVENTS IN HAWAII ON DEC. 20 & 21

November 25, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

**UPDATED *BELLATOR 235* & *BELLATOR 236* FIGHT CARDS BELOW**

**LOS ANGELES** – Ahead of Bellator’s return to Hawaii on December 20 and 21 at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, the world’s leading global mixed martial arts promotion held open tryouts in Honolulu in an effort to further Bellator’s continued commitment to the local MMA scene in Hawaii.

After an overwhelming turnout, 10 athletes from the tryout have been selected to compete inside the Bellator cage next month – and if victorious, will have a chance to earn an exclusive multi-fight Bellator contract. The fighters selected include **Braydon Akeo** (3-0), **Cheyden Leialoha** (7-1), **Pierre Daguzan** (5-3, 1 NC), **Jamie Thorton** (6-5), **Hunter Ewald** (pro debut), **Keoni Diggs** (7-0), **Scotty Hao** (4-2), **Swayne Lunasco** (7-0), **Kaylan Gorospe** (pro debut) and **Ben Wilhelm** (3-0).

At *Bellator and the USO Present: Salute the Troops* on Friday, Dec. 20, Maili, Hawaii’s **Braydon Akeo** (3-0) earns a spot on the main card at 145-pounds against **Tywan Claxton** (5-1), who will make his first appearance since competing in the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix. This bout joins the previously announced heavyweight main event between **Josh Barnett** (35-8) and **Ronny Markes** (19-7), a bantamweight scrap featuring newly signed **Erik Perez** (19-6) against Hawaii’s **Toby Misech** (11-7) and a flyweight contest pitting former title challengers against each other, as **Alejandra Lara** (8-3) squares off against **Veta Artega** (5-3).

On Friday’s prelims, Kauai’s **Hunter Ewald**, who was also selected from the tryouts, will make his professional debut against fellow Hawaiian **Jonathan Pico** (1-1) at 170-pounds. Also, recently signed to an exclusive deal of his own, Northern California’s **Cass Bell** (4-0) will face Max Holloway’s training partner **Pierre Daguzan** (5-3) at bantamweight and 82nd Airborne Army Veteran **Jamie Thorton** (6-5) takes on **Tiani Valle** (3-2) of Maui at flyweight.

*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, DAZN and globally on the Bellator Mobile App.

Saturday, Dec. 21’s *Bellator Hawaii: Macfarlane vs. Jackson* will feature another tryout participant deserving of a main card bout, as **Cheyden Leialoha** (7-1) meets another top prospect in Nebraska’s **Raufeon Stots** (12-1) at bantamweight. This fight joins a card topped by undefeated Bellator women’s flyweight champ **Ilima-Lei Macfarlane** (10-0) defending her title against **Kate Jackson** (11-3-1), **A.J. McKee** (15-0) taking on **Derek Campos** (20-9) in a quarterfinal matchup of the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix, **Neiman Gracie** (9-1) returning to action for the first time since his welterweight title shot in a welterweight bout against **Kiichi Kunimoto** (20-8-2, 1 NC) and women’s flyweight title hopefuls **Julianna Velasquez** (9-0) and **Bruna Ellen** (5-2) going to battle.

On the *Bellator 236* preliminary card, undefeated tryout prospect **Ben Wilhelm** (3-0) will take on two-time Bellator veteran **Kona Oliveira** (1-2) in a welterweight contest, while Wahiawa-born **Keoni Diggs** (7-0) and Hilo’s **Scotty Hao** (4-2) were also selected and will fight each other at 155 pounds. Lastly, Hawaii’s **Swayne Lunasco**, who went 7-0 as an amateur, and **Kaylan Gorospe**, who were both selected from the tryouts, will make their pro debuts against each other at bantamweight.

*Bellator Hawaii: Macfarlane vs. Jackson –* one of the star-powered, year-end highlights of fight season on DAZN – will stream Saturday, December 21 live exclusively on DAZN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while preliminary action will stream onBellator.com, DAZN and globally on the Bellator Mobile App.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com or the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena box office.

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

**Paramount Network & DAZN**

10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT/5 p.m. HST

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

*Bantamweight Main Card Bout:* **Toby Misech** (11-7) vs. **Erik Perez** (19-6)

*Flyweight Main Card Bout:* **Alejandra Lara** (8-3) vs. **Veta Artega** (5-3)

*Featherweight Main Card Bout:* **Tywan Claxton** (5-1) vs. **Braydon Akeo** (3-0)

**Updated Preliminary Card:**

**DAZN, Bellator.com & the Bellator Mobile App**

8:45 p.m. ET/7:45 p.m. CT/3:45 p.m. HST

*Bantamweight Preliminary Bout:* **Cass Bell** (4-0) vs. **Pierre Daguzan** (5-3, 1 NC)

*Welterweight Preliminary Bout:* **Hunter Ewald** (Pro Debut) vs. Jonathan Pico (1-1)

*Flyweight Preliminary Bout:* **Tiani Valle** (3-2) vs. **Jamie Thorton** (6-5)

**Updated *Bellator Hawaii: Macfarlane vs. Jackson* Main Card:**

**DAZN**

10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT/5 p.m. HST

*Flyweight World Title Bout:* **Ilima-Lei Macfarlane** (10-0) vs. **Kate Jackson** (11-3-1)

*Featherweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal Bout:* **A.J. McKee** (15-0) vs. **Derek Campos** (20-9)

*Welterweight Main Card Bout:* **Neiman Gracie** (9-1) vs. **Kiichi Kunimoto** (20-8-2, 1 NC)

*Flyweight Main Card Bout:* **Julianna Velasquez** (9-0) vs. **Bruna Ellen** (5-2)

*Bantamweight Main Card Bout:* **Raufeon Stots** (12-1) vs. **Cheyden Leialoha** (7-1)

**Updated Preliminary Card:**

**DAZN, Bellator.com & the Bellator Mobile App**

8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. HST

*Bantamweight Preliminary Bout:* **Swayne Lunasco** (Pro Debut) vs. **Kaylan Gorospe** (Pro Debut)

*Lightweight Preliminary Bout:* **Keoni Diggs** (7-0) vs. **Scotty Hao** (4-2)

*Flyweight Preliminary Bout:* **Nate Yoshimura** (Pro Debut) vs. **Chas Dunhour** (0-1)

*Featherweight Preliminary Bout:* **Kai Kamaka III** (5-2) vs. **Spencer Higa** (7-10)

*Welterweight Preliminary Bout:* **Kona Oliveira** (1-2) vs. **Ben Wilhelm** (3-0)

*Lightweight Preliminary Bout:* **Dustin Barca** (3-0) vs. **Brandon Pieper** (11-13)

*Lightweight Preliminary Bout:* **Nainoa Dung** (3-0) vs. **Zach Zane** (13-9)

*Cards subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for more information.

Combate Americas, MMA

FITE.TV to stream TITO vs ALBERTO live

November 25, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

FITE.TV has partnered with Combate Americas to bring fans the much- anticipated match between two legends – Tito Ortiz and Alberto “El Patron” Rodriguez.

Airing live from the Payne Arena in McAllen, Texas on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 8pm EST, the show will feature commentary in both English and Spanish.

More info in the FITE news page

Tito Ortiz vs Alberto El Patron on FITE

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