Categorie Archieven: MMA

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

FULL FIGHT CARD ANNOUNCED FOR BELLATOR 218: SANCHEZ VS. KARAKHANYAN 2 THIS FRIDAY ON PARAMOUNT NETWORK

Maart 20, 2019 FNU47 Laat een reactie achter

**LOS ANGELES** – The full slate of bouts for Bellator’s return to WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. deze vrijdag, Maart 22 has been completed with a stacked four-fight main card and a total of 10 preliminary contests.

The main event of Friday’s card at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Paramount Network, en simulcast op DAZN, will feature a 145-pound headliner, when former featherweight title contender **Emmanuel Sanchez** (17-4) rematches the returning **Georgi Karakhanyan** (28-8-1, 1 NC). Rounding out the stacked main card will see a heavyweight matchup pitting England’s **Linton Vassell** (18-7, 1 NC) in his divisional debut against Russia’s **Valentin Moldavsky** (7-1), the always-game **Gerald Harris** (25-7-1) returning to action against the surging **Anatoly Tokov** (27-2) in a middleweight contest and an intriguing middleweight contest between undefeated London Shootfighters-prospect **Norbert Novenyi** (2-0) and Kansas’ **Will Lavine** (1-1).

De opmaat voor *Bellator 218: Sanchez vs. Karakhanyan 2* will be highlighted by multiple bouts featuring recent Bellator signings, including Duke Rufus-trained prospect **Jordan Newman**, the professional debut of **Christian Edwards** van Jackson-Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, N.M., Sweden’s **Malin Hermansson** (2-0) en **Johnny Eblen** (4-0), who brings his undefeated record to Bellator. Anatoly Tokov’s younger brother, Vladimir Tokov (3-0), will also enter the Bellator cage for the first time when he competes at lightweight against **Ryan Walker** (8-4). Daarnaast, seven-fight Bellator veteran **John "Macapa"** (21-4) meets 30-fight veteran **Kevin Croom** (19-11) bij vedergewicht.

*Bellator 218: Sanchez vs. Karakhanyan 2* wordt vrijdag uitgezonden, Maart 22 op Paramount Network op 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT en zal LIVE streamen op DAZN. De voorbereidende actie voor beide evenementen wordt gestreamd op Bellator.com en wereldwijd op de Bellator Mobile App.

*Compleet Bellator 218: Sanchez vs. Karakhanyan 2* Hoofd Card:

*Featherweight Main Event Bout:* **Emmanuel Sanchez** (17-4) vs. **Georgi Karakhanyan** (28-8-1, 1 NC)

*Zwaargewicht Co-Main Event:* **Valentin Moldavsky** (7-1) vs. **Linton Vassell** (18-7, 1 NC)

*Middengewicht Main Card Bout:* **Anatoly Tokov** (27-2) vs. Gerald Harris (25-7-2)

*Middengewicht Voorlopige aanval:* **Nobert Novenyi** (3-0) vs. **Will Lavine** (1-1)

**Voorlopige Card:**

*Middengewicht Voorlopige aanval:* **Johnny Eblen** (4-0) vs. **Chauncey Foxworth** (9-7)

*Licht zwaargewicht voorronde:* **Christian Edwards** (Pro Debuut) vs. **Roman Huerta** (1-0)

*Lichtgewicht voorronde:* **Vladimir Tokov** (3-0) vs. **Ryan Walker** (8-4)

*Vedergewicht voorlopige wedstrijd:* **John "Macapa"** (21-4-2) vs. Kevin Croom (19-11)

*Middengewicht Voorlopige aanval:* **Jordan Newman** (Pro Debuut) vs. **Joseph Holmes** (Pro Debuut)

*Vlieggewicht voor damesweight:* **Malin Hermansson** (2-0) vs. **Victoria Leonardo** (4-1)

*Lichtgewicht voorronde:* **Nick Page** (0-2) vs. **Nation Gibrick** (2-0)

*Lichtgewicht voorronde:* **Aaron Vickers** (3-1) vs. **Isaiah Gutierrez** (4-1)

*Lichtgewicht voorronde:* **Craig Fairly** (2-1) vs. **Luis Erives** (1-1)

*Women’s 130-lb. Catchweight Preliminary Bout:* **Deborah Kouzmin** (1-1) vs. **Ky Bennett** (1-1)

*Kaart kan worden gewijzigd

Kunt u terecht op Bellator.com voor meer informatie.

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

GOOD FRIENDS, BETTER RIVALS: PAGLIARULO PUTS FRIENDSHIP ASIDE TO FACE RICHARD FOR NEF FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE

Maart 19, 2019 FNU47 Laat een reactie achter

Portland, Maine (Maart 18, 2019) – Tom “The Phenom” Pagliarulo might be a man of mystery to many New England Fights enthusiasts, but the newcomer and his opponent at NEF 38: “Stormborn” require no introduction to one another.

Maybe it’s a stretch to say Pagliarulo and Zac “Rocky” Richard lead parallel lives, but the similarities are striking.

Each has a substantial, successful wrestling background. Both have accelerated from the finish line of their respective mixed martial arts careers, with one minor speed bump.

And in a world where prospective combatants usually don’t have to work hard to drum up drama and animosity, Pagliarulo, 21, said that he and Richard are reasonably good, if casual, vrienden.

“I’ve known Zac for a long time,” Pagliarulo said. “We’ve competed together at some of the same big, regional wrestling meets and kind of become friends through that. We have very similar backgrounds.”

Pagliarulo (2-1) will be forced to put those common denominators on the back burner for one night – Saturday, April 27 – when he confronts Richard for the vacant NEF amateur featherweight title at Aura in Portland, Maine.

The location is significant. Richard is a native of nearby Waterboro, and whether it’s that short 30-minute commute or a drive two-thirds of the way across the state to Bangor, his family and friends are fiercely loyal.

A product of Haverhill, Massachusetts, who now trains across the New Hampshire state line at both Spero’s Martial Arts Academy (Plaistow) and Burgess MMA (Manchester), Pagliarulo is fully aware that he’s walking into the belly of the beast.

“I’m going into his backyard. I know he brings a lot of fans and sells a ton of tickets,” Pagliarulo said, “Hopefully I’ll have quite a few following me, ook. Hij is een geweldige tegenstander. There’s no question it will be a tough fight in a tough spot. I’m just looking for opportunities to build myself and advance my career over the next two to three years.”

Pagliarulo said he accepted the risk and potential reward of his NEF debut for the same reason adventurer George Leigh Mallory once rationalized his attempt to climb Mount Everest: Because it’s there.

After three relatively short fights near his home base, Pagliarulo wasn’t satisfied with the potential competition close to home and had his handlers cast a wider net.

“I was looking for a fight anywhere in New England,” Pagliarulo said. “NEF was the first to give me this opportunity, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.”

MMA was a natural progression for Pagliarulo, who made his mark in the realms of both wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

He was captain of the wrestling team as a senior at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Pagliarulo’s transition to Plymouth State University was an immediate success: Hij was 16-10 and earned the team’s rookie of the year honors as a freshman in 2016-17.

All the while, he began training for the combat cage when his schedule permitted.

“I’ve always had it in the back of my mind,” Pagliarulo said. “From the time I was maybe 10 years old and started watching UFC, I knew it was something I wanted to do. I always loved fighting, loved the sport, so I started training for it as soon as I turned 18.”

After only four forays onto the wrestling mat as a sophomore, Pagliarulo hung up the singlet.

“There were some personal issues, and I got away from it,” Pagliarulo said. “I decided to focus on MMA, and I’ve done that exclusively for about the past year.”

Pagliarulo also stepped up his BJJ training. He is currently a blue belt.

“That’s also been for about a year now,” Pagliarulo said. “Between that and my wrestling, my ground game is definitely the most dangerous I’d say, but my stand-up is not something to be slept on.”

In his September 2017 MMA debuut, Pagliarulo exploded onto the scene with a second-round stoppage of Harry Gigliotti via rear naked choke.

Brimming with confidence, he received a wake-up call five months later when Matt Brady locked Pagliarulo in a guillotine choke and dealt his initial loss in under a minute.

“I made a simple mistake, and my opponent took advantage of it,” Pagliarulo said. “But I bounced back with a first-round TKO, and I feel like I learned a lot from it.”

That 67-second knockout of Eddie Linscott put Pagliarulo in position for the first title fight of his career.

He’ll take on a hungry opponent who encountered adversity, van soorten, in zijn laatste gevecht. Richard fought veteran Fred Lear for the same belt in February, with the judges declaring a rare draw.

With Lear making the decision to eschew a rematch and turn pro, Pagliarulo is the beneficiary.

“To win a belt at this point in my career would be cool,” Pagliarulo said, “but I’m really just excited to take a fight of this caliber and find out where I stand.”

Pagliarulo remains in school as a back-up plan. He’s a junior academically. He would gladly put off using that degree, echter, if it meant a chance to travel the world and jump with both feet into the sport he loves.

“UFC is definitely the end goal. Of course it is for everybody,” Pagliarulo said.

The guy who shares everybody’s dream … and was looking to fight anybody … hopes a win over an old wrestling buddy will help him get recognized as somebody.

NEF's volgende mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” zal plaatsvinden op zaterdag, April 27, 2019 bij Aura in Portland, Maine met een beltijd van 7 p.m. Tickets zijn nu te koop bijwww.AuraMaine.com.

Over New England Fights

New England Fights ("NEF") is een strijd gebeurtenissen promoties bedrijf. NEF's missie is om de hoogste kwaliteit van evenementen voor zowel vechters en fans te creëren. Executive team NEF's heeft een ruime ervaring in de strijd sportmanagement, evenementen productie, mediarelaties, verkoop, juridische en reclame.

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

HYLTON READY TO ‘MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN’ IN 2019

Maart 14, 2019 FNU47 Laat een reactie achter

Portland, Maine (Maart 11, 2019) - New England Fights (NEF) heavyweight ‘Rasquatch’ ‘The Jamaican Shamrock’ Ras Hylton (3-2) had a mixed bag of a mixed martial arts (MMA) run in 2018. Hylton recently joined host Jason Floyd on The MMA Report podcast to discuss the ups-and-downs of the last year and his goals for 2019.

After losing a fight in New York last May, Hylton rebounded with a beautiful knockout victory over longtime MMA veteran Eric Bedard (6-8) in Rhode Island last August. The win put Hylton in the position to fight Yorgan De Castro for the inaugural NEF Cruiserweight title, a 225-pound division that Hylton has been championing for the widespread adoption of in MMA. De Castro and Hylton shared a wild two-and-a-half minutes in the cage before De Castro ultimately knocked out Hylton to win the title.

“I was trying to change things up and, weet je, it’s kind of like playing with a chemistry set for the first time,” Hylton said in describing his 2018. “You get a bunch of ingredients, and elements, and chemicals in front of you and some you’re familiar with and some you’ve got to learn and tinker with some before you can really hone down what it’s going for.”

A lifelong martial artist, Hylton credits his father for putting him on the path that lead to his eventual career choice as a professional fighter.

“Ever since I started learning how to box a little bit with my dad when I was a kid, I’ve always been fascinated with fighting in general,” Hylton told Floyd. “He never really would have wanted me to be a fighter, but he put a bug in and I never really let go, so it was just the next logical evolution of my learning was getting in there and testing it out in an environment that supports growth and change. Zo, it’s been a great learning experience. I’ve met a lot of great people and had a lot of fun doing it.”

It’s no secret to anyone that has seen Hylton compete in the cage that he prefers the standup aspect of the sport as opposed to the ground game, but when asked why he choose to pursue mixed martial arts competition over boxing, he answered without hesitation.

“The variety and the options available,” Hylton replied. “Don’t get me wrong, I completely respect boxing as a sport, but the fact that there’s so much focus on just the upper body and punches to the head and more frequently than not. Ik bedoel, we’re all looking for the knockout shot, but MMA offered the opportunity to really open up and give us more of a realistic approach to one-on-one combat. I mean as long as you play fair, you get to use all the same tools and figure out how to play a different kind of game that still beats the other guys.”

Standing at 6’6”, Hylton has become known for his menacing height as much as he has for his memorable performances in the cage. However, Hylton was quick to note that his height can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to combat.

“It definitely focuses things for both myself and my opponent,” Hylton stated. “I’ve got a body type that speaks very blatantly of what the advantages are and what the disadvantages are, so it really helps to focus the training and where’s there fewer big people than there are small people, you need some sort of way to fine tune things as quick as possible. Weet je, there’s not much of a learning curve before you start getting hurt by it.”

Hylton’s next fight is set for April 27^th when he takes on Charles Penn at “NEF 38: Stormborn” in Portland, Maine. Penn, who fights for Hyaston MMA, will be traveling from North Carolina for the bout.

“This has been probably the biggest question mark fight I’ve ever had,” Hylton stated. “I mean, at least with everybody who’s come before there’s been some avenue of recent information, but I mean he did bring his amateur career, 6-3, but his last fight was, what? 2013? Zo, there’s a big question mark there, there’s a big gap there, where he could have gone in any direction. So it’s kind of simplified things for me, because now I get to just stick to my plan of using 2019 to do what I have to do to be the best fighter I can be. Zo, I get to keep on at him. I don’t have the distraction of trying to figure out the other guy. It’s really played towards my mental strengths to start off this year.”

“Execution,” Hylton continued. “Execution of the game plan is what I’m really looking to stick to from here on out. I want to take this as far as I can go. I want to go up as high as I can. And I’ve been lucky with the support that I’ve got between my family and my gyms to be able to do something that really makes me feel whole. I want to pay back that investment in full and with as much interest as possible, as soon as possible. I’m in my 30’s now, got to make something happen, weet je?"

About New England FightsNew England Fights ("NEF") is een strijd gebeurtenissen promoties bedrijf. NEF's missie is om de hoogste kwaliteit van evenementen voor zowel vechters en fans te creëren. Executive team NEF's heeft een ruime ervaring in de strijd sportmanagement, evenementen productie, mediarelaties, verkoop, juridische en reclame.

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

SMITH TO DEFEND WELTERWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST TEFFT AT NEF 38

Maart 14, 2019 FNU47 Laat een reactie achter

Portland, Maine (Maart 11, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) zal haar volgende mixed-martial-arts presenteren (MMA) evenement, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” on April 27, 2019 bij Aura in Portland. Eerder vandaag, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur title fight to the card. Duncan “The Highlander” Smid (4-3) will defend the NEF Amateur Welterweight Title against Jon Tefft (2-0).

Duncan Smith captured the 170-pound championship last June when he submitted Carlton Charles in the fourth round at “NEF 34.” He has proven himself a skilled grappler with all three of his wins in 2018 coming by way of submission. Smith will put the title on the line for the first time when he meets Tefft on April 27. He currently represents Evolution Athletix based in Sacco, Maine.

“I don’t know anything about my opponent, but I know the gym,” aldus Smith. “I will be ready for anything they have for me April 27th. It’ll be my time to flow.”

Undefeated Jon Tefft made his cage debut in early 2017 with a technical knockout of Sean Worcester early in the first round at “NEF 27.” He followed up that performance with another victory later that year over Mike Williams at “NEF 29.” After a hard-fought first round, Williams was unable to answer the referee’s call to start the second round due to a shoulder injury. Tefft is a member of First Class MMA located in Brunswick, Maine.

“I’m more than excited and honored for the opportunity to fight Duncan for the NEF welterweight title,” said Tefft.“I always want to be in the conversation of ‘who’s the best’ and this my chance. Duncan looks to be a technical fighter, we will see if he can match my grit, will and desire.”

Over New England Fights

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

NEF WILL CROWN ITS SECOND WOMEN’S CHAMPION ON APRIL 27 IN PORTLAND

Maart 10, 2019 FNU47 Laat een reactie achter

Portland, Maine (Maart 8, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) zal haar volgende mixed-martial-arts presenteren (MMA) evenement, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” on April 27, 2019 bij Aura in Portland. Eerder vandaag, de strijd promotie aangekondigd de toevoeging van de bout van een amateur vrouwen op de kaart. Taylor “T-Storm” Thompson (3-0) zal op zich te nemen Andrea “Renegade” Howland (2-0) to crown the first-ever NEF Women’s Bantamweight Champion. It will be the first women’s title fight for the promotion since Hilarie Rose captured the vacant strawweight title at “NEF 31” in november 2017.

“We hear it from fans constantly–they can’t get enough of the female fighters,” said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “April 27th we’ve stacked the card with top-tier talent to give the fans exactly what they’ve been asking for. Howland and Thompson are two undefeated competitors with their sights set squarely on turning pro and eventually breaking into the UFC. On April 27th, one of them will leave the cage with their perfect record broken and one will leave with the first ever NEF Women’s Bantamweight Championship. Special thanks to Tommy Vickers fromQueen MMA Media for his assistance in making this bout happen.”

Taylor Thompson made her NEF debut last November at “NEF 36” in a winning effort against Catie Denning. Prior to that time, Thompson had won two fights in Massachusetts, both by finish. She represents BST MMA & Fitness gevestigd in Mendon, Massachusetts.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to fight for NEF’s first ever women’s amateur bantamweight title,” said Thompson, “especially when I will be sharing the cage with a very talented opponent, Andrea Howland. I know I am going to love this fight, and I think the fans will too.”

Andrea Howland will bring her undefeated record to the East Coast for the first time in her amateur career. She made her cage debut in the spring of 2018 and has won both of her previous bouts by decision. Howland is currently a member of Michigan Top Team based in Southfield, Michigan.

“I am beyond excited at the opportunity to pursue a bantamweight title in my third MMA appearance,” exclaimed Howland. “Myself and my team are being flown out to the beautiful state of Maine at an incredible time of the year to get ourselves into a dog fight for a championship strap! What more could you ask for? I am making memories with my team and pursuing my dream of being a competitive athlete. I respect my opponent, Taylor Thompson, for her aggressiveness and her dedication to her career. I expect us to have a brawl of epic proportions, and it’s an honor to share the cage with her as a fellow amateur bantamweight prospect. April 27th can’t come soon enough! This is what I signed up for!”

NEF's volgende mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” zal plaatsvinden op zaterdag, April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine met een beltijd van 7 p.m. Tickets zijn nu te koop bijwww.AuraMaine.com. ��T[�0�

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

HORNSTRA AND HERRERA SPOILIN’ FOR A FIGHT AT NEF 38

Maart 2, 2019 FNU47 Laat een reactie achter

Portland, Maine (Februari 27, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) zal haar volgende mixed-martial-arts presenteren (MMA) evenement, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” on April 27, 2019 bij Aura in Portland. Eerder vandaag, the fight promotion announced the addition of a professional lightweight bout to the card. Keegan “The Flu” Hornstra zal op zich te nemen Zenon “K-Bar” Herrera bij een gevecht gewicht van 155-pond.

Hornstra, who fought on the first three NEF cards in 2012, has not competed in the promotion’s cage in nearly seven years. A veteran of more than 20 MMA bouts over the course of his amateur and professional careers, Hornstra is 3-3 over the course of his last six with all three wins being finishes. He last competed on a card in Massachusetts in November 2016. Hornstra currently represents Evolution Athletix based in Saco, Maine.

“I’m excited to be back in the NEF cage,” said Hornstra, “it’s been about seven years since my last outing in Maine. I’m fighting one of the NEF regulars in Zenon, the guy is super tough and I don’t think he’s ever said no to anyone. He’s coming off a dominant win and has found areas of success against some of NEF’s bigger names. I’m going to get in and put him out quickly and move on to the next.”

After several attempts in the NEF cage, Zenon Herrera finally picked up his first win as a professional at “NEF 32” last year with a unanimous decision victory over Nate Charles. He returned to the cage later in the year in a losing effort to Ernesto Ornelas. Herrera will look to bounce back from that loss on April 27 against Hornstra. He is a member of Team Smog.

“Everything I’ve seen thus far leads me to believe that this is going to be a great and tough match,” said Herrera. “I’ve had that moment of the glory that comes with getting my hand raised in victory and will strive to get it back. As for Keegan, he’s one of those guys who brings his best every time he comes out, and I know this match will be no different. I guess all I can really say is don’t look away once it starts, I have a feeling this one’s gonna end with a bang.”

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

RASQUATCH RETURNS TO THE CAGE TO AVENGE HOMETOWN LOSS

Februari 27, 2019 FNU47 Laat een reactie achter

Portland, Maine (Februari 26, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) zal haar volgende mixed-martial-arts presenteren (MMA) evenement, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” on April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland. Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of a professional heavyweight fight to the card.“The Jamaican Shamrock” Ras “Rasquatch” Hyltonis gepland te staanCharles Penn.

At 6’6,” Ras Hylton is one of the largest competitors ever to step foot in the NEF cage. He started his amateur MMA career three years ago this month and went 3-0 prior to making his professional debut at “NEF 27” in februari 2017. Hylton has put together a record of 3-2 als pro. He will be looking to bounce back from a loss to Yorgan De Castro (4-0) in an unsuccessful bid to capture the inaugural NEF Cruiserweight Championship at “NEF 36” last November.

Hylton trains with First Class MMA in Brunswick, Maine as well as Dragon Fire Martial Arts in Portland. He is a longtime practitioner of Taekwondo, a discipline in which he holds a black belt.

“I’m really grateful to be fighting in my home again,” zei Hylton. “After my humbling return late last year, it’s been a time of reflection on what is necessary for my success. Gelukkig voor mij, I have family in every part of my life. From home, naar de sportschool, to the dojo, to my job, I’m constantly getting my motivation to do things better. Thank you for keeping me going, and helping me find excellence. It’s going to be a great year!"

Hylton’s opponent at “NEF 38,” Charles Penn, will be making his professional debut. Penn put together an impressive 6-3 record as an amateur competing throughout the Midwest. He now represents Hayastan MMA based in North Carolina.

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

CHAMPION ‘KILLA’ KAM ARNOLD – ‘I WANT A BLOODBATH’

Februari 26, 2019 FNU47 Laat een reactie achter

New England Fights (NEF) bantamweight champion “Killa” Kam Arnold has been perfect so far in his mixed martial arts (MMA) carrière, carving out a flawless 4-0 record with four knockouts since he debuted in the promotion just over a year and a half ago

Op april 27^th, the 135-pound “King in the North” makes his highly anticipated return to the cage when he is scheduled to defend his title against longtime bantamweight mainstay, Henry Clark (5-4).

Arnold recently joined Jason Floyd onThe MMA Report podcast to discuss his origins in the sport, his reign at the top of the New England 135-pound division, and his goals for the future.

“I fell in love with combat sports at a very young age, mostly boxing,” Arnold explained to Floyd. “I was the youngest of all boys. I grew up in a pretty rough family, and I had to be tough growing up, and my love for combat sports came into the fold. I also played hockey as a kid, so I had a physical upbringing. And I also wrestled when I was in school and it transformed into this. I never thought I was going to be doing MMA as a kid, although I loved it.

“I hit rock bottom when I was a young teen,” Arnold continued. “I hit rock bottom, and my mother came from out-of-state and picked me up, and we moved to Lewiston [Maine]. And I always swore to myself as a kid I’d never move there because I thought it was the worst place in the world. But it was actually the best move I ever made in my entire life.”

When Arnold’s parents—whom he credits for “making me the man I am today”–brought him to his adopted hometown of Lewiston, Maine, he also found a gym family at Central Maine Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (CMBJJ) where he has started training under longtime NEF veterans Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (9-7) and former NEF flyweight champion Dustin Veinott (5-4).

“I’m trying to become a whole complete martial artist,” Arnold stated. “I’m not trying to be known as just this brawler that’s going to go out there and bang with anybody.”

“Bang,” echter, is exactly what Arnold did in April 2018 when he knocked out David Thompson at “NEF 33: Riptide” in a lighting fast 11-seconds.

“I mean yeah, it was a hell of a knockout highlight reel,” Arnold confessed. “But I’ve been doing that my whole life, man.”

“We were working that overhand right, we knew that was going to be there right from the beginning,” Arnold continued. “I spoke it into existence and that’s exactly what happened. I cracked him with a jab, I saw his head snap back, and then as he’s coming in, he’s coming in very aggressive, he dropped his hand, he’s coming in for an upper cut and he left his chin right on a shelf for me.”

Arnold solidified his position at the top of the New England bantamweight division in June 2018 at “NEF 34: Home of the Brave” when he defeated Killian Murphy (1-2) via fourth-round knockout to become the NEF bantamweight champion. Despite a back and forth battle that brought the crowd to its feet that night, and the culminating moment he landed the knockout punch that iced the win for him, Arnold looks back and still sees room for improvement.

“I just haven’t been able to find that perfect fight, Ik denk dat,” Arnold pondered. “A lot of people would point to Killian Murphy maybe being that fight for me, but in my eyes that was a very poor performance for myself. I kept my hands very low for a reason, and a lot of people said, ‘Oh, you looked tired.’ If I was so tired, I wouldn’t have knocked him out in the fourth round. I kept my hands low for a reason because of his wrestling ability. And people seem to forget that I used to wrestle too, and I outwrestled him that whole fight. But I was still upset that I shouldn’t have been able to take that many shots as I did with Killian. I should have put him out earlier in the fight.

“It’s hard to get the perfect fight,” Arnold continued. “I talk to other people about it and they’re like, “Dude, it’s so hard.” Even guys that have been fighting for 10, 15 years they’re like, “It’s so hard to find that perfect fight.” Because I was like, “Man, is there something wrong with me? I feel disappointed in myself after a win.”

So what does Arnold want out of one of his fights in order to walk away satisfied?

“I want to have a bloodbath,” he admitted. “I want to split somebody wide open, have a doctor stoppage, because I’m beating somebody so badly. I love seeing people’s eyes roll in the back of their heads, I like making people stiff as a board.”

Currently still competing as an amateur, Arnold is already being discussed as a future threat in the professional bantamweight division. Before he turns pro, echter, he has plans set to defend his title on April 27^th against a very experienced and crafty veteran in Henry Clark, who comes into the bout riding a two-fight win streak.

“Henry’s tough, één,” Arnold warned. “He has a chin on him, he’s a gamer, he’s not going to back down and he’s solid all the way around.”

With his two-year anniversary since his debut still four months away, Kam isn’t anxious and is confident that he has a lot left to contribute to the sport.

“I still have some amateur goals that I want to accomplish and we’re only scratching the surface of my career, werkelijk,” Arnold stated. “I don’t want to make too much of a premature jump into the next group of talent. But I’m not afraid either, I’ve got to make the decision here coming up shortly, I’d like to get at least a couple more fights in. Depending on how those fights go—I’m one fight at a time—but if I keep on remaining successful, then I can’t see why I wouldn’t go pro after a sixth or a seventh fight.

“I’m very excited for the next chapter,” Arnold concluded.

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 bij Aura in Portland, Maine met een beltijd van 7 p.m. Tickets zijn nu te koop bijwww.AuraMaine.com.

About New England Fights

New England Fights ("NEF") is een strijd gebeurtenissen promoties bedrijf. 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, mediarelaties, verkoop, juridische en reclame. == z5�PZ