Category Archives: MMA

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

EWER AND HALL ON COLLISION COURSE FOR NEF 35 IN BANGOR

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Maine (July 13, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) will hold its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 35: Wicked Season,” on September 8 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of a professional lightweight bout to the fight card.  CJ Ewer (3-1) is scheduled to face Caleb Hall (1-0) at a fight weight of 155-pounds.

 

 

 

Ewer headlined the previous NEF card in Bangor with a win over Mike Hansen (5-9) last August to claim the professional middleweight title of the promotion.  Earlier this year, he tried to become the first multi-division champion in NEF history when he met Kemran Lachinov (5-2) for the welterweight strap.  It was not to be, however, as Ewer suffered his first professional loss that February evening at “NEF 32.”  A member of Bangor’s Young’s MMA who proudly serves his country with the United States Air Force security forces, Ewer will look to rebound from that loss against Hall this September.

 

 

 

“Caleb has improved exponentially every single fight, and he looked amazing his last fight,” said Ewer of his opponent. “Caleb will go very far in this sport, but I am going to make sure he doesn’t do it at my expense. It’s going to be a very tough, very exciting fight for sure.”

 

 

 

Caleb Hall surprised many fans when he arrived for “NEF 33” weigh-ins this spring.  The one-time amateur featherweight titleholder looked like a monster version of his former self after bulking up with ten pounds of muscle for his professional debut at lightweight.  The next night, Hall squeezed the proverbial life out of rugged veteran John Ortolani (8-13) with a Von Flue choke to pick up his first pro victory.  The impressive performance sent a message to the New England MMA scene that Hall had indeed arrived in the pro ranks.  Hall is a product of the Choi Institute in Portland, Maine and a two-time state wrestling champion out of Dirigo High School in Dixfield, Maine.

 

 

 

“I am looking forward to making another statement with a win over Ewer in his hometown,” stated Hall. “He’s a tough fighter, and I can’t wait to get in there and fight.”

 

 

 

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 35: Wicked Season,” will see the company make its return to the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.  The event is scheduled to take place Saturday, September 8, 2018 with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.CrossInsuranceCenter.com.

Bellator, boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, wrestling

FNU Combat Sports Show: Pro Boxer Anthony Laureano Interview, Brock Invades the UFC Cage, Cormier gets a Huge Win, Pacquaio Faces a Tough Boxing Test in Malaysia This Weekend

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This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show, Psychic Tom and Rabble Rousin’ Rich start off with a great interview with pro boxer Anthony Laureano. The Connecticut professional boxer is coming off a big win on the undercard of the Joe Smith Jr. fight at the end of June. We also recap last week’s boxing and MMA action, highlighted by Daniel Cormier’s monumental win over Stipe Miocic to become the first two belt holder in the UFC since McGregor. Tony joins the broadcast after the Laureano interview to give his take on Brock’s return to the UFC after going back to the WWE at the end of his first UFC stint. We also touch upon the Danny O’Connor fight being called off due to severe dehydration suffered by O’Connor. Finally, we preview upcoming events and briefly discuss a rumored rematch between Vitali Klitschko and Lennox Lewis.

 

Listen to the full show right here:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9pj6fsfyhi4kmrj/tomtonyrichfnushowjuly10th2018.mp3?dl=0

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

OFFICIAL BELLATOR 202: BUDD VS. NOGUEIRA WEIGH-IN RESULTS & PHOTOS

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Full Weigh-In Photos Here

 

Complete Bellator 202 Weigh-in Results:

Women’s Featherweight World Title Main Event: Julia Budd (144.1) vs. Talita Nogueira (144.3)

Bantamweight Co-Main Event: Eduardo Dantas (135.5) vs. Michael McDonald (135.6)

Middleweight Main Card Bout: Chris Honeycutt (185.6) vs. Leo Leite (184.3)

Heavyweight Main Card Bout: Ernest James (261.1) vs. Valentin Moldavsky (232.9)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Gerald Harris (170.5) vs. Yaroslav Amasov (170.2)

Women’s Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Emily Ducote (125) vs. Veta Arteaga (125.7)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Steve Kozola (154.6) vs. Ryan Walker (155.9)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Aaron Webb (144.7) vs. Daniel Carey (145.4)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Charles Williams (153.6) vs. Will Morris (155.5)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Nation Gibrick (155.3) vs. Luis Erives (155.9)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Tyler Ingram (169.9) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (170.7)

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Jon Hill (256.2) vs. Rudy Schaffroth (252.4)

 

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

BANGOR FAN FAVORITES WILL DO BATTLE ON NEF 35 FIGHT CARD

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Bangor, Maine (July 12, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) will hold its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 35: Wicked Season,” on September 8 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of a professional lightweight bout to the fight card.  Jon Lemke (7-8) will meet Aaron “Relentless” Lacey (5-2) at a fight weight of 155-pounds.

 

 

 

Lemke is an eleven-fight veteran of the NEF cage and a perennial top contender in the promotion’s lightweight division.  A member of Titan Athletics based in neighboring Brewer, Maine, Lemke has developed a massive following out of the Bangor area.  He is a four-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps.  One of the highlights of Lemke’s career was scoring a victory over Jesse Erickson (9-7) before a nationally televised audience on the NEF co-promoted Bellator 93 event in Lewiston, Maine.  He is coming off a unanimous decision win against Josh LaBerge (11-7) in Rhode Island last fall.

 

 

 

“It is with great excitement and anticipation that I step back into the NEF cage to fight in front of my hometown friends and fans,” said Lemke. “It is with equal enthusiasm that I fight Aaron Lacey, who is one of the best fighters in New England. This is going to be an absolute battle that fans will not want to miss.”

 

 

 

For Lacey, the bout with Lemke will be the first time he has fought in the lightweight division since his amateur career. Lacey was victorious over Dom Cofone (6-6) in a 150-pound catchweight contest in the spring of 2014.  Since that fight, Lacey has competed nine times – all in the 145-pound featherweight division.  The fight with Lemke presents an opportunity for Lacey to once again compete before his hometown fans and friends in the Queen City.  A member of Bangor’s Young’s MMA, Lacey was scheduled to appear on NEF’s previous event at the Cross Insurance Center in the summer of 2017, but his opponent was forced out of the bout just hours prior to bell time when it was discovered that he was serving a medical suspension for a boxing loss in another jurisdiction.  Lacey will look to bounce back from a loss to top prospect Da’Mon Blackshear (5-1) last month at “NEF 34” in Portland, Maine.

 

 

 

“I’m so excited to be fighting in Bangor,” exclaimed Lacey.  “Last time I was slated to fight in Bangor it did not work out. My last fight (Blackshear) didn’t go my way, and I’m looking to fix some mistakes this fight. It won’t be easy for him.  He will suffer, and I will test and then break his will! Bangor is my home, and I will defend it.”

 

 

 

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 35: Wicked Season,” will see the company make its return to the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.  The event is scheduled to take place Saturday, September 8, 2018 with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.CrossInsuranceCenter.com.

Bellator, boxing, FNU Combat Sports Show, Golden Boy Promotions, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, women's boxing, women's MMA

FNU Combat Sports Show: July 5th, 2018

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This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show, Tom, Tony and Rich look back at Bellator 201, a new candidate for “Round of the Year” in the Zappavigna/Saucedo fight, Golden Boy making moves in boxing and MMA, and the increasing push by streaming services to drain away the PPV dollar from sports fans. We start off discussing concussion symptoms that led to the withdrawal of Max Holloway from the co-main event of UFC 226 this week.

 

Of course we also preview a huge weekend for the UFC with The TUF Finale tonight and the long-awaited UFC 226 main event of Stipe Miocic putting his heavyweight belt on the line against Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier.

 

Listen to the full broadcast at the link below:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pckwutknd1wvbm9/july5fnuradioshow.mp3?dl=0

Bellator, boxing, DAZN, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC

FNU Combat Sports Show: UFC Fight Night Recap, Pacquiao vs. Matthysse still on, “Big Rig” Retires

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This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show, we discuss the latest news in MMA and boxing, recap the past week’s events and preview the upcoming events this week. We also discuss Walter “2 Guns” Wright winning his main event fight against Mark DeLuca a couple days after we interviewed him last week. Wright’s split decision win came in part due to a persistent jab that frustrated DeLuca and left him bloodied, bruised and exhausted by the final bell. Of course bringing up this fact gets us all going on the absolute necessity of the jab in any combat sports fighter’s toolbox.

Among the news we touch on:

The rumors about Manny Pacquiao’s next fight with Lucas Matthysse being in jeopardy, Manny and his team say everything is on track.

Johny “Big Rig” Hendricks retires (also forgot to mention Rashad Evans retired as well).

 

The latest cast for The Contender Series, set to return this August featuring 16 up and coming young boxers in the 160-pound division.

 

Lyoto Machida’s defection from the UFC to Bellator and Bellator’s blockbuster deal with DAZN, a streaming service working to take over new markets this year, including the US and Italy.

 

Here is the link to our full broadcast:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fhh628mp15en9md/tomtonyrichjune282018.mp3?dl=0

M-1, mixed martial arts, MMA, Russia

“Road to M-1: USA” August 11 in Nashville  

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Showcasing the American debut of “The Rage”
 
Worldwide Pay Per View from Music City
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 28, 2018) – “Road to M-1: USA”, presented by M-1 Global USA and Angel Fight Promotions, will be held August 11, airing on worldwide pay-per-view live from Global Mall in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

 

 

Russia-based M-1 Global has been promoting professional MMA events in Russia, China, Finland and other countries for the past 21 years, featuring many of the sport’s greatest fighters, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem and Sergei Kharitonov, among the more notables.

 

 

 

In the past, M-1 Global has promoted seven M-1 Challenges and four M-1 Selection events in the United States.

 

 

 

“We are excited to come back to the USA,” M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein commented. “It’s been almost seven years since M-1 Global held its last show in the United States and the upcoming Road to M-1 is going to be the first step on our way back into American MMA. We’ve been working hard together with our American representatives, Angel Natal and Mike Merriman, to make it happen and on August 11th we are going to have a show to remember!”

 

 

 

A hybrid ring-cage, “The Rage”, will make its American debut at “Road to M-1: USA”, which allows fans optimum viewing, while fighters have the safety associated with a cage.

 

 

 

Integrated Sports Media will distribute “Road to M-1: USA” in North America on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view via iN Demand, Vubiquity, DIRECTV and DISH in the United States, as well as SaskTel and other outlets to be announced in Canada, and live-streamed worldwide on the FITE.TV app and website (www.fite.tv), starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, for a suggested retail price of only $19.95.

 

 

 

“I can’t describe how good it feels to be this close to this show airing,” said Merriman, head of operations for M-1 Global USA & Angel Fight Promotions. “Everyone loves to see sweat and blood in the ring, myself included, but so few people see the blood, sweat, and tears spilt while setting something like this up. This show is going to open a lot of eyes… and drop a few jaws!”

 

 

 

The main event pits Georgia middleweight Doug “Yamato” Usher (9-3-0) versus Reggie “The Regulator” Pena (14-6-0), of Florida, while Russian lightweight Vadim Ogar (6-3-0) takes on his Cuban opponent fighting out of North Carolina, Yoislandy “Cuba” Izquierdo(11-4-0) in the co-featured event.

 

 

 

Undefeated Russian bantamweight prospect Saidyokub Kakharamonov (5-0-0), fighting out of Chicago, throws down with Tony Gravely (12-5-0), of Virginia; Georgia flyweight C.J. “The Autobot” Hamilton (12-6-0) faces Floridian fighter Abdiel “The Nightmare” Velazquez (8-5-0), Kentucky welterweight “The Juggernaut” Brandon Bell (5-6-0) meets Jacob “Tick-Tock” McLintock (9-2-0), of Arizona; and Tennessee welterweight James Conway (3-0-0) squares off with P.J. Cajigas (5-7-0), of Chicago, to round out the main card.

 

 

 

Scheduled to fight on the undercard is California heavyweight Cody “The Moose” Goodale (5-4-0) vs. TBA, New Brunswick, Canada bantamweight Chris Johnson (5-6-0) vs. Jerrod “The Hillbilly Hammer” Jennings (2-1-0), of Kentucky, and local Nashville favorite Dwayne Herrelle (0-1-0) vs. pro-debuting Kentucky lightweight Kegan Agnew.

 

 

 

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

 

 

 

CLICK HERE FOR PROMO VIDEO:https://drive.google.com/file/d/18ONIDbekTSAUUPhXXlhIpc_xCVqH5LGM/view?usp=sharing

 

 

 

INFORMATION:

 

 

 

www.M1Global.tv

M1GlobalUSA.com

www.mixfight.ru

 

 

 

Twitter & Instagram:

 

 

@M1GlobalNews

@VFinkelchtein

@M1Global

 

 

 

Facebook:

 

 

 

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

www.facebook.com/M1GlobalUSA/ 
Bellator, DAZN, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

BELLATOR & DAZN SIGN NINE-FIGURE, MULTI-YEAR DISTRIBUTION DEAL

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LIVE SPORTS STREAMING PLATFORM TO DELIVER SEVEN EXCLUSIVE STAR-STUDDED BELLATOR MMA EVENTS PER YEAR

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CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION – GEGARD MOUSASI-RORY MACDONALD MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT, PLUS ‘RAMPAGE’ JACKSON-WANDERLEI SILVA IV HIGHLIGHT FIRST EVENT ON SEPT. 29 FROM SAP CENTER AT SAN JOSE

 

LOS ANGELES – Bellator, a leading global combat sports franchise owned by Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands, and DAZN, the world’s largest dedicated live sports streaming service and part of Perform Group, today announced a multi-year landmark distribution agreement.

 

 

 

The nine-figure deal will feature seven exclusive stacked fight cards per year on DAZN and another 15 that are simulcast across Paramount Network and DAZN. All fights will stream in any country where DAZN is available. As part of the platform’s global expansion, DAZN will launch in the U.S. and Italy in 2018, with the service already live in Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan.

 

 

 

“The exciting new partnership with DAZN is a game-changer for Bellator,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “The investment will enable us to continue expanding our roster with free agents that make sense, so we can put on PPV-worthy fight cards that fans want to see. Plus, on DAZN’s worldwide platform, our fights will be seen live for the first time to new audiences around the globe.”

 

 

 

“It’s simple; fans want to see great fighters in competitive fights so we’ve handed the keys to Scott Coker and his venerable team to go out and recruit even more top-level talent to further stack Bellator fight cards and build on their success,” said DAZN CEO James Rushton.  “With the combination of this investment and our recent announcement to bring more than 30 nights of boxing to the platform annually, DAZN will be a must-have for fight fans in the U.S.”

 

 

 

“The DAZN partnership speaks to the incredible growth of Bellator into a global sports powerhouse and high-valued franchise in the Viacom portfolio,” said Kevin Kay, President, Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT.

 

 

 

The deal begins with an epic event on Saturday, Sept. 29 from SAP Center at San Jose. The card features a highly anticipated middleweight title fight pitting Gegard Mousasi (44-6-2) against Rory MacDonald (20-4), who is moving up a weight class for a title shot against the 185-pound champ, along with the fourth fight in the legendary rivalry between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (37-13) and Wanderlei Silva(35-13).

 

 

 

Also included on Sept. 29, will be the opening fight of Bellator’s first-ever Welterweight World Grand Prix, which will feature eight of the best welterweight fighters on the planet. The Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix will be a major component of the first year of the multi-year agreement between Bellator and DAZN.

 

 

 

An exclusive online presale for this event takes place tomorrow, June 27 through Thursday, June 28, with tickets going on sale to the general public on Friday, June 29 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets start at just $30 and will be available at the ThreatMetrix Ticket Office at SAP Center at San Jose, as well as Bellator.com and Ticketmaster.

 

 

 

The event will air live on DAZN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.  DAZN, which now streams 15,000 live events and 100 million hours of sports content globally each year, will be available in the U.S. this September with exact pricing and dates being announced this summer.

 

 

 

Mousasi vs. MacDonald:

 

 

 

Gegard Mousasi impressed in his promotional debut over former Bellator middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko, a win that earned him a shot at Rafael Carvalho, where 185-pound gold was on the line. Now, after a decisive victory against Carvalho at Bellator 200, Mousasi will defend his crown against Rory MacDonald, entering the bout with his current unbeaten streak at seven fights. “The Dreamcatcher,” who trains out of The Netherlands, holds one of the most impressive resumes in all of the sport, at one time winning the STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight title, as well as the DREAM light heavyweight and middleweight titles.

 

 

 

Over the last several years, “The Red King” Rory MacDonald has become the most popular Canadian mixed martial artist due to his classic stand-up wars and wins over some of MMA’s best in Paul Daley, Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley, B.J. Penn and Demian Maia. Bellator’s welterweight champion joined the Viacom-owned promotion in 2016 and went on to defeat Douglas Lima for the welterweight title at Bellator 192. Now, the Tristar Gym-trained fighter sets his sights on winning gold in not one, but two separate weight classes.

 

 

 

“Rampage” vs. Silva:

 

 

A six-fight veteran of Bellator, “Rampage” Jackson’s legendary career has seen him compete against some of the top names in the sport, generating a loyal army of fans along the way. The former PRIDE and UFC champion is the proud owner of many epic highlight reel slams and knockouts that he has racked up throughout his epic battles with the likes of Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, “King Mo,” Kevin Randleman and, perhaps most-notably, his trilogy with fellow Bellator athlete Wanderlei Silva, who he now meets at heavyweight on Sept. 29.

 

 

Wanderlei Silva’s wars with “Rampage,” Tito Ortiz, Mirko Cro Cop, Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Chuck Liddell and Michael Bisping remain some of the more memorable bouts in MMA history. “The Axe Murderer” is far from ready to close the book on his illustrious career, returning to action against a man he has already competed against three times before. In addition to the PRIDE middleweight title, Silva’s trophy case includes awards for “Fight of the Year” (2003, 2004, 2007), KO of the Year (2008) and multiple “Fight of the Night” awards. Most recently, the Brazilian native made his Bellator debut against Chael Sonnen in the main event of Bellator: NYC.

 

 

Updated Bellator Fight Card:

 

Middleweight World Title Bout: Gegard Mousasi (44-6-2) vs. Rory MacDonald (20-4)

 

Heavyweight Feature Bout: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (37-13) vs. Wanderlei Silva (35-13)

 

Welterweight World Grand Prix First Round Bout

 

 

*Card subject to change.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

BELLATOR TO DEBUT IN SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA ON FRIDAY, AUG. 17 AT SANFORD PENTAGON

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BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION DARRION CALDWELL RETURNS TO 145-POUNDS AGAINST NOAD LAHAT IN BELLATOR 204 HEADLINER

 

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SOUTH DAKOTA’S OWN LOGAN STORLEY SET FOR CO-MAIN EVENT AGAINST A.J. MATTHEWS

LOS ANGELES – Bellator will hold its first-ever event in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Friday, Aug. 17 at Sanford Pentagon. Bellator 204 will be headlined by the promotion’s bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell (12-1) testing himself against Noad Lahat (12-3) in a non-title featherweight matchup.

 

 

 

A welterweight bout will serve as the co-main event of the card, when South Dakota-native Logan Storley (8-0) takes on the always-dangerous A.J. Matthews (9-7).

 

 

 

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, June 28 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets start at just $28 and will be available at the Sanford Pentagon box office, as well as Ticketmaster.

 

 

 

The event will be broadcast live and free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Additional bouts will be announced in coming weeks.

 

 

 

“I’m excited to bring Bellator to Sioux Falls this summer with a great venue partner in the Sanford Pentagon,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “I always look forward to visiting a new market and having a crowd experience a live Bellator event for the first time. This is a great card with a lot of intriguing matchups that I know fans will enjoy. With this being such a strong wrestling community, I’m also excited to feature several former collegiate wrestlers on Aug. 17, including Darrion Caldwell and South Dakota’s Logan Storley.”

 

 

 

Caldwell, a 30-year-old Rahway, New Jersey native and the current Bellator bantamweight champion, will step up a weight class to take on Lahat in an exciting featherweight non-title affair on Aug. 17. Fighting out of San Diego, Calif., “The Wolf” has emerged as one of the most well-rounded fighters in the 135-pound class, collecting nine victories since signing with Bellator in 2013. The 2009 NCAA D1 National Champion wrestler from NC State boasts a resume that includes five first-round finishes, a 25-minute war against Eduardo Dantas for the world title and a textbook guillotine choke submission victory over Leandro Higo in his first career title defense earlier this year. Caldwell will look for his 13th professional and fourth consecutive win when he enters the cage as a 145-pounder for the first time since 2014.

 

 

 

A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu currently training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Lahat made his professional debut in 2008 where he began an impressive streak of seven consecutive victories. The 34-year-old hails from Alfei Menashe, Samaria, Israel, Lahat and served as a soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces before transitioning to his MMA career. Lahat holds a 3-1 record in Bellator with his most recent win coming against Jeremiah Labiano this past November and now welcomes the Bellator bantamweight champion to his weight class when he enters the cage on Aug. 17.

 

 

 

Hailing from Webster, S.D., the 25-year-old Storley will fight in front of his hometown fans at Bellator 204 when he makes his fourth appearance for Bellator. The 4x NCAA All-American wrestler from the University of Minnesota has quickly climbed the ranks as one of the most dangerous welterweights in mixed martial arts, earning eight-straight victories to begin his career, including six knockouts and five first-round finishes. A win over the equally-dangerous Matthews on Aug. 17would only further cement his name amongst the division’s best, as Storley hopes to protect his unblemished mark of 8-0.

 

 

 

Fighting out of Carlsbad, Calif., Matthews will be making his 11th appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella; a seven-year stretch that has earned the promotional veteran five victories, including a pair of first-round knockouts and a highlight reel-soccer kick finish over Charlie Rader. The 30-year-old certainly knows how to put on a show, with nine of his 16 career fights ending in a knockout, including six in the first round. “Mercenary” will look to build on his recent win over Kendall Grove at Bellator 193, as he enters the cage against hometown favorite Storley in the co-main event.

 

 

 

Updated Bellator 204: Caldwell vs. Lahat Fight Card:

 

 

Featherweight Main Event: Darrion Caldwell (12-1) vs. Noad Lahat (12-3)

 

 

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Logan Storley (8-0) vs. A.J. Matthews (9-7)

 

 

 

*Card subject to change.

 

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights, wrestling

NEF AND BRANDON BUSHAW TO SEND YOUNG ATHLETES TO USM WRESTLING CLINIC

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Gorham, Maine (June 22, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) announced earlier today that the fight promotion would once again sponsor an athlete at this year’s Brawlin’ Lobsta Wrestling Clinic & Tournament.  The camp is set to take place at the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine (USM) from July 17 to July 22.  For the fifth year in a row, NEF will select one winner for which the fight promotion will cover tuition to the program.

 

 

 

“It’s a thrill for us to once again be supporting the Brawlin’ Lobsta Wrestling Clinic,” stated NEF co-owner and Matchmaker Matt Peterson. “This year it’s all the more exciting to be partnering with Maine wrestling legend Brandon Bushaw to send not one, but two wrestlers to clinic. Mike Morin’s USM program is exploding and with the latest round of recruits that he’s brought in, I have no doubt that they will be a threat at the national level within the next two to three seasons. I encourage every Maine wrestler to apply for this scholarship to earn a chance to work with Morin’s decorated staff clinicians. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to sharpen your skills, as well as learn some new ones, during the off-season.”

 

 

 

Additionally, NEF MMA veteran Brandon Bushaw has also agreed to sponsor an athlete in the program this year.  Now a business owner residing in South Carolina, Bushaw cut his teeth on the mats growing up in Westbrook, Maine.  He won two Maine state titles wrestling for Westbrook High School.  After high school, Bushaw went on to wrestle for Michigan State University where he was a teammate of current UFC competitors Rashad Evans and Gray Maynard.  He is a member of the Maine Wrestling Hall of Fame.

 

 

 

“I attended Boston University wrestling camp between my sophomore and junior seasons in high school,” recalled Bushaw. “Not only did it change me as a wrestler, but I really feel that it changed me as a person. I have attended and coached many camps, and the life lessons you learn there are very important. I am proud to sponsor a young wrestler to attend USM’s Brawlin’ Lobsta wrestling clinic because I feel it is important to give back to a sport and community that has given me so much!”

 

 

 

Camp instructors Mike Morin and Jon Deupree have both competed in the MMA cage in the past.  Morin is the head wrestling coach at USM and a two-time All-American.  Deupree is an assistant coach with USM.  He was a two-time NCAA national qualifier wrestling for the Huskies.

 

 

 

“I would like to thank NEF for supporting USM wrestling and sponsoring another wrestler to attend the Brawlin’ Lobsta Camp this summer,” said Morin. “This sponsorship is huge in allowing kids to have the opportunity to wrestle year-round who might not have that opportunity otherwise. It’s great for our program at USM and great for the state as a whole to get better in the sport of wrestling!”

 

 

 

Interested contestants are asked to submit a photograph of themselves wrestling via email to newenglandfights@gmail.comalong with a brief statement of 100 words or less detailing why they believe the clinic will help them achieve their goals. The winners will also each receive a pair of tickets to “NEF 35: Wicked Season,” as well as an NEF apparel package to wear during the clinic.

 

 

 

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 35: Wicked Season,” will see the company make its return to the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.  The event is scheduled to take place Saturday, September 8, 2018 with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.CrossInsuranceCenter.com.