Category Archives: MMA

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

SPORTS TV VETERAN JAY GLAZER JOINS BELLATOR BROADCAST TEAM

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DEBUT SET FOR BELLATOR 192 THIS SATURDAY, JAN. 20 – LIVE ON PARAMOUNT NETWORK

 

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES – Bellator announced today that sports television mainstay Jay Glazer will join the Bellator broadcast team. Beginning with Bellator 192, Glazer will host the broadcast desk as Bellator kicks off 2018 on Paramount Network (formerly Spike) Saturday, Jan. 20 at 9 p.m. ET.

 

 

 

Glazer joins reporter Jenn Brown, play-by-play men Mike Goldberg and Mauro Ranallo, as well as color commentators “Big” John McCarthy andChael Sonnen. In addition to his broadcasting duties, Glazer will also appear in upcoming original content produced by Bellator’s digital team.

 

 

 

“I’m excited to welcome Jay Glazer to the Bellator family,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “Jay’s knowledge and experience in sports television speaks for itself and he will be a great addition to our incredible broadcast team. As Bellator moves to Paramount Network, I look forward to having him involved with some of the biggest fights of the year.”

 

 

 

“I have always had a tremendous passion for MMA, where the relationships you develop are unlike any other sport, said Glazer. “And I am very fortunate to be able to continue these relationships with an incredible organization like Bellator. I’ve been friends with Scott for many years, and am ecstatic that he brought me into the Bellator family.”

 

 

 

A trailblazer in the sports media world who broke onto the scene as an NFL reporter for the New York Post, Glazer went on to serve as the NFL Insider for CBS Sports in 1999, and later joined Fox Sports where Jay is currently in his 14th year as the NFL Insider on their award-winning NFL studio show, Fox NFL Sunday. In 2007, Jay was named Sports Illustrated’s “Media Person of the Year.” Glazer also became one of the first mainstream media members to cover MMA when he hosted Pride Fighting Championships on FSN.

 

 

 

Jay is also set to begin shooting his fourth season on the HBO comedy hit Ballers, where he has a recurring role.

 

 

 

A longtime athlete and martial artist, Glazer owns the high profile Unbreakable Performance Center in West Hollywood, where the gym has become the home to many elite athletes, actors, musicians and business people, including Demi Lovato, Wiz Khalifa, Chris Pratt, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture.

 

 

 

Jay also started the first MMA-training program for professional athletes with hundreds of athletes having utilized his training program.  In just the last few years, Jay and his team have trained All Pros Von Miller, Aaron Rodgers, Odell Beckham, Bobby Wagner and Andrew Whitworth.

 

 

 

Additionally, Glazer began a new foundation in 2015 called Merging Vets & Players, which works to match up former combat veterans and former professional athletes in order to help each other through the transition into their new lives away from the playing field and away from the battlefield. Learn more about MVP at www.vetsandplayers.org.

 

 

Glazer is represented by The Montag Group and currently resides in Los Angeles.

 

 

 

Bellator and Paramount Network open 2018 with a bang when Bellator 192 emanates from The Forum in LA on Saturday, Jan. 20. The event features a welterweight world title fight between current champ Douglas Lima and number one contender Rory MacDonald, while “Rampage” Jackson meets Chael Sonnen in the opening round of 2018’s Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix.

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

2017 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year   M-1 Challenge Lightweight Champion   Damir Ismagulov

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SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (January 16, 2018) — M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Damir Ismagulov has been selected by mixed-martial-arts fans around the world as the 2017 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year.
Fighting out of Orenburg, Russia, the 26-year-old Ismagulov (14-2-0, M-1: 8-1-0) was 3-0-0 in 2017, all in M-1 Global action, including his M-1 Challenge lightweight title-winning performance, followed by one successful title defense.
Ismagulov, a native of Kazakhstan, started 2017 in grand style, knocking out Morgan Heraod of France, in the third round last February at M-1 Challenge 74.
Last May, Ismagulov faced former M-1 Challenge champion Maxim Divnich (13-2-0), at home, in Orenburg, for the vacant M-1 Challenge lightweight championship.
Their title fight commenced with a “feeling-out process” of simple exchanges of blows with Ismagulov working more with his feet, but the opening round ended with the hometown favorite holding a slight advantage.
Ismagulov, however, dominated the next three rounds and Divnich, whose severely damaged, bloody face showed the ill effects of Ismagulov’s continued assault, was unable to turn things around in the fifth. As the finish neared, Ismagulov failed to submit his game opponent until a barrage of unanswered punched rained on a defenseless Divnich. The referee halted the action with 13-seconds remaining on the clock for a hard-fought Ismagulov win by technical knockout.
After the fight 5,000 fans celebrated, roaring their approval for Ismagulov, who said, “I’m from the Orenburg region. I won the belt! Thanks for coming. I want to thank the MMA Orenburg, my coach,Victor Frolov, who saw me as a talent, and Alexander Shlemenko for believing in me. I thank my coaches, my family, and our fans.
“I’ve proved that a simple guy from a small village without the Internet can become champion. If I can, you can. The belt is in Orenburg, where it should be.”
Ismagulov is shown here in a ground-and-pound attack vs. Rogero Matias da Conceicao
Ismagulov won a hard-fought main event battle against upset-minded Rogero “Karranca” Matias da Conceicao, of Brazil, by way of a non-title, unanimous decision at M-1 Challenge 85.
Ismagulov defends his M-1 Challenge lightweight title February 22, when he takes on his Georgian challenger, Raul Tuturauli (18-3-0, M-1: 6-1-0), in the M-1 Challenge 88 main event at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.

 

 

INFORMATION:

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UPCOMING EVENTS:
 
Feb. 9 – M-1 Challenge 87: Silander vs. Ashimov, M-1 Arena, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Feb. 22 – M-1 Challenge 88: Ismagulov vs. Tutarauli, Olympic Stadium, Moscow, Russia
mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

FROM THE SHORES OF SEBAGO LAKE TO THE MMA CAGE, HARD-WORK IS A WAY OF LIFE FOR KAM ARNOLD

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Lewiston, Maine (January 16, 2018) – Kam Arnold might be the ultimate Maine mixed martial artist from central casting.

 

 

Blue-collar sensibilities shaped his young life. He grew up in a small community where young boys often had to conjure up their own forms of entertainment. And yes, sometimes that meant fighting solely for the sake of fighting.

 

 

“I have two older brothers, and friends who were around all the time that are like brothers. We pretty much adopted them, you know?” Arnold said. “And any time you have that situation, there are fights going on in the yard all the time. I remember one time seeing my brothers rolling around on the stairs in the house, and of course I just had to jump in and get involved in that.”

 

 

Arnold, who turns 25 this month, is more structured but no less passionate today about exercising his grit, guile and strength in such physical encounters.

 

 

Veteran of one, quick knockout win in the New England Fights cage, Arnold returns for another dose on Saturday, February 3 at Androscoggin Bank Colisee. He will confront Kyle Kenney in an amateur bantamweight bout at “NEF 32: Super Saturday.”

 

 

Fighting under the Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) umbrella, Arnold made a dramatic first impression, dispatching Glenn Kasabian in 1 minute, 54 seconds.

 

 

“Glenn’s a tough dude. He’s a warrior. He’s a great guy outside the cage. I have a lot of respect for him. He wanted to stand up with me. It’s one of things where I just flipped the switch,” Arnold recalled. “He’s pretty rangy, pretty tall. I went in there wanting to let him know he was in for a battle, and fortunately it turned out in my favor. I was the better fighter that night.”

 

 

Arnold admittedly was disappointed that the result wasn’t enough to earn the 2017 “NEF Rookie of the Year” award. He vows not to leave any doubt about his potential in the local hexagon when he takes on Kenney, an opponent about whom he knows precious little.

 

 

“Yeah, I was pretty bummed, but I know everybody else busts their ass just like I do,” Arnold said. “I have high expectations for myself, and I want to make a statement with this fight.”

 

 

A native of Casco, on the shores of Maine’s Sebago Lake, Arnold describes a hard-knocks upbringing that clashed with the bucolic, tourist-trap surroundings.

 

Arnold’s family had close ties to a motorcycle club, although he is reluctant to discuss its impact on his life other than to agree that it enhanced his fighting spirit.

 

 

“They’re all genuine people. I will say that. I have an awful lot of people supporting me in this. I would be nothing without them. My father and mother are the two toughest people I know,” Arnold said. “As a kid growing up, I had to be tough. That’s just the way it was. I just come from a blue-collar family. I don’t really want to get into all the details of it, but I just had to be tough. It made me what I am today.”

 

 

In addition to grappling with his older siblings and their friends, Arnold unfortunately was a victim of circumstances that are all too prominent in today’s schoolyards and playgrounds.

 

 

“I was a very small kid for my age,” he explained. “I got bullied a lot in school and had to find a way to manage that. Unfortunately, I got into a lot of fights because I had to defend myself.”

 

 

Arnold learned many of those self-defense techniques through his passion for combat sports.

 

 

He fell in love with professional wrestling, MMA, and especially boxing, although “there weren’t many options to pursue boxing in small-town Maine,” he said.

 

 

While attending Oxford Hills and Lake Region high schools, Arnold briefly took up high school wrestling. It was not until adulthood that he found his way to Lewiston’s CMBJJ, one of the hub facilities that has helped build NEF’s talent base over the past six years.

 

 

“Of course there’s a part of me that wishes I had started this earlier, when I was 18 or 19, like a lot of guys,” said Arnold, who turns 25 this month. “But I’m thankful for where I’m at now, and for Matt Peterson and NEF for giving this opportunity to show what I can do.”

 

 

Boxing and stand-up skills proved Arnold’s bread-and-butter in his debut. He hopes the Kenney fight will give him a chance to exhibit the wider array of lessons he has learned from his training partners.

 

 

Arnold credits former NEF amateur flyweight champion Dustin Veinott with the bulk of his development.

 

 

“I feel like I have the best coaching staff in the state,” Arnold said. “I haven’t really had the opportunity to travel around and cross-train, but I have so much faith in the guys at my own gym.

 

 

“Dustin Veinott has been crucial. I feel like with his knowledge I can go anywhere I want to in this sport. And when you combine that with Jesse Erickson, Travis Wells, Matt Denning, the sky is the limit. They’ve put their belief in me, and I want to show them I’ve earned it.”

 

 

When asked for a prediction about the February fight, Arnold somewhat channeled Clubber Lang’s reply of “pain” from Rocky III.

 

 

“Look for some blood,” Arnold said. “It’s coming. I can’t wait to put on a show.”

 

 

The opening bell February 3 is set for 7 p.m. Tickets are available at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the box office at207.783.2009 ext. 525.

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

FNU Combat Sports Show: Holm vs. Cyborg Recap, Stephenson v. Ho Choi Preview, Can UFC Boxing Work: Look Ahead to 2018

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This FNU Combat Sports Show covers a wide range of important topics and events. We recap Holly Holm’s brutal battle with Cris Justino at UFC 219 and look forward to a great Fight Night 124 card on the 14th.

We report on Mike Tyson’s new Pot Ranch in California, Big John McCarthy Joining the Bellator Analyst Crew, Vinny Paz getting wrapped up in assault charges, and Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor 2 chances.

Tony discusses the upcoming boxing schedule and we also get off topic and talk some football and basketball. Tony even updates us on the Canelo vs. GGG rematch negotiations.

 

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boxing, Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA, women's boxing, women's MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS SIGNS FIRST-EVER, FIVE-DIVISION WORLD BOXING CHAMPION AMANDA SERRANO

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Five-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano has signed an exclusive, multi-year promotional agreement with Combate Americas, and is slated to make her MMA debut in March.

  

Pound-for-pound boxing phenom set to make her much-anticipated
MMA debut for world’s premier Hispanic MMA sports franchise

 

 

NEW YORK – January 11, 2018  – Combate Americas today announced the signing of five-division world boxing champion, including reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight (118 pounds) champion, Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (Boxing: 34-1-1, 26 KO’s; MMA: 0-0) to an exclusive, multi-year promotional agreement.

 

 

The only female fighter in history as well as the only Puerto Rican competitor ever to win five world titles in five different weight divisions, the 29-year-old Serrano who was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico and fights out of Brooklyn, N.Y., will make her Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) debut in La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, on a March date to be announced soon.

 

 

“We are excited to bring Amanda Serrano, one of boxing’s most exciting superstars into the Combate Americas familia, and look forward to placing her on a global stage that is the premier sports property in 21 Spanish speaking countries worldwide,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

 

 

Serrano, a top 10 pound-for-pound fighter, will continue her burgeoning boxing career under the promotion of DiBella Entertainment, and attempt to become the first athlete in history to simultaneously hold world titles in MMA and boxing.

 

 

Serrano captured her first major world title, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super featherweight crown, at just 22 years old, with a brutal, second-round knockout of Kimberly Connor on September 10, 2011.

 

 

She has since torn through the ranks of fighters in four other weight divisions, ranging from bantamweight to lightweight (135 pounds), and most recently scored a first round TKO on Marilyn Hernandez on November 4, 2017.

 

 

Serrano was inspired to cross over to the world of MMA by retired world champion Miesha Tate, who has since become Serrano’s co-manager.

 

 

Combate Americas is coming off a banner year, producing remarkable television ratings in the U.S., Mexico and Spain, including the first two Telemundo MMA events in history that generated the highest ratings of any Spanish language MMA shows in the U.S. in the summer and fall of 2017, and as many as 6.9 million viewers for one episode of its weekly television series on TV Azteca in Mexico.
mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

Tensions Running High as Former Falcons Teammates Prepare for MMA Cage Battle

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Lewiston, Maine (January 10, 2018) – Growing up in the same blue-collar community and advancing through the same, storied sports program does not necessarily make two men best friends.

 

 

 

Former Mountain Valley High School teammates, and future New England Fights mixed martial arts opponents, Ryan Burgess and Nate Boucher are evidence of the old maxim, “familiarity breeds contempt.”

 

 

 

Burgess, 24, and Boucher, 21, will battle in an amateur flyweight bout at “NEF 32: Super Saturday” on Saturday, February 3. The fight at Androscoggin Bank Colisee will determine the number one contender in the 125-pound division, and earn the winner a title shot against champion Justin Witham.

 

 

 

It will have been almost a year since Burgess, a three-time Maine high school wrestling champion and past NEF titleholder, walked into the cage. He called NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson and specifically requested the Boucher fight.

 

 

 

Why? On one hand, it was a business decision after Boucher’s close, split-decision loss to Witham in a November title bout.

 

 

 

“I’ve been out for a year. I was hoping to jump right back into a title fight,” Burgess explained. “After Nate’s fight with Witham, I knew he would want the immediate rematch. Once it became obvious that wasn’t going to happen until April, I asked if we could do this fight in February, and Nate took it.”

 

 

 

Burgess (2-2) subsequently launched one or two social media grenades that appeared to indicate some level of animosity toward his fellow Falcon. It is likely less personal than tactical; Burgess sensed an opportunity to exploit what he sees as one of the chinks in Boucher’s armor.

 

 

 

“Nate, ever since he was a kid, has a piss-poor attitude when he loses. I hope to humble him a little bit and make sure he doesn’t have to worry about this fight getting in the hands of the judges,” Burgess said. “Nate probably could have been a two- or-three-time state champion if he had given himself the opportunity to do that. If he still has the same attitude he had back then, it’s going to end the same way.”

 

 

 

Burgess is one of only four three-time state champions in MVHS history. Coincidentally, Boucher’s brother, Ethan, also accomplished the feat.

 

 

 

Boucher, who has already taken out four-time Maine high school mat champion, and two-time New England finalist, Jeremiah Barkac of Dexter during his time in the NEF hexagon, looks and sounds like a different character than the one who struggled away from the mat as a teenager.

 

 

 

After winning his first two fights with ease, Boucher (2-1) was not the only one in the building who felt he had done enough to earn the belt in Portland.

 

 

 

“I thought I controlled the first two rounds of the fight. All three, really. The first two I pretty much had (Witham) choked out,” Boucher said. “It ended up being a learning experience for me that you can’t leave the fight to the judges. The great thing about the amateur ranks is, while of course I care about my record, at the end of the day it’s part of the learning process to make you a better professional.”

 

 

 

In response to Burgess’ volleys on Facebook, Boucher questioned the former champion’s behavior after winning the NEF strap two fights into his career.

 

 

 

“I’m not much for the trash talk. I just enjoy the sport. I like to fight and then just go home. He does it a little to build his ego I think,” Boucher said. “He dropped the belt because he was having trouble making weight, which is pretty disrespectful, in my opinion. He was out for a while, so now I’m ahead of him, and he knows he has to go through me.”

 

 

 

Burgess said he used that layoff to complete his college education and develop his credentials as a physical therapist assistant, indicating that the medical profession is more likely to be his long-term career than MMA.

 

 

 

While he continued his training schedule at Rumford Community Center with Berserkers MMA, Burgess said it was less intense and structured prior to his losses against Witham and Dustin Veinott. Burgess previously defeated both rivals.

 

 

 

“Physically I still should have beaten them, but mentally I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been. Now I’m much more focused,” Burgess said. “At the time I was finishing school, working part-time 20 to 30 hours a week and going to school for probably another 40. I lost two fights where I was under weight. I was gaining weight while the other guys were cutting weight. I’d go in there at the limit and they would put on 10 to 15 pounds between the weigh-in and the fight.”

 

 

 

Boucher admittedly never reached his potential as a high school wrestler. He has followed a different path than Burgess, enrolling at Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – where he still trains today – at age 13.

 

 

 

“I have some of the toughest and best training partners in the state,” Boucher said. “My jiu-jitsu has come a long way, almost the point where it has passed my wrestling a little bit. Of course, wrestling is what I always go back to when I need it. My striking is night-and-day. It was awful for my first fight.”

 

 

 

He added that his greatest success in MMA has come at the expense of former wrestlers.

 

 

 

Burgess is counting on Boucher to underestimate the rest of his repertoire. As someone who took up wrestling on the middle school junior varsity team in seventh grade, he said that his history as a quick study has carried over into realm of jiu-jitsu and boxing.

 

 

 

“I think he’s going to be surprised. He thinks he knows what I bring to the table,” Burgess said. “All he knows about me is my wrestling, but I have a lot more than that to fall back on. I already know what he brings to the table. And he’s not going to learn in two months what I’ve learned in two years.”

 

 

 

The opening bell on February 3 is set for 7 p.m. Tickets are available at www.TheColisee.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 Maine’s 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, Paramount Network

‘BIG’ JOHN MCCARTHY TO JOIN BELLATOR BROADCAST TEAM

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WILL MAKE COLOR COMMENTARY DEBUT AT BELLATOR 192 ON JAN. 20 – LIVE ON PARAMOUNT NETWORK

ALSO, CHAEL SONNEN SIGNS EXTENSION TO REMAIN IN BROADCAST BOOTH

 

LOS ANGELES – Bellator is pleased to announce that it has come to an agreement with John McCarthy to serve as color commentator during broadcasts on the soon-to-launch Paramount Network, which kicks off with Bellator 192 on Saturday, January 20.

 

“With the addition of ‘Big’ John to our broadcast team, we have put together the premier group of MMA commentators ahead of our Jan. 20 debut on the Paramount Network,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “With John and Chael providing analysis, you’re getting two people who have spent more time in the cage than they have spent with a headset on, and that will translate to a positive viewing experience for Bellator fans.”

 

Over the past 20 years, “Big” John McCarthy has set the bar when it comes to officiating in MMA, a sport where he has overseen countless fights promoted by Bellator and other promotions all over the world, serving as the referee for some of the biggest bouts in the history of the sport. A former Los Angeles Police Officer, and a Self-Defense Instructor at the Los Angeles Police Academy, McCarthy is also the founder of “C.O.M.M.A.N.D.,” a program that trains and certifies hopeful MMA referees and judges. McCarthy’s regulatory work is equally as impressive, as he was a key figure in the writing of the sport’s Unified Rules, which are recognized by the ABC and athletic commissions all across North America.

 

Along with his broadcasting duties, the man behind the catchphrase “Let’s get it on!” will also provide a unique level of first-hand insight to the plethora of original content produced by Bellator’s digital team.

 

“I first want to say how grateful I am for the opportunity I have been given to work with the incredible team Bellator has assembled. It is always so hard to leave something you love, but I have always wanted to step away based on my terms rather than someone else’s. My goals are to work as hard as I can to meet the expectations everyone will have for me and to hopefully someday exceed them.” McCarthy said. “I cannot think of anyone I would rather be working with than Scott Coker. Scott has always been a person I admire because of his honesty, loyalty and love for the martial arts. I want to thank everyone from Bellator and Viacom for the trust you are bestowing upon me to keep the commentating of Bellator MMA at the highest levels of the sport.”

 

In addition, Chael Sonnen has signed an extension to remain a part of select Bellator broadcasts, breaking down all the action alongside Bellator announcers Mike Goldberg and Mauro Ranallo.

 

Chael Sonnen spent a majority of his 44-fight career with the UFC and WEC, a run that saw him defeat former middleweight champion Michael Bisping, and compete against the likes of Jon Jones, Anderson Silva (twice), Rashad Evans, “Shogun” Rua, Demian Maia and Brian Stann. In addition to his in-ring action, the West Linn, Ore. native has mastered the art of being in front of the camera, having done broadcast work for both ESPN and Fox Sports. Following a three-year hiatus from active MMA competition, Sonnen returned to the cage against Tito Ortiz at Bellator 170 in January and then went on to defeat Wanderlei Silva during the main event of Bellator: NYC.

 

Bellator and the soon-to-launch Paramount Network open 2018 with a bang when Bellator 192: Lima vs. MacDonald emanates from The Forum in California on Jan. 20. Anchored by a welterweight world title fight featuring Douglas Lima defending his championship against Rory MacDonald, the blockbuster event also will see the aforementioned Chael Sonnen compete against “Rampage” Jackson in the opening contest of 2018’s Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix.

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

M-1 Global kicks-off 2018 in February with M-1 Challenge 87 & 88

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SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (January 8, 2018) – M-1 Global will kick-off its 21stseason with a pair of international events in February, M-1 Challenge 87 and M-1 Challenge 88, respectively, Feb. 9 in Saint Petersburg and Feb. 22 in Moscow.
Both events will be live-streamed from Russia in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
Finnish flyweight Mikael “Hulk” Silander (17-5-0, M-1: 1-0-0) takes on Kazakh fighter Ariman Ashimov (10-2-1, M-1: 2-0-0) in the lone fight announced this far for M-1 Challenge 87, which will feature the grand opening of M-1 Arena. The Silander-Ashimov winner will be positioned for a potential title shot against M-1 Challenge flyweight champion Aleksander Doskalchuk, of Ukraine.
Mikael Silander (R) will be making his Russian MMA debut Feb. 9 in Saint Petersburg
  Ariman Ashimov hopes to improve to 3-0-0 in M-1 Challenge competition on Feb. 9
Two M-1 Challenge title fights have been announced as the M-1 Challenge 88 co-main events on Feb. 22 in Moscow.
M-1 Challenge Lightweight Champion Damir Ismagulov (14-2-0, M-1: 8-1-0), of Russia, defends his belt against his dangerous Georgian challenger, Raul Tutarauli(18-3-0, M-1: 6-1-0), while M-1 Challenge Bantamweight Champion Movsar Evloev (8-0-0, M-1: 8-0-0) puts his perfect pro record on the line against Kazakhstan-native Sergey Morozov (10-3-0, M-1: 5-2-0), who also fights out of Russia.
  Damir Ismagulov (on top) makes his second title defense Feb. 22
Raul Tutarauli (on top) gets his first title shot Feb. 22
Movsar Evloev (L) plans to keep his prefect record intact
  
 Sergey Morozov is hoping to upset Movar Evloev to become M-1 Challenge Bantamweight Champion
All fights and fighters are subject to change. Additional matches for M-1 Challenge 87and M-1 Challenge 88 will soon be announced.
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@M1GlobalNews
@Vadim_finkelchtein
@M1Global
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mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

LUNGHI IS OUT TO AVENGE TEAMMATE AGAINST CORSON AT NEF 32

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Lewiston, Maine (January 5, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to Lewiston on Saturday, February 3, 2018 with the fight promotion’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 32: Super Saturday.”  Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur featherweight bout to the card.  Shawn Lunghi (2-0) will return to Maine to take on Devin Corson (1-0) at a fight weight of 145-pounds.

Shawn Lunghi made his debut in the NEF cage in the fall of 2016.  He faced off with a much more experienced Alex Clark (4-2) that evening and impressed many with his performance.  Lunghi would pick up the win with a second round submission.  The Tampa, Florida native would follow up that win with yet another victory this past spring in his home state.  Later in the year, he earned his brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Robson Moura Nations United (RMNU).  At “NEF 32,” Lunghi will look to avenge a loss suffered by his teammate Winston Cortez (0-1) against Devin Corson (1-0) at “NEF 27” last year.  In addition, a win over Corson would put Lunghi in a position to challenge for the NEF MMA Amateur Featherweight Title at a later date.

“I’m incredibly humbled and excited to be invited back to Lewiston to fight for NEF,” said Lunghi. “February 3rd stands as a great test for me and my preparation as a martial artist as well as an opportunity to fight a great up-and-coming fighter like Devin. I’m eager for the opportunity to showcase the improvements I have made in my game, as well as to avenge Winston’s loss to Devin.”

Devin Corson made his NEF debut in early 2017 at the young age of 19.  He sent the crowd into a frenzy that night, repeatedly lifting Winston Cortez up over head and slamming him time and time again on his way to a unanimous decision victory.  It was one of the most memorable debuts for any fighter in the NEF cage.  Corson is a product of The Outlet Mixed Martial Arts Training Center based in Dexter, Maine.

“It’s an honor to be returning to the NEF cage,” stated Corson. “I’m looking forward to fighting a man who has his brown belt in jiu-jitsu. I’m always up for a challenge. I’m just happy to be back.”

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 32: Super Saturday,” will see the company make its return to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 3, 2018.  Tickets are on-sale now online atwww.TheColisee.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 Maine’s 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

TWO MAINE MMA FAN-FAVORITES WILL SQUARE OFF AT NEF 32

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Lewiston, Maine (January 4, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to Lewiston onSaturday, February 3, 2018 with the fight promotion’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 32: Super Saturday.”  Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional featherweight bout to the card.  Aaron “Relentless” Lacey (4-1) has signed to face Josh Parker (6-9) at a fight weight of 145-pounds.

After making his professional debut in the spring of 2016, Aaron Lacey rose quickly through the ranks of the NEF featherweight division.  With wins over veterans like Derek Shorey (4-9) and Taylor Trahan (8-9), the year belonged to Lacey.  2017, however, was filled with frustration.  Lacey lost two scheduled opponents to injuries and had to pull out of one fight with an injury of his own.  Late in the year, he took a fight in New Hampshire against Vovka Clay (8-2).  Many felt Lacey was winning a close fight, but a deep cut on his head forced the doctor to stop the fight in the second round and the bout was awarded to Clay.  It was the first loss of Lacey’s professional career.  The product of Young’s MMA is looking to rebound from that loss and get back on track towards the major leagues of the sport beginning with “NEF 32.”

“I’m excited to be returning to the NEF cage,” exclaimed Lacey.  “Last year was not my year, but it’s over and I’m looking to start 2018 off with a bang! This fight is going to be fun and I love that I get to come home and perform in front of the NEF fans! The best ones around! I’m coming in prepared and looking for the finish!”

Josh Parker has been a mainstay of both the NEF MMA cage and boxing ring since his debut with the promotion back at “NEF I” in February 2012.  Since turning his focus back to MMA from boxing in late 2016, Parker has had two solid victories in Lewiston.  At “NEF 26” in November 2016, Parker submitted Derek Shorey.  Last summer, at “NEF 29,” Parker was again successful, this time taking a unanimous decision victory over Andre Belcarris (0-2).  He will look to make it back-to-back wins for the first time in his career since 2011 when he steps into the cage against Lacey.  Parker is the head of Ruthless MMA & Boxing based in Benton, Maine.

“I want to thank NEF for the opportunity, and thank Aaron for taking the fight,” said Parker. “I’m excited for the fight. I missed out on the last show, so I’m itching to get back in there . Aaron has had an awesome career so far, and I’m looking forward to the challenges he presents, but I think I match-up well against him. Don’t miss this one – it’s gonna be one to remember.”

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 32: Super Saturday,” will see the company make its return to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 3, 2018.  Tickets are on-sale now online atwww.TheColisee.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 Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.