Lewiston, Maine (March 4, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF 22: ALL ROADS LEAD HERE” on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. The fight card will feature a mix of mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts. Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional lightweight contest to the MMA portion of the “NEF 22” fight card. Matt “Ken Doll” Denning (2-1) will meet Josh “Hook On” Harvey (0-0) at a fight weight of 150-pounds.
Lewiston’s Matt Denning is coming off the first loss of his professional career this past November against Jon Lemke (5-4). Prior to that defeat, Denning was riding a four-fight win streak, all four of those wins coming by way of submission. He is a member of Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ). Denning acknowledges personal issues have existed in the past between he and Harvey, culminating in a cageside confrontation between the two athletes at the close of “NEF XV” in the fall of 2014.
“I’m honored to have been asked specifically for this fight,” said Denning. “Josh is the 155 ammy champ and is an amazing fighter. I’m excited to watch him continue his career as a pro and move up to the top of the professional rankings. We had some personal issues between the two of us because of a poor decision I made, and I hope with us fighting it will clear the air and I’ll be able to cross train with him and Young’s MMA. We gotta give the fans what they want and this is what they wanted. I look forward to seeing everyone April 23rd.”
The bout will indeed be the professional debut for Harvey after an amateur career in which he went 5-1. He is the reigning NEF MMA Amateur Lightweight Champion, a title which he will now vacate as a professional. Harvey capped off his amateur stint with a highlight reel knockout over Ryan Dibartolomeo (4-4), a victory that solidified his position as the northeast region’s top-ranked amateur lightweight. Harvey is a member of Young’s MMA in Bangor, Maine. He recently signed a long-term NEF developmental deal.
“I’m feeling blessed to be a signed professional cage fighter,” said Harvey. “I’m one step closer to my goal and April 23rd I’ll take another. I’ve wanted a chance to fight ‘Ken Doll’ ever since I met him – he is just one of those guys. I’m thankful for the opportunity.”
“One thing is very clear in this matchup – Josh and Matt don’t like each other,” stated NEF matchmaker and co-owner Matt Peterson. “There is some deep, pent-up frustration that has been percolating between these two for a long time – and on April 23rd, the cork comes out. It’s going to be spectacular.”
New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 22: ALL ROADS LEAD HERE,” takes place Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets for “NEF 22” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”
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.