Lewiston, Maine (Lub peb hlis ntuj 16, 2016) - Tshiab England Fights (NEF), America lub xov tooj-ib regional sib ntaus qib, yuav tuav nws tom ntej no kev tshwm sim, “NEF 22: TAG NRHO txoj kev ua tau NTAWM NO” nyob rau hnub Saturday, Plaub Hlis Ntuj 23, 2016 nyob rau Androscoggin txhab nyiaj Colisée nyob rau hauv Lewiston, Maine. The fight card will feature a mix of mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts. Earlier this month, NEF announced the addition of a professional lightweight contest to the MMA portion of the “NEF 22” sib ntaus card. Matt “Ken menyuam roj hmab” Denning (2-1) yuav ua tau raws li Josh “Hook On” Harvey (0-0) ntawm ib tug sib ntaus luj ntawm 150-phaus. Since the announcement, the anticipation has continued to accelerate for the upcoming bout. In a recent interview with Jason Floyd on The MMA Report, Harvey made some comments that has sent the energy around the fight into overdrive.
“I find him disrespectful as a person and I want to keep it classy on a podcast,” Harvey stated in the beginning of the interview. “I do not want to speak my full mind. You meet the guy, talk to him for a minute and you want to fight him. But it depends on which Matt you are talking to. Because he can rub people the wrong way and he can kiss their ass on the same day. That is who he is.”
The bad blood between the two rivals has been rising for a long time. The potential matchup had been talked about for years, but is scheduled to finally become a reality on April 23rd.
“In this case, I’ve wanted to fight Matt Denning since we were both amateurs,” Harvey stated to Floyd during the interview. “I couldn’t make it happen then. I guess I wasn’t the fight he wanted. Thaum lub sij hawm, I only had one or two amateur fights and he was towards the end of his amateur career.”
“He’s backed out of fights before at the pro level,” “Harvey stated. “He’s missed weight. Is it a career? Is it a hobby? Kuv txhais li cas, it’s for him to decide, but we’ll find out if he wants to show up to fight.”
When Floyd asked Harvey if the fight was personal, Harvey confirmed the obvious. “I think it is,” Harvey replied. “I’m not saying they’re going to want two refs in there to pull me off of him, but it’s going to finish that way.”
During the interview, Harvey also noted the difference in quality of training partners, as he sees it, and how that will impact the outcome of the fight.
“I don’t think he’s rolling with the animals that we’re bringing in every day,” Harvey stated. “The people he has submitted, I don’t think their jitz game was tight—and that’s why he took those fights.”
When asked how he would like to end the fight with Denning, Harvey explained to Floyd that a submission finish would be satisfying, but that he was prepared to create the finish wherever it presents itself.
“It would be nice to turn Ken Doll into Stretch Armstrong—that would be sweet,” Harvey stated toward the end of the interview. “But I’m going to beat him wherever the fight goes. I’m not going to force it down to beat him on the ground and I’m not going to force it to stay up. Ntawm chav kawm, if he tries to take me down—I don’t give up takedowns for nobody. I’ll beat him wherever the fight goes.”
To listen to Josh Harvey’s complete interview on The MMA Report mus ntsib:
Tshiab hais Fights 'tom ntej no cov kev tshwm sim, "NEF 22: TAG NRHO txoj kev ua tau NTAWM NO,"Yuav siv sij hawm qhov chaw Saturday, Plaub Hlis Ntuj 23, 2016 nyob rau Androscoggin txhab nyiaj Colisée nyob rau hauv Lewiston, Maine. Tickets for “NEF 22” start at just $25 thiab yog muag tam sim no nyob www.TheColisee.com los yog los ntawm hu rau Colisée chaw ua hauj lwm ntawm 207.783.2009 x 525. Yog xav paub ntxiv nyob rau hauv cov kev tshwm sim thiab kev sib ntaus card tshiab, thov mus saib cov qib lub website ntawm www.NewEnglandFights.com. Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, koj yuav saib NEF yeeb yaj duab ntawm www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, ua raws li lawv nyob rau Twitternefights thiab koom nrog cov nom Facebook pab pawg neeg "New England Fights."