Lewiston, Maine (February 3, 2015) –New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, presents its next mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event this Saturday night at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine. The fight card, titled “NEF XVI,” will feature two members of Maine’s newest fight team, Ruthless MMA & Boxing, in amateur bouts.
Ruthless MMA & Boxing was founded in 2014 by veteran fighter Josh Parker (4-8). Parker has a long history in the NEF MMA cage, having competed seven times for the fight promotion between February 2012 and November 2013. More recently, Parker has remained out of the MMA cage to focus on his career as a professional boxer, as well as building his gym.
Parker opened the gym in Benton, Maine as a way of giving back to the fight community. He sees Ruthless MMA & Boxing as a means to introduce young athletes from the area to the burgeoning world of combat sports and provide them with opportunities to compete. That includes his own sons.
“I’ve been thinking about starting my own gym for a while now,” said Parker. “My first fight was almost ten years ago when my son was three. Now he’s 13 and ready to start his own fight career, and I just had another son. I knew it was time to build my boys a place where they can train whenever they want to. This is a fight family.”
Parker introduced his first protégé, Alex Johnson (1-1), in the fall of 2014. Johnson is coming off a win over Rick Matthews (0-1) in a brutal, back-and-forth slugfest at “NEF XV” this past November. The bout was considered by many to be the “Fight of the Night” of that card.
Corey Trial (0-0), another of Parker’s prospects, hopes to continue the success brought to Ruthless MMA & Boxing by his teammate Alex Johnson. Trial makes his NEF MMA debut this Saturday night in Lewiston when he meets Ricky Dexter (1-0) of Team Irish in a lightweight contest.
“I’ve always dreamed of being able to punch someone in the face and not go to jail for it,” Trial stated. “Now that I have that opportunity, you better believe someone’s getting hurt.”
“Our style is simple, we like to stand and bang,” Parker elaborated. “When we spar, we like to see who can hit the hardest. Mike Tyson said it best ‘everybody’s got a plan- until they get hit.’ We want to give the fans exciting fights. We’re looking for knockouts.
“The guys at Ruthless come from all walks of life- whether it was street fighting or cage fighting they all came with experience throwing fists. They each approached me after hearing I was building a gym. Our values are simple- when you come in you leave your ego at the door. When you’re a part of the Ruthless team, you’re expected to carry yourself as a professional- sportsmanship and respect are a must.”
Bryant Orick (3-5) is another Ruthless team member scheduled to make his NEF MMA debut this Saturday night. It will not, however, be his first time in the cage. Orick, a native of Ohio now living in Clinton, Maine, has competed in the sport for five years. He is a veteran of eight bouts, fighting in the Buckeye State, Kansas and Indiana, to name a few states. Orick hopes to find a home and success in NEF alongside his Ruthless MMA & Boxing teammates. At “NEF XVI” this weekend, Orick will have his work cut out for him with undefeated Fred Lear (2-0) of Young’s MMA.
“I’m coming out to make a name for myself at NEF,” said Orick. “I am well-rounded and going to put on a show. I train hard every day, have a great coach and teammates. Nothing will surprise me in my upcoming bout.”
” Being a coach has taught me to slow it down and bring it back to the basics,” Parker stated. “Fighting really is pretty simple, knock the other guy out and you win. I demand 100% from my fighters, and I give them 100% back. Fighting is not a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.”
Ruthless MMA & Boxing is located in Benton, Maine. You can learn more about the team at their Facebook page “Ruthless MMA & Boxing.”
NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVI,” takes place this Saturday, February 7, 2015, with an all-star lineup of fights scheduled. Ray “All Business” Wood (5-0) returns that night to defend the NEF MMA Featherweight Title against Bellator and WEC veteran Anthony “Cheesesteak” Morrison (16-9). NFL and UFC The Ultimate Fighter veteran Tyler King (7-2) puts the NEF MMA Heavyweight Title on the line against Terry “The Polar Bear” Blackburn (5-2). In the feature bout of the evening, UFC, Bellator and Strikeforce veteran Nah-Shon Burrell (10-5) makes his NEF MMA debut against Ryan Hodge (6-9). Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee 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.