Lewiston, Maine (Hakihea 16, 2015) - New Ingarangi whawhai (Nef), Tau-kotahi whakatairanga whawhai rohe Amerika o, ka mau tona hui muri, “Nef 21: TE Immortals” i runga i Rāhoroi, February 6, 2016 i te Androscoggin Bank Colisée i Lewiston, Maine. The fight card is scheduled to feature both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts. I mua i teie mahana, NEF announced the addition of a professional middleweight bout to the “NEF 21” kāri whawhai. Michael “Te ngutu” Hansen (3-2) Kua hainatia ki te whakatau ia Zach “The Torch” Elkins (0-1) i te taimaha o te 185, pauna whawhai.
Hansen is the head coach and founding member of Berserkers MMA based out of Rumford, Maine. He won a state championship as a heavyweight wrestler for Mountain Valley High School (MVHS) i roto i te 2004. Hansen began his MMA career shortly after his high school graduation, but put that career on hold to serve in United States Army as a combat engineer. I roto i te te tīmatanga 2015, Hansen returned to the cage as a member of the NEF MMA roster. He put together a record of 2-1 in his first year back, including a win over the “2014 Fighter o te Tau” Crowsneck Boutin (1-2). The fight with Elkins will be Hansen’s first foray into the middleweight division after having competed in the heavyweight and light-heavyweight ranks previously.
“Zach is a good fighter with a lot of experience in the cage,” said Hansen over his upcoming opponent. “He’s probably looking to come up here and leave with his first pro win. It won’t be that easy, and he will have to earn it, ’cause I intend to send him back to Florida with another loss.”
Zach Elkins is no stranger to the NEF fans. A member of Team Riot in Orange Park, Florida, Elkins appeared previously for the fight promotion headlining the amateur portion of the “Nef XIII” fight card in the spring of 2014. That evening, Elkins made short work of the northeast’s then-top ranked amateur middleweight Buck Pineau (1-2), scoring a first-round TKO. Elkins was ranked nationally as an amateur, and he held the ISCF Florida State Middleweight Championship for over a year. He lost his professional debut in the fall of 2014, and now Elkins is looking to pick up the first win of his pro career.
“I want to thank Matt and Nick (Peterson and DiSalvo, NEF owners) both for having me back on their show in February,” said Elkins when reached for comment. “I will be ready to put on another exciting fight for the fans in Maine and bringing home another ‘W’ for my team in Florida, Riot MMA.”
New Ingarangi whawhai’ takahanga muri, “Nef 21: TE Immortals,” e wahiRāhoroi, February 6, 2016 i te Androscoggin Bank Colisée i Lewiston, Maine. Tikiti hoki “NEF 21” tīmata i te tika $25 a kei runga i te hoko i teie nei iwww.TheColisee.com ranei na roto i te te karanga i te tari pouaka Colisée i 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. I tua atu, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, te whai ia ratou i runga i Twitternefights, me te uru atu ki te rōpū Facebook whaimana "New Ingarangi whawhai."