Lewiston, Maine (Lub ob hlis ntuj 12, 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” rau Saturday, Plaub Hlis Ntuj 22, 2016nyob 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. Nyuam qhuav pib hnub no, NEF announced the addition of a featherweight contest to the amateur portion of the “NEF 22” sib ntaus card. Bantamweight Champion Johnny Crafts (4-0) will move up in weight to face Taylor Costantino (2-1) at 145-pounds.

Crafts was successful last Saturday in his attempt to capture the inaugural NEF MMA Amateur Bantamweight Title. He took out Henry Clark (3-2) in the third round of their bout in Lewiston. Crafts is a decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) brown belt out of Team New England United (TSHIAB). He also cross-trains with Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) nyob rau hauv Lewiston.

“I’m excited to step up to 145 to fight Taylor,” said Crafts of the upcoming matchup with Costantino. “I will be very strong at that weight seeing as I cut pretty extensively to make 135. It will allow me to focus on different areas this camp instead of putting a lot of my energy into cutting weight.”

Costantino is himself coming off a big win last Saturday at “NEF 21.” It took him a mere 25-seconds to down Frank Johanson (0-1), a training partner of Crafts at CMBJJ, nyob rau hauv thawj puag ncig. Costantino is clear that he is coming to fight on Plaub Hlis Ntuj 23, and he does not plan on engaging in a grappling contest with Crafts.

“Respect to him for coming up in weight,” said Costantino of Crafts. “He’s a glorified pajama warrior that has never been punched in the face with any type of authority. He will clinch quickly and look for the takedown. He’ll realize real quick that he has never fought or trained with anybody like me.”

Crafts and Costantino are not strangers to one another. Several years ago, the two met in a jiu-jitsu tournament with Crafts coming out on top.

“Taylor and I have competed before in a sport jiu-jitsu tournament,” recalled Crafts. “Taylor says I am a glorified pajama warrior who has never been punched in the face, but if I recall correctly, I submitted him without my ‘pajamas’ no-gi in that tournament pretty quickly. I train with a lot of very talented and tough fighters daily who punch me in the face very hard. People say the same thing about me not getting punched – zoo, I have had four fights and they just haven’t had the chance to. Anyone who has trained with high-level fighters will tell you that gi jiu-jitsu only makes you more of a technical fighter. If he doesn’t believe that, that is fine – he will feel it on April 23rd.”

“Johnny did submit me when I first moved to Maine,” Costantino admitted. “Legit submission, and his pure grappling is definitely high level. My grappling is MMA based, not slow jitsu. It’s grimy, grueling and punishing. Pure grappling, I would worry about his game. But it’s a fight, sport jiu-jitsu means next to nothing to me.

“I wish I could say people will get to see my whole game, but I can’t guarantee that. Johnny will feel my power and look to go to his comfort zone. I will break him, you will see quit in his eyes.”

“After Taylor won in impressive fashion at NEF 21, he immediately screamed at me while still inside the cage that he wanted a black belt for his next challenge,” hais tias NEF co-tswv tsev thiab matchmaker Matt Peterson. “Zoo, he’s getting a brown belt in Johnny Crafts who, by all accounts, is due to receive his black belt any day, is a perfect 4-0 in the cage and is the current NEF amateur bantamweight champion. This fight is dripping with drama and will define a future top contender for the featherweight title in NEF’s stacked 145-pound division.”

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."