Portland, Maine (Aprily 4, 2018) - New England ady (NEF) returns to Aura in Portland on Aprily 14, 2018 amin'ny fampiroboroboana ny ady manaraka mifangaro-miaramila-zavakanto hetsika, “NEF 33: Riptide.” Vao maraina androany, NEF announced the addition of an amateur middleweight bout to the card. Mark “Pockets” Gardner (1-0) hifanena Brandon Schwink (0-0) amin'ny ady lanjan'ny 185-kilao.
Mark Gardner impressed many in attendance at his debut fight last November in Portland. Gardner took on top middleweight prospect Carlton Charles (2-1) at Aura. He absorbed everything Charles threw at him in the first round, eventually scoring a technical knockout victory in the second. Gardner is a member of The Academy of Mixed Martial Arts based in Westbrook, Maine where he trains under early MMA pioneer Jay Jack. Gardner will return to the cage after a setback earlier this year when an opponent pulled out on him prior to a scheduled bout at “NEF 32.”
“I’m pumped to get back into the cage in April for this next fight,” said Gardner. “I’ve been training hard, ary tsy afaka miandry. It should be a really fun fight.”
Gardner’s opponent, Brandon Schwinck, is a 43-year-old, lifelong martial artist from Windham, Maine. He has been a regular contestant in grappling, karate and kickboxing tournaments across the state over the years. Schwinck has trained with several different gyms, including The Academy where he worked with Gardner on the mats. Ny bout amin'ny Aprily 14 will be his first regulated MMA fight, a moment that Schwinck says he has waited years to realize.
“I’m familiar with the MMA fighter and grappler, Mark Gardner,” said Schwinck when reached for comment. “We used to train together at the Academy of MMA a few years ago. I respect Mr. Gardner’s strengths and abilities on the ground, and he has an amazing team to prepare him for this fight. I recall me and Mark being fairly well-matched on the ground. We’ve submitted each other on the mats. Na izany aza, he’s a tough, noana, young buck with lots of weapons at his disposal, so I won’t take him lightly. I know Mark’s surely stepped-up his striking game and stand-up over the last few years, but I’ve been a fighter all my life and feel the bout will be competitive. I believe my NEF debut will be far from a cake walk, though I’m always prepared to put up an exciting fight in any venue I enter. I have no intentions of letting Mark walk over me and I’ll do my best to stop him. Neither of us will achieve a victory easily. I’m looking forward to competing against this dangerous, manan-talenta mpiady, be it on the ground or standing. I think it will be a great match-up. I’m totally psyched about being part of NEF 33, and in the end, may the best man win.”
NEF returns to Portland, Maine, at Aura on Asabotsy, Aprily 14, 2018. Tapakila dia amidy ankehitriny www.AuraMaine.com. For more information on the event, tsidiho www.NewEnglandFights.com.
About New England ady
New England ady ("NEF") dia zava-mitranga ady orinasa toerana ambony. Ny iraka nataon'ny NEF dia ny hamorona hetsika avo lenta ho an'ny mpiady sy mpankafy. Ny mpanatanteraka NEF ekipa manana traikefa be dia be eo amin'ny fanatanjahan-tena ady fitantanana, zava-mitranga famokarana, haino aman-jery fifandraisana, -barotra, araka ny lalàna sy ny dokam-barotra.