Tag Archives: mma

TICKETS ON SALE THIS WEEK FOR BELLATOR’S RETURN TO ALLSTATE ARENA IN CHICAGO ON MAY 11


BELLATOR LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMP MICHAEL CHANDLER DEFENDS HIS TITLE AGAINST FEATHERWEIGHT KINGPIN PATRICIO ‘PITBULL’ IN LONG-AWAITED GRUDGE MATCH LIVE ON DAZN



THE WELTERWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX CONTINUES WITH DOUGLAS LIMA TAKING ON MICHAEL ‘VENOM’ PAGE IN SEMI-FINAL ACTION



MÉS: UNDEFEATED PROSPECT A.J. MCKEE MEETS CHICAGO’S PAT CURRAN AND THE RETURN OF FORMER WWE STAR JAKE HAGER



LOS ANGELES – Bellator’s return to Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Malalt. en dissabte, Maig 11 is stacked with a must-see lineup of fights, headlined by current lightweight titleholder Michael Chandler (19-4) in his attempt to become the only man to defeat both Pitbull Brothers and put an end to their years-long rivalry, when he defends his belt against Bellator’s 145-pound champ Patricio "Pitbull" (28-4) en l'esdeveniment principal de Bellator 221 - which will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.



The co-headliner will see former two-time Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima (30-7) face undefeated Michael Pàgina "Venom" (14-0), better known to fans as “MVP,” in the first semi-final matchup in Bellator’s Welterweight World Grand Prix. Each fighter has their eyes set on moving one step closer to becoming Bellator welterweight champ and taking home one million dollars.



Addicionalment, arguably one of the world’s top featherweight prospects A. J. McKee (13-0) will face the stiffest test of his young career when he fights two-time former Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran (23-7) on Curran’s home turf. Finalment, former WWE champion Jake Hager (1-0) returns to the Bellator cage for the first time since his first-round submission victory in January looking to continue his early dominance inside the cage.



An exclusive online presale for Bellator 221: Chandler vs. Pitbull takes place between Wednesday, Febrer. 20 a 10 a.m. CT and Thursday, Febrer. 21 a 10 p.m. Connecticut, with tickets going on-sale to the general public on Friday, Febrer. 22 a 12 p.m. Connecticut. Tickets for the event will be available at the Allstate Arena box office, així com Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.



Bellator 221: Chandler vs. Pitbull will be broadcast live on DAZN a 10 p.m. ET / 7 pm. PT, mentre que l'acció preliminar transmetrà en Bellator.com i globalment en l'aplicació mòbil de Bellator. baralles addicionals seran anunciats en les pròximes setmanes.



One of the most-decorated fighters in Bellator history, Michael Chandler reclaimed the lightweight championship this past December to become a three-time titleholder. “Iron” has defeated a who’s who among the division’s elite, Incloent Brent Primus, Benson Henderson, Patricky Pitbull (x2), Yamauchi dalt and Eddie Alvarez. The former University of Missouri wrestler from High Ridge, Missouri, who now calls Nashville home, has had a slow-building feud with his May 11 adversari, verbally sparring with his foe following wins over Patricio’s brother Patricky and on social media. Ara, the time for talk is over and both will enter the Bellator cage to finally settle the score.



Procedent de Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, two-time featherweight champ Patricio “Pitbull” will enter the Bellator cage for a promotional record 21th time. With impressive wins to his name over Daniel Straus (x3), Daniel Weichel (x2) i Pat Curran, he most recently defeated Emmanuel Sánchez per decisió unànime en Bellator 209. Moving up a weight class for the first time since Bellator 160 when he met Benson Henderson, “Pitbull” is planning to leave his mark in a new division and go down as one of the all-time greats. Després d'haver obtingut una finalització a 20 de la seva 28 guanya com a professional, the reigning champion has become synonymous with excitement and fans can certainly expect more fireworks when looks to become a simultaneous two-division champion on May 11.



Fighting out of Atlanta, Ga., by way of Goiania, Brasil, Douglas “The Phenom” Lima has been a mainstay at the top of the 170-pound division for the better part of three years. With wins against the likes of Lorenz Larkin, Andrey Koreshkov (x2), Paul Daley and Ben Saunders, the 31-year-old advanced to the semifinals of the Welterweight World Grand Prix after a technical submission win against Koreshkov. A winner of nine out of his last 11 concursos, the American Top Team product remains set on showing the world how dominant he truly is.



One of the most unorthodox strikers to ever compete, “MVP” has steadily worked his way up the welterweight ranks since signing with the organization in 2013. Known for his unique style and personality both inside the cage and out, every Michael Page fight is must-see entertainment. With an undefeated record of 14-0, i 11 of those victories coming by stoppage, the 31-year-old out of London Shootfighters advanced to the semifinals following a closely contested unanimous decision win against rival Paul Daley at Bellator 216.



Lluitant fora de Long Beach, Qualif., A. J. McKee puts his undefeated record on the line against the former champ on May 11. Currently training alongside the likes of Aaron Pic,“Baby Slice” i Joey Davis at The Body Shop under the tutelage of his father, MMA veteran Antonio McKee, the second-generation fighter has been making quite the name for himself since joining the professional ranks. Amb només 23 anys d'edat, “Mercenary” has set the Bellator record for consecutive wins at 13, having defeated Daniel Crawford, Brian Moore, John “Macapa, Justin Lawrence and Dominic Mazzotta en el camí. Known for his highlight-reel finishes, McKee will look to remain unbeaten and keep his name etched in the record books when he meets Curran at Bellator 221. A former two-time Bellator world featherweight champion, Pat Curran returns to the cage near his hometown looking to earn another shot at gold. Fighting out of Crystal Lake, Ill., “Paddy Mike” is in the midst of a three-fight win streak that includes victories over Emmanuel Sánchez, John “Macapa”and Georgi Karakhanyan. The longtime Bellator veteran, who debuted at Bellator 14 a 2010, owns additional wins over Patricio “Pitbull,” Joe Warren, Roger Huerta i Daniel Straus. També, a two-time Bellator tournament winner, the 31-year-old’s return to the top of the 145-pound division begins with a tough test against McKee.



A native of Perry, Oklahoma., Hager emphatically showed the world that he belongs in the sport of MMA with a submission win over J.W. Kizer a Bellator 214 al gener. A collegiate wrestler at the University of Oklahoma, where he was an All-American and set the school record for most pins at the 285-pound weight class in a single season with 30. Following graduation and a conversation with legendary pro wrestling announcer and fellow Oklahoma Sooner, Jim Ross, Hager made the transition to professional wrestling and signed with World Wrestling Entertainment. While in WWE, Hager would go on to claim multiple coveted professional titles during his time with the organization, including the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, ECW Championship and WWE United States Championship. Ara, the man also known to fans around the globe as “Jack Swagger” will return to action MMA action in Chicago against a soon-to-be-announced heavyweight opponent.



Actualitzat Bellator 221: Chandler vs. Pitbull Card:

Lightweight World Title Bout: Michael Chandler (19-4) vs. Patricio "Pitbull" (28-4)

Welterweight World Grand Prix Semi-final: Douglas Lima (30-7) vs. Michael Pàgina "Venom" (14-0)

Batalla de la targeta principal de pes ploma: A. J. McKee (13-0) vs. Pat Curran (23-7)

Heavyweight Main Card Bout: Jake Hager (1-0) vs. TBA


*La targeta està subjecta a canvis



Si us plau visita Bellator.com per més informació.

COMBATE AMERICAS SIGNS UNDEFEATED BOXER, FORMER “LUCHA UNDERGROUND” CHAMP DULCE MARIA GARCIA RIVAS TO EXCLUSIVE, MULTI-FIGHT MMA PROMOTIONAL CONTRACT


Garcia to debut in her third combat sport at “Combate Estrellas”
in Monterrey, N.L., Mex. el divendres, Abril 12

NOVA YORKFebrer 19, 2019 Combate Americas has signed undefeated boxer and former Lucha Underground campió Dulce Maria Garcia Rivas (0-0 MMA, 5-0 boxa), formerly known as “Sexy Star,” to an exclusive, multi-fight Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotional agreement, the premier sports entertainment franchise announced today.

Garcia will make her much-anticipated MMA rules debut under the promotion of Combate Americas at the soon-to-be-announced ‘Combate Estrellas’ live television event in her hometown of Monterrey, N.L., Mexico on Friday, Abril 12.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dulce Garcia to the Combate Americas familia, and see her perform in La Jaula, and what is quickly emerging as the second biggest sport with Hispanic millennial fans worldwide,"Va dir el CEO de Combat Amèriques Campbell McLaren.

Garcia notched three consecutive professional boxing victories in 2018 – her most recent, a six-round unanimous decision over Karla Islas d'agost 18 – to bring her overall record in the sport to an unblemished, 5-0.

Pictured above: In her second professional boxing start, García (dret) earned a unanimous decision victory over Guadalupe Coral (esquerra) in Ecatepec, Mex. al setembre 30, 2017.

Prior to making her boxing debut in April 2017, Garcia had appeared in 57 episodes of El Rey Network’s Lucha Libre television series, Lucha Underground, and was crowned the first women’s champion in the show’s history on April 9, 2016.

Garcia is also a four-time champion of Mexico’s Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide professional wrestling organization, and the wife of former, three-time world boxing championJhonny González.

JAKE BAGLEY AFTER DAZZLING MMA DEBUT: “I PLAN ON DOING BIG THINGS”

Portland, Maine (Febrer 16, 2019)—Jake “The Bull” Bagley has had a mythical reputation within the Maine wrestling community for well over a decade, but when he made his mixed martial arts (MMA) debut at “NEF 37: Sub Zero” on February 1st in Bangor, a whole new legion of fans learned his name—fight fans. That’s because Bagley, a multiple-time state champion wrestler, brought the house down in his back-and-forth, fist-tastic battle with Canada’s Brady Macdonald. Bagley discussed his NEF MMA debut recently with Bryan Stackpole and Ryan Jarrell on the Between Rounds Radio podcast.

Bagley, now 25-years-old, grew-up wrestling for perennial powerhouse Noble High School in North Berwick, Maine, where he won two state championships. During his time on the mat, Bagley earned a reputation as a relentless competitor that never hesitated to bump up in weight to face the toughest challengers he could find at both the state and national levels. Blessed with a relentless desire to constantly test his abilities, Bagley’s interests naturally progressed to MMA at a young age.

“When I was 15, I believe I was a sophomore, I heard there was cage fighting going on in Berwick, Maine,” Bagley told Stackpole and Jarrell. “I went down and checked it out and that’s the first day I met Bill Jones. I was 15-years-old and I walked into Hall Brother’s Roofing and they’re out there behind a storage unit place, in a garage bay training. Ever since that day, Bill’s been kicking my ass and pushing me to it. In the last couple of months, I finally got serious about it and decided to do it.”

Bagley’s NEF debut earlier this month came against a fighter that had proven himself to be a wrestler’s kryptonite. Canada’s Brady Macdonald needed only 15-seconds to force multiple-time New Hampshire state champion Greg Waterbury to tap when he debuted with the promotion in June 2018. Early into his bout with Bagley, it looked like history might repeat itself when Macdonald was able to secure Bagley’s back during the first round. Bagley, però, would have none of it.

“He caught me with that first overhand right right at the beginning of the fight and then it clicked—I realized I was in a fight,” Bagley recounted. “My adrenaline went up. I couldn’t have been happier. It was everything that I was looking for.”

Bagley fought off the choke and then, the fight was on. A frenetic, high-paced free-for-all followed that had all 1200 fans in the building on their feet.

“As soon as I realized how hard he could hit, I had no fear—I was going forward,” Bagley stated.

“I didn’t realize how many times he actually hit me until I saw the video,” Bagley continued. “That’s a big thing—I need to keep my hands up.”

One of the most dangerous moments of the fight for Bagley came when he found himself caught in a deep heel hook.

“I look at the video now and I see my foot facing down and my knee facing up and it definitely hurt,” Bagley explained. “He had it in there tight and I’m glad I got through it.”

“I didn’t notice anybody but Brady that night. When I was in there I couldn’t hear coaches yelling, I couldn’t hear fans yelling. It was awesome. It was pure focus because I knew if I wasn’t focusing he was going to catch me like I was catching him.”

Ara, a couple of weeks removed from his head-turning debut, the bumps and bruises have healed, but for Bagley—and the fans that were fortunate enough to witness it—the magic of the moment has not been forgotten.

“I’ve wrestled on a couple of national stages, but the emotion and the stuff after that fight… I still feel it today,” Bagley said.

"Se sent increïble,” he continued. “I’ve always been a competitor and I’ve always trained my entire life. I didn’t do much the last five years—I had a couple of kids and started a family. When I just got back into the gym it was like riding a bike. Once I get going, there’s not going to be anybody to stop me.”

Once again fully committed to a competition lifestyle, Bagley is ready to start racking up the wins the same way he did on the wrestling mat.

“I feel that now that I’m in it, I have that drive and motivation that I don’t think many people are going to be able to compete with,"Ell va dir. “I’ve got unnatural athletic ability and my determination is going to be hard to match—I don’t care who you are.”

“I will fight anybody that wants to accept a fight with me,” he continued. “That’s how I feel. If I want to be the best, I’m going to go against the best. I’ll take on anybody right now.”

“I plan on doing big things.”

proper esdeveniment mixt d'arts marcials de NEF, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” will take place on Saturday, Abril 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now atwww.AuraMaine.com. ��F�>s�O

Bellator 215: MITRIONE vs. KHARITONOV RESULTS & FOTOS


FULL PHOTOS HERE



complet Bellator 215 Resultats:

Matt Mitrione (13-6, 1 NC) i Sergei Kharitonov (29-7, 2 NC) ended in a no contest

Logan Storley (10-0) derrotat Ion Pascu (18-9) per decisió unànime (30-27 30-26, 30-26)

Eduardo Dantas (21-6) derrotat Toby Misech (11-7) per decisió unànime (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

John Douma (4-1) derrotat Mike Kimbel (2-1) a través de la submissió (triangle Choke) a 2:51 de la primera ronda

Austin Vanderford (7-0) derrotat Cody Jones (6-3) a través de la submissió (estrangulador braç-triangle) a 4:49 de la primera ronda



Targeta preliminar:

Steve Mowry (6-0) derrotat Darion Abbey (0-1) a través de la submissió (Kimura) a 1:27 de la primera ronda

Amanda Bell (6-5) derrotat Amber Leibrock (3-3) per KO (cops) a 3:52 de la primera ronda

Pat McCrohan (4-2) derrotat Jason Markland (0-1) per TKO (cops) a 1:11 de la primera ronda

Lindsey VanZandt (5-1) derrotat Tabatha Watkins (3-1) per TKO (cops) a 3:25 de la segona ronda

Pete Rogers (4-4) derrotat Jason Rine (1-5) per TKO (vagues) a :50 de la segona ronda

Matt Probin (4-0) derrotat Ali Zebian (1-1) per decisió dividida (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Zarrukh Adashev (2-1) derrotat Ronie Arana (0-3) per decisió unànime (29-28. 30-27, 30-27)

Billy Goff (2-0) derrotat Ryan Hardy (0-1) per decisió unànime (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)



Si us plau visita Bellator.com per més informació.




FULL FIGHT CARDS FOR BELLATOR 215: MITRIONE VS. KHARITONOV THIS FRIDAY & Bellator 216: MVP VS. DALEY THIS SATURDAY


FULL PHOTOS HERE



LOS ANGELES – The full slate of bouts for Bellator’s doubleheader return to Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. al febrer. 15 and Feb. 16 has been completed with two stacked five-fight main cards and exciting preliminary matchups.



The main event of Friday’s card on Paramount Network, and simulcast on DAZN, will feature a heavyweight headliner, where former Bellator Grand Prix Semifinalist Matt Mitrione (13-6) faces Russian knockout artist Sergei Kharitonov (29-7, 1 NC). Rounding out the stacked main card will see undefeated Logan Storley (9-0) meet SBG Dublin’s Ion Pascu (18-9) en el pes welter, former Bellator bantamweight champ Eduardo Dantas (20-6) return from injury to meet Hawaii’s Toby Misech (12-6) at 135-pounds, and the electric Mike Kimbel (2-0) making his main card debut against Rhode Island’s John Douma (3-1). The opener of Bellator 215 will be the promotional debut of Austin Vanderford (6-0), who looks to remain undefeated against Cody Jones (6-2), a winner of four consecutive fights.




Els prelims per a Bellator 215: Mitrione vs. Kharitonov will be highlighted by a women’s featherweight contest featuring Amber Leibrock (3-2) contra Amanda Bell (5-5), as well as top heavyweight prospect Steve Mowry (5-0) tenint en Darion Abbey (Pro Debut).



Unes 24 hores després, Bellator 216 will take place exclusively on DAZN and will be headlined by one of the most intense grudge matches in MMA history. En dissabte, Febrer. 16, invicte Michael Pàgina "Venom" (13-0) will enter the Bellator cage against 58-fight professional Paul Daley "Semtex" (40-16-2) in a first-round fight of Bellator’s Welterweight World Grand Prix. The co-main event is a rematch between two heavyweights who undoubtedly will go down in the sport’s history books, quan Mirko Cro Cop (37-11-2, 1 NC) makes his Bellator debut against Roy "Big Country" Nelson (23-16).



Addicionalment, a No. 1 contender’s bout to determine who will face newly crowned heavyweight kingpin Ryan Bader will pit Cheick Kongo (29-10-2) contra l'invicte, longtime former Bellator heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov (21-0). An intriguing welterweight encounter between Yaroslav Amosov (20-0) and the always-excitingErick Silva (20-9, 1 NC) is also official, as is the professional debut of multi-time taekwondo champion Valerie Loureda, when she meets Oklahoma’s Colby Fletcher (1-2) in the main card opener.



As if that wasn’t enough top-flight action, Tyrell Fortune (5-0), one of Bellator’s top homegrown prospects returns to the Bellator cage against Ryan Pokryfky (6-5) in the featured preliminary bout of Bellator 216: MVP vs. Daley.



Bellator: Mitrione vs. Kharitonov will be broadcast Friday, Febrer 15 on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET / 8 pm. CT and will stream LIVE on DAZN. Bellator: MVP vs. Daley will stream exclusively on DAZN on Saturday, Febrer 16 a 10 p.m. ET / 7 pm. PT. Preliminary action for both events will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App.



Tickets for both events are available now and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com. Fans can save when they purchase tickets to both events through the “Back-to-Back Pack!” Please visit Ticketmaster.com for more details.




complet Bellator 215: Mitrione vs. Kharitonov Targeta principal:

Heavyweight Main Event Bout: Matt Mitrione (13-6) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (29-7, 1 NC)

Co-principal esdeveniment de pes pesat: Logan Storley (9-0) vs. Ion Pascu (18-9)

Combat de la targeta principal del pes gallo: Eduardo Dantas (20-6) vs. Toby Misech (12-6)

Combat de la targeta principal del pes gallo: Mike Kimbel (2-0) vs. John Douma (3-1)

175-Pound Catchweight Main Card Bout: Austin Vanderford (6-0) vs. Cody Jones (6-2)



Targeta preliminar:

Batalla preliminar de pes pesat: Steve Mowry (5-0) vs. Darion Abbey (Pro Debut)

Batalla preliminar de pes ploma: Amber Leibrock (3-2) vs. Amanda Bell (5-5)

Batalla preliminar de pes mitjà: Pat McCrohan (3-2) vs. Jason Markland (Debut)

Atomweight Preliminary Bout: Tabatha Watkins (3-0) vs. Lindsey VanZandt (4-1)

Batalla preliminar de pes ploma: Pete Rogers (3-4) vs. Jason Rine (1-4)

Batalla preliminar de pes ploma: Matt Probin (3-0) vs. Ali Zebian (1-0)

Lluita preliminar contra el pes de la mosca: Zarrukh Adashev (1-1) vs. Ronie Arana (0-2)

Pes preliminar de pes welter: Billy Goff (1-0) vs. Ryan Hardy (Pro Debut)



complet Bellator 216: MVP vs. Daley Targeta principal:

Welterweight World Grand Prix Matchup: Michael Pàgina (13-0) vs. Paul Daley (40-16-2)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Mirko Cro Cop (37-11-2, 1 NC) vs. Roy Nelson (23-16)

Heavyweight Main Card Bout: Cheick Kongo (29-10-2) vs. Vitaly Minakov (21-0)

Combat de la targeta principal del pes pesat: Yaroslav Amosov (20-0) vs. Erick Silva (20-9, 1 NC)

Punt de la targeta principal de pes mosca: Valerie Loureda (Pro Debut) vs. Colby Fletcher (1-2)



Targeta preliminar:

Batalla preliminar de pes pesat: Tyrell Fortune (5-0) vs. Ryan Pokryfky (6-5)

Lluita preliminar lleugera: Patrick Casey (4-0) vs. Nekruz Mirkhojaev (3-2)

Pes preliminar de pes welter: Vinicius De Jesus (6-2) vs. Rodolpho Barcellos (1-0)

165-Pound Catchweight Bout: Kastriot Xhema (2-2, 1 NC) vs. Kemran Lachinov (7-2)

Lluita preliminar lleugera: Reginaldo Felix (5-2) vs. Justin Sumter (6-2)

Batalla preliminar de pes mitjà: Jesse Kosakowski (2-0) vs. Rodolfo Rocha (1-1)

Pes preliminar de pes welter: Demetrius Plaza (Pro Debut) vs. Andrews Rodriguez (1-0)



*La targeta està subjecta a canvis



Si us plau visita Bellator.com per més informació.



SECOND TITLE FIGHT ANNOUNCED FOR NEF 38 IN PORTLAND FEATURES ELITE WRESTLERS

Portland, Maine (Febrer 8, 2019) – Lluites de Nova Anglaterra (NEF) will present its next mixed-martial-arts (MMA) esdeveniment, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” d'abril 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland. El dia d'avui, the fight promotion announced the second amateur title fight confirmed for the event. Zac “Rocós” Richard (3-0-1) s'enfrontarà a Tom “The PhenomPagliarulo (2-1) for the vacant NEF Amateur Featherweight Championship.

It will be Richard’s second attempt at capturing the title. Earlier this month, Richard fought Fred Lear (6-2-1) to a thrilling five-round draw for the strap in Bangor, Maine. The bout is considered by many to be a very early contender for “Baralla de l'Any” in New England thus far. Lear’s decision to turn professional after that fight nixed any hope for an immediate rematch.

Richard, la 2018 “NEF Rookie of the Yearas voted by the promotion’s fans, went on a tear last year with three first-round finishes. He has never been a stranger to the winner’s circle, having won a Maine state championship in wrestling for Massabesic High School in 2015. Richard hopes to replicate that success on April 27 and take the featherweight strap home in his second attempt.

Richard represents team Nostos MMA of Somersworth, New Hampshire where he trains under current UFC fighter, and former NEF Professional Lightweight Champion, Devin Powell (9-4).

Now that I’ve been in a war, I know what I need to work on,” said Richard. “I’ve came so far in just one year. I’m going to blow the roof off of AURA. No way around it, I want that title. I’m going to come back faster, stronger and smarter. Tom is a great fighter and I know this fight will bring out the best in me.

Tom Pagliarulo will be making his NEF debut on April 27. He has two finishes to his credit on MMA events in New Hampshire, including a first-round technical knockout last fall. Like Richard, Pagliarulo cut his teeth on the wrestling mats. He is a lifelong wrestler. He competed for Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts and later for Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Pagliarulo currently holds a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and trains at both Burgess MMA in Manchester, New Hampshire and Spero’s Martial Arts Academy in Plaistow, New Hampshire.

What better way to make my NEF debut than a title fight against a tough competitor,” exclaimed Pagliarulo when reached for comment. “Zac and myself are both elite wrestlers which should make for an exciting fight. The opportunity was presented to me, and I know it is a fight that will make us both better, so I jumped all over it. As far as the title goes, this is just another fight for me. I’m going to go in there and do what I love to do, fight.

proper esdeveniment mixt d'arts marcials de NEF, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” will take place on Saturday, Abril 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now atwww.AuraMaine.com.

TITLE FIGHT DRAW LEAVES ZAC RICHARD WITH A SENSE OF PRIDE

Three prior forays into the New England Fights cage demanded all of five minutes and nine seconds from Zac Richard.

That was the aggregate time it took for the native of Waterboro, Maine, to accumulate three wins by knockout or submission and earn a shot at the vacant NEF amateur featherweight title at NEF 37 el divendres, Febrer 1.

Richard probably only now fully appreciates how the odds were stacked against him that frosty evening. He was paired with Fred Lear, a veteran of eight previous fights who won the bantamweight belt in his previous outing. Both Lear’s home and training center sit a stone’s throw away from the Cross Insurance Center, scene of the showdown.

While draws are a rare turn of events in mixed martial arts, and ties are universally maligned as an unsatisfying outcome to any sporting endeavor, Richard can appreciate the judgesindecision after the first true donnybrook of his budding career.

“Before the fight when they announced our names, I thought the place was going to explode. It was wild,” Richard said. “And then the fight was pretty even the whole time. I kept thinking to myself, you’re not losing, but you’re not winning by much. That’s all I kept thinking about.”

Richard, a Maine state wrestling champion in high school, has worked on the finer points of his stand-up game with UFC veteran Devin Powell and other instructors at Nostos MMA in Somersworth, New Hampshire.

Pride and practicality persuaded Richard to engage in slug-it-out tactics with Lear, but old habits die hard.

“It started out good. I felt in control from the beginning. I wanted to stay on my feet and really show off how much my striking has come,” Richard said. “And I knew Fred was a really game opponent on the ground and has been training a lot longer than I have. So I wanted to keep it on my feet. But staying a wrestler is such habit. The first combination I threw, I went down for a shot.”

Lear’s assault to the body admittedly took a physical toll on Richard. The newcomer obviously never experienced such blunt trauma in his pre-MMA combat days and hadn’t been touched in his career-opening win streak against Gabriel Diaz, Clifford Redman and Chris Lachcik.

“I got really gassed and winded, because he kept landing knees and punches to the body,” Richard said, “I kept waiting for my second wind to come and it never did. I tried to get in a combination or a good slam every once in a while.”

Even sitting on the stool in his corner between rounds was surreal.

Of course there were thoughts of Richard’s sister, Lacy, who lost her battle with cancer in 2012 but continues to inspire Zac with her fighting spirit. Having time to get in touch with one’s thoughts and survey the scenery aren’t the norm when you’re finishing opponents before the echo of the opening bell fades.

“Most of my fights have been pretty quick. It was definitely a weird experience,” Richard said. “I’ve never had that between rounds. I was looking out in the crowd and would see one certain friend or family member or training partner every time. It was a lot bigger deal than what I’m used to.”

When it became obvious Lear wasn’t ripe to be knocked out, Richard tried to balance self-defense while keeping the scorecards in mind.

“Going into the fourth and fifth round, I knew I was tired, and I knew Fred could punch and kick just as well,"Ell va dir. “I was thinking to myself, ‘You’ve got to keep your hands up. This is dangerous when you’re tired.All I kept thinking about was don’t get hit. Hit him.

“Every time the clackers went off, when there was 10 seconds left, I tried to get up from the bottom or get in a kick or land one last good strike. That was different, because I never had that—I’ve never even heard the 10-second clackers. I definitely could hear it more than the buzzer, because the last few seconds it would get so chaotic and everyone would get so loud. The ref would just grab us I’m like, ‘Is it over?’ I never experienced anything like that in wrestling.”

Those back-and-forth battles in regional and state mat affairs did serve Richard well. He felt that he was mentally prepared for the championship rounds, even as the physical toll increased.

Richard acknowledged that he has a bad habit of training without using his mouth guard and that it may have affected his breathing in the bout.

“I’ve been in some pretty long wrestling matches, as many different types as you can get in,” Richard said. “I was always a really good wrestler in overtime. I don’t think I ever lost in overtime. If I did, it was like once. But the thing with wrestling is you’re not getting punched and kneed in the stomach and other things that are taking your wind. I was just so tired. I knew the whole time I wasn’t proud of my performance, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. I kept telling myself I had to get up and do something.”

While unhappy with the draw, Richard takes encouragement from many details that have come to light in the aftermath of the fight.

The mixed result surely entitled Richard to an immediate rematch. That won’t explicitly happen, as Lear informed him that he intends to turn professional.

“I remember February 14 of last year was the first NEF fight I ever went to. I had only been training for a month and (NEF copropietari i matrimoniera) Matt Peterson asked me to go,” Richard said. “So I went, and here it is a year later I’m fighting for a belt against a kid that fought for the belt a year and a half ago. Finding out after the fight that he’s going pro, it really made me a lot prouder of how I did. If he can pro after that fight, and I’ve only been fighting for a year, then I’ve got pretty good hope for my future.”

That future will include another crack at the belt, d'abril 27º.

“I’m the Number 1 contendent, and he’s going pro, so it’s whoever’s next,” Richard said. “I don’t know if they’re going to bring in someone from somewhere else or what. Matt said he’s working on opponent. I’ll be ready.”

proper esdeveniment mixt d'arts marcials de NEF, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” will take place on Saturday, Abril 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now atwww.AuraMaine.com.

NEF DELIVERS SCORCHING-HOT MMA EVENT IN SUB ZERO WEATHER


Bangor, Maine (Febrer 2, 2019) – While the polar vortex froze solid the nearby Penobscot River, Lluites de Nova Anglaterra (NEF) had the mercury rising with some wild mixed-martial-arts (MMA) action inside the Cross Insurance Center on Friday night. The popular fight promotion brought its latest event to Bangor with yet another sold-out crowd of more than 1200 on hand. It was the fourth event, and fourth sell-out, in Bangor for NEF since 2016. The event was aptly titledSUB ZEROin anticipation of the bone-chilling weather raging outside.

The main event saw Josh Harvey (6-0-1) claim the NEF Professional Featherweight strap when he defeated Bill Jones (13-11) in the first round via technical submission. In so doing, Harvey made history as the first competitor to win titles in two different weight divisions in NEF. He previously held the NEF Amateur Lightweight title.

Mark Gardner (1-0) was victorious over CJ Ewer (3-3) in Gardner’s professional debut. Ewer was unable to continue after the first round due to a cut above his eye.

In the amateur headliner, Fred Lear (6-2-1) and Zac Richard (3-0-1) fought to a five-round draw on the judgesscorecards in a bout for the vacant NEF Amateur Featherweight Title. Lear had a point taken away in the first round by referee John English for grabbing the cage. The amateur featherweight championship remains vacant.

Catie Denning (2-1) and Glory Watson (3-0) both picked up wins for Young’s MMA in their respective women’s bouts. Denning defeated Amanda Bennett (0-1) via split decision while Watson submitted Wisconsin’s Rachael Lippert (4-3) a la tercera ronda.

The results from Bangor, Maine:

PROFESSIONAL


Josh Harvey def. Bill Jones via technical submission, ronda 1


Mark Gardner def. CJ Ewer via technical knockout, ronda 2

AMATEUR


Fred Lear fought Zac Richard to a five-round draw


Devin Corson def. Taylor Bartlett via unanimous decision

Catie Denning def. Amanda Bennett via split decision

Jake Bagley def. Brady MacDonald via unanimous decision

Bryce Bamford def. Roger Ewer via KO, ronda 1

Glory Watson def. Rachael Lippert via guillotine submission, ronda 3

Nate Boucher def. Dillon Henry via rear-naked submission, ronda 1

Jordan Young def. Clifford Redman via rear-naked submission, ronda 1

Rob Kiah def. Joe Howard via rear-naked choke submission, ronda 2


proper esdeveniment mixt d'arts marcials de NEF, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” will take place on Saturday, Abril 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm. Les butlletes estan a la venda a www.AuraMaine.com.

TITLE CONTENDER JONES SPITTING FIRE AHEAD OF MAIN EVENT WITH UNDEFEATED HARVEY

Bangor, Maine (Gener 27, 2019) – Similar to his scheduled opponent in the February 1st main event of New England Fights’ “NEF 37: SUB ZERO,” card at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine, Bill “Jonesi” Jones is known as a hardworking entrepreneur that is focused on getting ahead in life.

As Jones himself recently stated bluntly: “I’m on a mission to get rich.”

Jones’ opponent for Friday night, undefeated hammer Josh “Hook-On” Harvey, is also known within the Penobscot County region where he resides as a sun-up to sun-down grinder that doesn’t stop until he crams 25-hours worth of work into a 24-hour day.

That is where their similarities end, però.

In the lead-in to their fight, Jones has been vocal in his predictions that he will finish Harvey quickly by knocking him out in the first round if the fight stays standing.

Harvey, D'altra banda, has been relatively quiet before their five-round Featherweight Championship bout.

Jones was at it again recently when he joined Craig Allen onFight Night Picks to talk about his upcoming showdown with Harvey.

“I think Harvey likes to look good,” Jones stated. “I think he likes to protect his face and look pretty. Així, I think when I start smashing on him, he’s going to cover up and bail out really quick.”

The lone blemish on Harvey’s record-to-date came back in November when he fought to a draw withThe Ultimate Fighter finalist Joe Giannetti at a show in Massachusetts. Many in attendance felt that Harvey won the bout.

Jones, meanwhile, saw the fight and wasn’t impressed with Harvey’s performance.

"[Harvey’s fight with] Giannetti was more of a hugging match,” Jones told Allen. “Two guys just kind-of hanging on to each other for 15-minutes, no damage done. I’m going to throw down and fire until there’s no more bullets to come out. It’s going to be exciting, I can’t wait.”

At 40-years old, Jones knows that age eventually gets the better of every combat sports athlete and that, de manera realista, he’s looking at his final few fights. Fully aware of this, Jones is pleased to be finishing out his career back home with New England Fights.

“It’s good to bring it back home toward the end of my career,” Jones stated. “It will be nice to bang out Harvey here and maybe get that fight with Lacey, like they were talking about, and close it out with him. We’ll see where it goes.”

“It’s not about the money for me anymore—it’s not about the sponsors. It’s about the competition,” Jones concluded. “I want to go out there and kick some more ass. I make plenty of money doing my day job, so it is what it is—let’s go beat people up.”

To listen to the full interview with Bill Jones visit:

proper esdeveniment mixt d'arts marcials de NEF, "NEF 37: SUB ZERO,” will take place on Friday, Febrer 1, 2019 at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine with a bell time of 8 pm. Tickets are on-sale now atwww.CrossInsuranceCenter.com.

Sobre Baralles de Nova Anglaterra

Lluites de Nova Anglaterra ("NEF") és una empresa d'esdeveniments promocions lluita. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. L'equip executiu de NEF té una àmplia experiència en la gestió dels esports de combat, producció d'esdeveniments, relacions amb els mitjans, mercadeig, legal i publicitat.

CONTENDER BILL JONES ON JOSH HARVEY: “HE’S A PRETTY BOY THAT DOESN’T WANT TO GET HURT”

Bill “Jonesi” Jones has seen and done it all during a decorated mixed martial arts (MMA) career that spans back more than a decade. Al febrer 1st, he’ll look to add another noteworthy accomplishment to his deep fight resume when he faces highly touted, undefeated prospect Josh “Hook-On” Harvey for the New England Fights (NEF) professional Featherweight Championship in the main event at “NEF 37: SUB ZERO” in Bangor, Maine. Jones recently discussed his storied record and his upcoming championship bout with Ryan Jarrell and Bryan Stackpole on the Between Rounds Radio podcast.

Jones made his MMA debut in September 2007. Over the course of more than 20-bouts, he fought and defeated a who’s-who of New England’s top-tier combat sports athletes, including multiple opponents that went on to compete in the world’s largest promotions such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Professional Fighters League (formally known as WSOF), and Bellator. Jones holds wins over UFC veterans Matt Bessette and Tateki Matsuda. It’s this experience against high-level competition that Jones believes will give him an edge over Harvey on February 1st.

“I’ve won fights and I’ve lost fights in the Northeast, but a good portion of my fights were top contenders at 155 or 145,” Jones told Jarrell and Stackpole. “Harvey’s never really fought—other than his last fight that he fought to a decision and he didn’t really show anything in—he’s never fought anybody to the caliber of the guys that I’ve fought. Així, I feel really good about that going into this fight.”

“I’m going to bust ass and smash through this guy,” Jones added.

Bill made his highly anticipated debut with NEF in April 2018, finishing Matt Denning in the second round via technical knockout.

“Beating Denning pretty decisively the way I did—it felt good to get back in the win column, but it still doesn’t show me,” Jones said. “I feel like I should have beat him in the first round, not the second round.”

The win set-up Jones for a title match showdown with Aaron Lacey for the vacant professional featherweight championship in November 2018, but the bout was scrapped when Lacey sustained an injury that forced him to withdraw.

“When he backed out, I was super, extremely disappointed,” Jones explained. “I was extremely disappointed… Lacey’s more of a 145-pound fighter. Harvey, if he makes weight at 145, he is going to have a really rough night because it’s just going to be a lot of weight for him to cut. After the first round, if he makes it out of it, it’s going to wear on him.”

“In my brain, I knew he [Lacey] wasn’t going to make it out of the first round with me—it was a win,” Jones continued. “It was just one of those fights where you knew, you walked in there, and you walked out victorious. I know it’s a tougher fight with Harvey, but in my mind, it’s the same fight.”

With Lacey currently on the sidelines, Lacey’s teammate, fast rising Josh “Hook-On” Harvey, agreed to step in and put his 5-0-1 record on the line against Jones in the feature fight for NEF’s 2019 return to Bangor.

“Every fight that I’ve watched him [Harvey] lluita, it seems like he comes out and tries to stand with them, but then as soon as they start throwing back, I feel like he gets nervous and shoots,” Jones said. “So, he flashes off like he’s a standup fighter, but then as soon as they start to attack, he instantly shoots. So that, en la meva ment, makes me feel like he’s a pretty boy that doesn’t want to get hurt. He doesn’t want to get hit.”

“I feel like he’s going to crumble under the pace that I put on him. I’m a more of an attack, in-your-face fighter and I feel like he’s going to fold under that.”

When “Jonesi” and Hook-On” face-off on February 1st, it will be in the heart of winter in Maine, hence the title of the aptly named event, “Sub Zero.” Unlike many combat athletes that try to avoid cutting weight over the long holiday season, Jones, who works full-time during the day as a roofing foreman supervising a crew of 12 laborers, prefers competing during the winter months.

“Wintertime is always a good time for me to train,” Jones explained to Jarrell and Stackpole. “I get out of work fairly early in the wintertime. We work dark-to-dark in the summer, so I don’t get home until 6, 7, 8 o’clock—so it’s hard to make it to the gym. So winter time is a real good training schedule for me.”

Jones, who normally walks around at 155-pounds despite the admission that he normally “eats out of gas stations” when he’s not in fight camp, predicts no problems whatsoever in terms of making the championship scratch weight limit of 145-pounds. When asked, però, on whether he thinks his opponent will make the weight, he couldn’t express the same confidence.

“I have trouble seeing Harvey making weight for the fight,” Jones said. “I’m going to fight him either way, whatever weight he walks in at. Però, I believe that Lacey is really the one that is in line for it. Vull dir, Harvey hasn’t made weight for a fight at 45 en un moment. The fight he just had with Joe-Joe [Gianetti] that he just kind-of held on to the whole time, he missed weight by four or five pounds…. He’s going to have a tough time making that weight.”

Regardless of the weight, Jones is unwavering in his belief that he has the tools to put the first loss on Harvey’s record. Harvey, not known for losing frequently in any combat sport, was also a multiple-time state champion wrestler.

“I think he’s going to try to wrestle me,” Jones said. “I think he’s going to try to take me down and win by wearing me out… If he lets it stay standing, I’ll probably knock him out in the first round.”

Having kicked a 25-year smoking habit a few years ago, Jones feels revitalized and better than ever and ready for the challenge in front of him on February 1st.

“I really want to win that belt,"Ell va dir. “I’m 40-years old. Life moves on and I don’t know how many more years I got to push into the sport, but it’s a good time for me.

“I don’t look at it as a job like everybody else, or something that I dream to do,” Jones explained. “I love to fight. I love the atmosphere of it, I love the competition of it.

“I want to end my career on a high note.”

proper esdeveniment mixt d'arts marcials de NEF, "NEF 37: SUB ZERO,” will take place on Friday, Febrer 1, 2019 at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine with a bell time of 8 pm. Tickets are on-sale now atwww.CrossInsuranceCenter.com.

Sobre Baralles de Nova Anglaterra

Lluites de Nova Anglaterra ("NEF") és una empresa d'esdeveniments promocions lluita. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. L'equip executiu de NEF té una àmplia experiència en la gestió dels esports de combat, producció d'esdeveniments, relacions amb els mitjans, mercadeig, legal i publicitat.