Portland, Maine (Lub kaum hli ntuj 6, 2017) - Tshiab England Fights (NEF) will make its long-awaited debut in Portland on Friday, Kaum Ib Hlis Ntuj 3, 2017 at Aura with “NEF 31: The Old Port.” Nyuam qhuav pib hnub no, the fight promotion announced the full fight card for the event featuring a full slate of professional and amateur mixed-martial-arts bouts.
Maine fan-favorite Paul Gorman (10-9) is scheduled to take on James “The Flyin’ Hawaiian” Blair (5-1) in the main event of the evening. Gorman, the former NEF bantamweight titleholder and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt out of the Academy in Portland, makes his return to the NEF cage after a three-year absence. Blair is a hot prospect from the world-renowned American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida where he trains alongside a veritable murderers’ row of current and former world champions like Mike Brown (26-9), Tyron Woodley (18-3-1), and Joanna Jędrzejczyk (14-0) just to name a few.
Reigning NEF Professional Middleweight Champion CJ Ewer (3-0) will be in action when he takes on Crowsneck Boutin (2-3) in a non-title affair. Ewer captured the 185-pound title over the summer when he submitted Mike Hansen (5-6) ntawm “NEF 30: Rumble in Bangor.” Boutin will be coming off a year-long layoff from competition.
“The Blackpool Ripper” Matt Probin (0-0) makes his pro MMA debut against rugged veteranJosh Parker (6-9). Both Probin and Parker have extensive backgrounds as professional boxers. Probin has trained and competed in Muay Thai in Thailand. Parker is the founder of Ruthless MMA & Boxing of Waterville, Maine.
John “Thawj cov hoob kawm” Ray (2-8) will come out of retirement to face Zenon “K-Bar” Herrera (0-5). Raio last fought in the summer of 2015. He is the head coach of First Class MMA based in Brunswick, Maine. Herrera, a veteran of both the United States Army and Marine Corps, is looking for his first win since joining the professional ranks two years ago.
The amateur side of the card will feature a total of three title fights. NEF Amateur Heavyweight Champion Nick “The Guardian” Gulliver (4-0) will defend his strap against WWE signeeTerrance Jean-Jacques (2-0), thaum lub sij hawm Nate Boucher (2-0) thiab Justin Witham (3-4) square off for the vacant flyweight title. Alex Walker (4-1) thiab Hilarie Rose (4-3) will make history when they battle for the first-ever NEF women’s championship in the strawweight division.
The Walker-Rose fight will be one of four female bouts featured on the “NEF 31” amateur card. Carol Linn Powell (0-0), wife of former NEF Professional Lightweight Champion and current UFC competitor Devin Powell (8-3), is scheduled to make her cage debut against Francesca Morabito (0-0). Jayda “Lil Killah” Bailey (0-0) makes her debut just eight days after her 18th birthday, the legal minimum age for competing in MMA in Maine, in a bantamweight bout with Danae Dostie (0-0) thaum lub sij hawm Sarah Matulis (0-0) thiab Chelsea Elizabeth(0-0) face off in yet another double amateur debut.
The full “NEF 31” sib ntaus card (yuav hloov thiab pom zoo los ntawm lub Combat kev ua si Authority ntawm Maine):
KEV COB QHA COV MMA
180 CJ Ewer 3-0 (Young cov lus MMA) vs Crowsneck Boutin 2-3 (Independent)
150 John Ray 2-8 (Thawj cov hoob kawm MMA) vs Zenon Herrera 0-5 (Independent)
145 Josh Parker 6-9 (Phem MMA & Boxing) vs Matt Probin 0-0 (CMBJJ/Young’s MMA)
135 Paul Gorman 10-9 (Lub Academy) vs James Blair 5-1 (American Top Team)
Pib xyaum ua MMA
265*TITLE Nick Guilliver 4-0 (c) (First Class /Foundry) vs Terrance Jean-Jacques 2-0 (Team Link)
125*TITLE Nate Boucher 2-0 (CMBJJ) vs Justin Witham 3-4 (Shatterproof Combat Club)
115 *TITLE Alex Walker 4-1 (Kaze) vs Hilarie Rose 4-3 (USMMA)
265 Matt Glover 1-1 (Berserkers MMA) vs Jason Teb 0-2 (Kenney’s MMA)
175 Carlton Charles 1-0 (Charles Family Fighting/Fire&Iron Athletics) vs Nate Evans 0-0
170 Mohammed al Kinani 0-0 (Evolution Athletix) vs Phil Pearson 0-1 (Thawj cov hoob kawm MMA)
170 David Grant 0-0 (Evolution Athletix) vs Tom Rials 0-0 (Nostos)
155 Will McCall 1-2 (Evolution Athletix) vs Chad Pierce 1-0 (Lub Academy)
155 Nick Banks 0-0 (Choi lub koom haum) vs Emmett Huber 0-1 (Lub Academy)
155 Garry Carr 0-0 (CMBJJ) vs David Hart 0-1 (Kenney’s MMA)
135 Sarah Matulis 0-0 (Shatterproof Combat Club) vs Chelsea Elizabeth 0-0 (Thawj cov hoob kawm MMA)
135 Danae Dostie 0-0 (Kenney’s MMA) vs Jayda Bailey 0-0 (Young cov lus MMA)
135 Carl Langston 6-9 (Young cov lus MMA) vs Henry Clark 3-3 (Choi lub koom haum)
135 Kam Arnold 1-0 (CMBJJ) vs Caleb Costello 3-4 (Young cov lus MMA)
135 Carol Linn Hawkins 0-0 (Nostos) vs Francesca Morabito 0-0 (Choi lub koom haum)
NEF tus tom ntej mixed-martial-kev kawm cov kev tshwm sim, “NEF 31: The Old Port,” will see the company debut in Portland, Maine at the brand new, state-of-the-art venue Aura. The event is scheduled to take place on Friday, Kaum Ib Hlis Ntuj 3, 2017. Daim pib no yog rau cov muag khoom tam sim no nyob www.auramaine.com.