Tag Archives: New England Fights

BOUCHER HOPES SECOND TIME WILL BE A CHARM FOR CAPTURING FLYWEIGHT TITLE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (May 25, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Saturday, June 22 with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 39: ALL-AMERICAN.”  One of the featured fights on the amateur portion of the pro/am card will see Nate Boucher (4-3) tangle with Robert Presley (5-4) for the vacant NEF Amateur Flyweight Title.

This will be Boucher’s second attempt at capturing the flyweight belt.  Then-undefeated, Boucher met Justin Witham (4-4) in November 2017 for the championship in Portland, Maine.  Witham went on to win the bout, and the title, via split decision on the judges’ scorecards.  Many in attendance, however, felt that Boucher had dominated the bout.

The loss to Witham was the start of a three-fight skid for the former wrestler from Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Maine.  Boucher has rebounded and put himself back in contention for the flyweight strap with back-to-back first-round submission victories at “NEF 36” and “NEF 37,” respectively.

Boucher represents Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Lewiston, Maine.

“Since coming up short on the judges’ scorecards in my first title fight—a fight that many fans feel I won—I have been focused on one single goal: getting another shot at the belt,” said Boucher. “Finally, that opportunity is here and I don’t plan on allowing anything to stand in my way of achieving my main goal which is winning the flyweight title! I’m doing everything that I need to do in order to make sure that the judges don’t play a role in the outcome on June 22nd. Special thanks to all of my sponsors and supporters for helping me on my way back to the belt fight—I vow to make you all proud at ‘All-American’ in Lewiston.”

Robert Presley, known as “The Warrior,” comes to Maine all the way from Lancaster, Ohio to challenge for the flyweight title.  He was victorious in his most recent bout last January via unanimous decision.  With this being his tenth amateur bout, Presley plans on turning pro soon after.  He represents both 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu and the Lancaster Academy of MMA.

“On June 22nd, I will be flying in from the little town of Newark, Ohio to go to war with Nate Boucher for the NEF flyweight title,” said Presley. “I don’t know much about Nate, but I will be honored to share the cage with him. After this fight, I am turning pro. I’ve learned a lot from my amateur career and am ready to showcase my talent. Many thanks to NEF for giving me a chance to please their home crowd. I hope everyone is ready for a battle!”

“NEF 39: ALL-AMERICAN,” will take place on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com.

About New England Fights

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

A NEW MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION WILL BE CROWNED AT NEF 39

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (May 22, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Saturday, June 22 with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 39: ALL-AMERICAN.”  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur title fight to the card.  Carlton Charles (3-2) will face Jordan Norman (2-1) for the vacant amateur middleweight belt.

Prior to entering the MMA ranks, Carlton Charles made his mark on the football field.  He played for Windham High School in Windham, Maine and later led the team to a Class A title as an assistant coach.  Charles went on to play fullback for the University of Maine Black Bears.  He made his NEF debut in the summer of 2017 with a 23-second knockout win.  He would top that performance with a 12-second knockout victory in February 2018.  After an unsuccessful attempt at capturing the amateur welterweight title against Duncan Smith (5-3) last June, Charles returned to the cage one month ago in New Hampshire and picked up yet another first-round knockout win.

“As always, I feel blessed and very grateful for the opportunity to fight for the belt,” said Charles.  “I know Jordan has come a long way in this sport and is always training hard and improving. I will be looking to not be caught by one of those big meat hooks that he has for hands. He’s a big powerful guy, and I’m going to be training hard as always to be able to go out and perform to my best ability. I know my coaches will have me ready for this one! have no doubt in my mind the fans will be in for a real treat with this one.”

Jordan Norman has indeed come a long way since his NEF debut last June.  He lost that evening via first-round knockout, but Norman would come firing back in his next two bouts.  He won a split decision over John Assam (0-1) last fall, and just last month finished Greg Ishihara (0-1) in the second round.  Norman represents the Bad Little Falls Dojo.

“I’m honored for the opportunity to get into the NEF cage and compete for the amateur title against someone like Carlton,” exclaimed Norman. “He and I will put on one hell of a show for the Lewiston crowd. Both of us come to fight and it won’t be any different on June 22nd. I have nothing but respect for him and his team. I’m excited for the task at hand and scrapping it out for the middleweight title.”

The middleweight title fight between Charles and Norman is the fourth already announced for the “NEF 39” card.  Josh “Hook On” Harvey (6-0-1) is scheduled to defend the professional featherweight title against Jordan Downey (5-4), while Nate Boucher (4-3) will square off with Robert Presley (5-4) for the vacant amateur men’s flyweight belt, and undefeated Glory Watson (4-0) takes on Caree Hill (4-1) to crown NEF’s first amateur women’s flyweight champion.  Also announced for the card, Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (9-7) faces Lewis Corapi (8-5) in a professional lightweight bout.

“NEF 39: ALL-AMERICAN,” will take place on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com.

About New England Fights

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

NEF TURNS THE OLD PORT INTO KING’S LANDING FOR A NIGHT OF NONSTOP MMA BATTLES

Portland, Maine (April 28, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) returned to Aura in Portland on Saturday night with its latest mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN.”  The event was in homage to the HBO series Game of Thrones complete with ring girls attired as the “Mother of Dragons” Daenerys Targaryen and Sansa Stark, as well as a cello player opening the event with music from the hit show’s soundtrack.  A capacity crowd of over 1100 was on hand for the action.

In the main event, Ras Hylton (4-2) defeated Charles Penn (0-1) in a heavyweight contest.  The ringside physician stopped the bout in the first round when a cut on Penn’s forehead could not be closed.  Hylton landed a perfectly-placed straight right hand that opened the gash on Penn’s head and left blood pouring to the mat in a gruesome stream of crimson.

Caleb Hall (3-0) remained undefeated to start his professional career with his third straight win.  Hall submitted journeyman Jay Ellis (15-86) in the first round of the co-main event of the evening.

On the amateur portion of the fight card, four titles were at stake.

In the first championship bout of the evening, Tom Pagliarulo (3-1) captured the vacant NEF Amateur Featherweight strap with a unanimous decision victory over Zac Richard (3-1-1).  In doing so, Pagliarulo, a native of Haverhill, Massachusetts, handed Richard the first loss of his career.

Duncan Smith (5-3) defended the NEF Amateur Welterweight Title against Jon Tefft (2-1).  After five hard-fought rounds, Smith was declared the winner on all three judges’ scorecards.  It was a good night for Smith’s team of Evolution Athletix.  The Saco, Maine-based team went 4-0 on the evening with Smith’s teammates Adina Beaudry (3-0), Keegan Hornstra (4-11), and Megan Rosado (1-1) all picking up wins.

Taylor Thompson (4-0) made short work of Michigan’s Andrea Howland (2-1) to become the first-ever NEF Women’s Amateur Bantamweight Champion.  Thompson submitted Howland in the first round with an armbar.  The fight was brought to Portland by NEF in conjunction with Queen MMA Media.

In the fourth, and final, championship bout on the amateur card, Kam Arnold (5-0) kept his knockout streak alive with a first-round downing of Henry Clark (5-5).  It was the fifth straight knockout for Arnold who retained the amateur bantamweight belt.

The fight promotion also announced several fights for its long-awaited return to Lewiston on June 22 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.  The event is titled “NEF 39: ALL-AMERICAN.”

Hometown favorite Jesse Erickson (9-7) will take on Lewis Corapi (8-5) that evening in a lightweight contest.  Erickson is a mainstay of the NEF cage and a perpetual top contender to the promotion’s professional 155-pound title.  Massachusetts’ Corapi is a seasoned veteran of the New England MMA circuit, finally making his NEF debut on June 22. 

Josh Harvey (6-0-1) announced that he would return to the cage at “NEF 39” to take on Jordan Downey (5-4) from Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Harvey will defend the NEF Pro Featherweight Title that evening looking for his first successful defense since capturing the belt last February in Bangor.  Downey is on a two-fight win streak.

Nate Boucher (4-3) will take on Robert Presley (5-4) for the vacant NEF Amateur Flyweight Title.  Boucher has finished his last two opponents in the first round to move himself back into contention for another shot at the 125-pound belt.  Presley represents the Lancaster Academy of MMA in Lancaster, Ohio.

In a solemn moment to open the event, NEF paid tribute to longtime staff member Casey Main with a ten-bell salute.  The Wiscasset, Maine resident passed away unexpectedly late last week.  The promotion dedicated the event to his memory.

The full results from Portland, Maine:

PROFESSIONAL

Ras Hylton def. Charles Penn via doctor stoppage, round 1
Caleb Hall def. Jay Ellis via submission, round 1
Keegan Hornstra def. Zenon Herrera via submission, round 1
Bryant Bullock def. Fred Lear via submission, round 2

AMATEUR

Kam Arnold def. Henry Clark via KO, round 1
Taylor Thompson def. Andrea Howland via submission, round 1
Duncan Smith def. Jon Tefft via unanimous decision
Tom Pagliarulo def. Zac Richard via unanimous decision
Arii Fernandez def. Ryan Savage via submission, round 1
Titus Pannell def. Justin Philbrook via TKO, round 2
Brian Cosco def. Garry Carr via TKO, round 1
Megan Rosado def. Amanda Bennett via split decision
Jason Landry def. Justin Boraczek via submission, round 1 
Brandon Maillet-Fevens def. Jesse Fitzsimmons via submission, round 1
Jordan Norman def. Greg Ishihara via TKO, round 2
Nate White def. Clifford Redman via tapout to strikes, round 1
Schuyler Vallaincourt def. Dillon Henry via ref stoppage, round 2
Adina Beaudry def. Traci Baldwin via TKO, round 2

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 39: ALL-AMERICAN,” will take place on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com.

NEF 38 SELLS-OUT IN RECORD TIME; SIXTH STRAIGHT SELLOUT FOR MAINE-BASED FIGHT PROMOTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Portland, Maine (April 22, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) will present its next mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” this April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland.  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced that tickets for the event were officially sold-out.

The sellout comes a full five days prior to the event, marking a new record for the fight promotion.  The previous record holder, “NEF 37,” sold out three days before that event earlier this year.  This marks the sixth straight sellout for NEF, a streak stretching back to April 2018.

“The NEF brand is stronger than ever and continues to grow,” remarked NEF promoter and co-owner Nick DiSalvo.  “It’s a time where we’re seeing competitors falter around us with half-empty venues and weak fight cards.  But not NEF.  We have been the trendsetter for the way in which we promote our fighters ever since we arrived on the scene in 2012.  And it shows in the numbers we have done, and continue to do, at the box office.”

“We have competitors flying in from all over the country for ‘Stomborn,'” said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson.  “With four title fights, three women’s fights, decorated wrestlers and all colors of the BJJ belt spectrum represented, it’s no wonder this show sold out early. We’ve got a couple of surprises in store for fans on Saturday too. It’s never hyperbole when we tell people to get their tickets early. If you were sleeping and missed out on this one, don’t wait on getting your tickets early for June 22nd when we go back to the Colisee to celebrate all things America. Tickets go on sale tomorrow!”

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” will take place this Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets to the event are officially sold-out.

About New England Fights

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

OLDEST ATHLETE TO EVER WIN IN PROMOTION’S CAGE TO RETURN AT NEF 38

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Portland, Maine (March 28, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) will present its next mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” on April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland.  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur catchweight bout to the card.  Garry Carr (1-0) will return to the cage to take on Brian Cosco (3-7) at a fight weight of 158-pounds.

Garry Carr made his debut in the NEF cage at “NEF 31” in the fall of 2017.  That night, he submitted David Hart in the first round to pick up the win.  In doing so, Carr became the oldest athlete ever to emerge victorious in the NEF cage at the age of 56.  He will look to break his own record on April 27 when, at the age of 57, he returns for his sophomore effort.  Carr is a member of Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) based out of Lewiston, Maine.

“Very proud to announce my return to the NEF cage on April 27th at Aura in Portland’s Old Port district,” said Carr. “It’s been over a year since my MMA debut and I have great memories there. I will be fighting out of team Central Maine BJJ who have prepared me for this match. I’m looking to show the skills I have learned to the crowd and hope that they will cheer me on to victory. Let’s fill the house and make it a night to remember.”

Brian Cosco may be a newcomer to the NEF cage, but he is a longtime veteran of the New England MMA scene.  The Revere, Massachusetts native has competed on the regional circuit since 2011 and has ten previous cage appearances to his credit.  He will look to get back on the winning track after a loss last summer on a fight card in New Hampshire.  Cosco currently represents Sityodtong and Brazil 021 of Somerville and Medford, Massachusetts respectively. 

“I’m excited to come up to Maine and fight for NEF,” exclaimed Cosco. “I’m feeling good. I’m not injured going into a fight for the first time in a while. I plan on going in there and getting the finish. I want to win convincingly so the NEF fans will want to see me back in there. I’m going to give the fans their money’s worth. I can’t wait for that cage door to shut!”

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.AuraMaine.com.

GOOD FRIENDS, BETTER RIVALS: PAGLIARULO PUTS FRIENDSHIP ASIDE TO FACE RICHARD FOR NEF FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE

Portland, Maine (March 18, 2019) – Tom “The Phenom” Pagliarulo might be a man of mystery to many New England Fights enthusiasts, but the newcomer and his opponent at NEF 38: “Stormborn” require no introduction to one another.

Maybe it’s a stretch to say Pagliarulo and Zac “Rocky” Richard lead parallel lives, but the similarities are striking.

Each has a substantial, successful wrestling background. Both have accelerated from the finish line of their respective mixed martial arts careers, with one minor speed bump.

And in a world where prospective combatants usually don’t have to work hard to drum up drama and animosity, Pagliarulo, 21, said that he and Richard are reasonably good, if casual, friends.

“I’ve known Zac for a long time,” Pagliarulo said. “We’ve competed together at some of the same big, regional wrestling meets and kind of become friends through that. We have very similar backgrounds.”

Pagliarulo (2-1) will be forced to put those common denominators on the back burner for one night – Saturday, April 27 – when he confronts Richard for the vacant NEF amateur featherweight title at Aura in Portland, Maine.

The location is significant. Richard is a native of nearby Waterboro, and whether it’s that short 30-minute commute or a drive two-thirds of the way across the state to Bangor, his family and friends are fiercely loyal.

A product of Haverhill, Massachusetts, who now trains across the New Hampshire state line at both Spero’s Martial Arts Academy (Plaistow) and Burgess MMA (Manchester), Pagliarulo is fully aware that he’s walking into the belly of the beast.

“I’m going into his backyard. I know he brings a lot of fans and sells a ton of tickets,” Pagliarulo said, “Hopefully I’ll have quite a few following me, as well. He’s a great opponent. There’s no question it will be a tough fight in a tough spot. I’m just looking for opportunities to build myself and advance my career over the next two to three years.”

Pagliarulo said he accepted the risk and potential reward of his NEF debut for the same reason adventurer George Leigh Mallory once rationalized his attempt to climb Mount Everest: Because it’s there.

After three relatively short fights near his home base, Pagliarulo wasn’t satisfied with the potential competition close to home and had his handlers cast a wider net.

“I was looking for a fight anywhere in New England,” Pagliarulo said. “NEF was the first to give me this opportunity, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.”

MMA was a natural progression for Pagliarulo, who made his mark in the realms of both wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

He was captain of the wrestling team as a senior at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Pagliarulo’s transition to Plymouth State University was an immediate success: He was 16-10 and earned the team’s rookie of the year honors as a freshman in 2016-17.

All the while, he began training for the combat cage when his schedule permitted.

“I’ve always had it in the back of my mind,” Pagliarulo said. “From the time I was maybe 10 years old and started watching UFC, I knew it was something I wanted to do. I always loved fighting, loved the sport, so I started training for it as soon as I turned 18.”

After only four forays onto the wrestling mat as a sophomore, Pagliarulo hung up the singlet.

“There were some personal issues, and I got away from it,” Pagliarulo said. “I decided to focus on MMA, and I’ve done that exclusively for about the past year.”

Pagliarulo also stepped up his BJJ training. He is currently a blue belt.

“That’s also been for about a year now,” Pagliarulo said. “Between that and my wrestling, my ground game is definitely the most dangerous I’d say, but my stand-up is not something to be slept on.”

In his September 2017 MMA debut, Pagliarulo exploded onto the scene with a second-round stoppage of Harry Gigliotti via rear naked choke.

Brimming with confidence, he received a wake-up call five months later when Matt Brady locked Pagliarulo in a guillotine choke and dealt his initial loss in under a minute.


“I made a simple mistake, and my opponent took advantage of it,” Pagliarulo said. “But I bounced back with a first-round TKO, and I feel like I learned a lot from it.”

That 67-second knockout of Eddie Linscott put Pagliarulo in position for the first title fight of his career.

He’ll take on a hungry opponent who encountered adversity, of sorts, in his last fight. Richard fought veteran Fred Lear for the same belt in February, with the judges declaring a rare draw.

With Lear making the decision to eschew a rematch and turn pro, Pagliarulo is the beneficiary.

“To win a belt at this point in my career would be cool,” Pagliarulo said, “but I’m really just excited to take a fight of this caliber and find out where I stand.”

Pagliarulo remains in school as a back-up plan. He’s a junior academically. He would gladly put off using that degree, however, if it meant a chance to travel the world and jump with both feet into the sport he loves.

“UFC is definitely the end goal. Of course it is for everybody,” Pagliarulo said.

The guy who shares everybody’s dream … and was looking to fight anybody … hopes a win over an old wrestling buddy will help him get recognized as somebody.

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.AuraMaine.com.

About New England Fights

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

HYLTON READY TO ‘MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN’ IN 2019

Portland, Maine (March 11, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) heavyweight ‘Rasquatch’ ‘The Jamaican Shamrock’ Ras Hylton (3-2) had a mixed bag of a mixed martial arts (MMA) run in 2018. Hylton recently joined host Jason Floyd on The MMA Report podcast to discuss the ups-and-downs of the last year and his goals for 2019.

After losing a fight in New York last May, Hylton rebounded with a beautiful knockout victory over longtime MMA veteran Eric Bedard (6-8) in Rhode Island last August. The win put Hylton in the position to fight Yorgan De Castro for the inaugural NEF Cruiserweight title, a 225-pound division that Hylton has been championing for the widespread adoption of in MMA. De Castro and Hylton shared a wild two-and-a-half minutes in the cage before De Castro ultimately knocked out Hylton to win the title.

“I was trying to change things up and, you know, it’s kind of like playing with a chemistry set for the first time,” Hylton said in describing his 2018. “You get a bunch of ingredients, and elements, and chemicals in front of you and some you’re familiar with and some you’ve got to learn and tinker with some before you can really hone down what it’s going for.”

A lifelong martial artist, Hylton credits his father for putting him on the path that lead to his eventual career choice as a professional fighter.

“Ever since I started learning how to box a little bit with my dad when I was a kid, I’ve always been fascinated with fighting in general,” Hylton told Floyd. “He never really would have wanted me to be a fighter, but he put a bug in and I never really let go, so it was just the next logical evolution of my learning was getting in there and testing it out in an environment that supports growth and change. So, it’s been a great learning experience. I’ve met a lot of great people and had a lot of fun doing it.”

It’s no secret to anyone that has seen Hylton compete in the cage that he prefers the standup aspect of the sport as opposed to the ground game, but when asked why he choose to pursue mixed martial arts competition over boxing, he answered without hesitation.

“The variety and the options available,” Hylton replied. “Don’t get me wrong, I completely respect boxing as a sport, but the fact that there’s so much focus on just the upper body and punches to the head and more frequently than not. I mean, we’re all looking for the knockout shot, but MMA offered the opportunity to really open up and give us more of a realistic approach to one-on-one combat. I mean as long as you play fair, you get to use all the same tools and figure out how to play a different kind of game that still beats the other guys.”

Standing at 6’6”, Hylton has become known for his menacing height as much as he has for his memorable performances in the cage.  However, Hylton was quick to note that his height can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to combat.

“It definitely focuses things for both myself and my opponent,” Hylton stated. “I’ve got a body type that speaks very blatantly of what the advantages are and what the disadvantages are, so it really helps to focus the training and where’s there fewer big people than there are small people, you need some sort of way to fine tune things as quick as possible. You know, there’s not much of a learning curve before you start getting hurt by it.”

Hylton’s next fight is set for April 27th when he takes on Charles Penn at “NEF 38: Stormborn” in Portland, Maine. Penn, who fights for Hyaston MMA, will be traveling from North Carolina for the bout.

“This has been probably the biggest question mark fight I’ve ever had,” Hylton stated.  “I mean, at least with everybody who’s come before there’s been some avenue of recent information, but I mean he did bring his amateur career, 6-3, but his last fight was, what? 2013? So, there’s a big question mark there, there’s a big gap there, where he could have gone in any direction. So it’s kind of simplified things for me, because now I get to just stick to my plan of using 2019 to do what I have to do to be the best fighter I can be. So, I get to keep on at him. I don’t have the distraction of trying to figure out the other guy. It’s really played towards my mental strengths to start off this year.”

“Execution,” Hylton continued. “Execution of the game plan is what I’m really looking to stick to from here on out. I want to take this as far as I can go. I want to go up as high as I can. And I’ve been lucky with the support that I’ve got between my family and my gyms to be able to do something that really makes me feel whole. I want to pay back that investment in full and with as much interest as possible, as soon as possible. I’m in my 30’s now, got to make something happen, you know?”

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.AuraMaine.com.

About New England FightsNew England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

SMITH TO DEFEND WELTERWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST TEFFT AT NEF 38

Portland, Maine (March 11, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) will present its next mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” on April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland.  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur title fight to the card.  Duncan “The Highlander” Smith (4-3) will defend the NEF Amateur Welterweight Title against Jon Tefft (2-0).

Duncan Smith captured the 170-pound championship last June when he submitted Carlton Charles in the fourth round at “NEF 34.”  He has proven himself a skilled grappler with all three of his wins in 2018 coming by way of submission.  Smith will put the title on the line for the first time when he meets Tefft on April 27.  He currently represents Evolution Athletix based in Sacco, Maine.

“I don’t know anything about my opponent, but I know the gym,” said Smith. “I will be ready for anything they have for me April 27th. It’ll be my time to flow.”

Undefeated Jon Tefft made his cage debut in early 2017 with a technical knockout of Sean Worcester early in the first round at “NEF 27.”  He followed up that performance with another victory later that year over Mike Williams at “NEF 29.”  After a hard-fought first round, Williams was unable to answer the referee’s call to start the second round due to a shoulder injury.  Tefft is a member of First Class MMA located in Brunswick, Maine.

“I’m more than excited and honored for the opportunity to fight Duncan for the NEF welterweight title,” said Tefft.  “I always want to be in the conversation of ‘who’s the best’ and this my chance.  Duncan looks to be a technical fighter, we will see if he can match my grit, will and desire.”

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.AuraMaine.com.

About New England Fights

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

PAGLIARULO ON TITLE FIGHT WITH RICHARD: ‘I REALLY WANT THAT WAR’

Portland, Maine (March 10, 2019) – Tom ‘The Phenom’ Pagliarulo (2-1) has been chasing championships on the wrestling mat his entire life. On April 27th at “New England Fights 38: Stormborn,” he will be chasing his first title in his newly chosen sport—mixed martial arts (MMA)—when he faces Zac ‘Rocky’ Richard for the NEF Featherweight Championship. Pagliarulo recently discussed his upcoming fight, his history in combat sports, and the balance of trying to survive as a working student-athlete with Bryan Stackpole and Ryan Jarrell on the Between Rounds Radio podcast.

Pagliarulo grew-up in Haverhill, Massachusetts where he started wrestling at the age of six. As a teenager, he attended Central Catholic High School in nearby Lawrence, Massachusetts where he earned an impressive 144-36 career record and placed third at the state wrestling championships his senior year.

“I’ve been around traditional martial arts since I was three,” Pagliarulo explained to Stackpole and Jarrell. “I got my black belt in kenpo. And after wrestling in high school, after my senior season, I had known I wanted to fight, I just didn’t really know where to go or who to talk to about it.”

After completing high school, Pagliarulo enrolled at Plymouth State University (PSU) in Plymouth, New Hampshire where he started wrestling under former PSU head coach Ryan Schieding. Schieding, himself a former MMA competitor with a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), introduced Pagliarulo to Burgess MMA, a longstanding New England MMA school. Pagliarulo, who has since earned his blue belt in BJJ, now splits his training time between Burgess MMA and Spero’s Martial Arts Academy in Plaistow, New Hampshire.

“I’m not taking Zac lightly, and I’m bringing in the right people for it,” Pagliarulo stated to Stackpole and Jarrell.

After he started training in BJJ and MMA, Pagliarulo quickly decided that he wanted to test himself in the competitive side of the sport. He finally made his MMA debut in September 2017 at an event in New Hampshire after experiencing the initial frustration of having multiple opponents pull out on him.

“I know I don’t have like this crazy, undefeated, record,” Pagliarulo admitted. “I’m 2-1. Not a lot of fights, but a lot of that is due to the guys backing out. Realistically, I should have already had six, seven fights if guys actually showed up.”

Pagliarulo put his long-engineered grappling skills to work in his first fight by submitting his opponent with a rear naked choke in the second round.

Within a year of making his debut, Pagliarulo went 2-1, including a recent first-round drubbing of Eddie Linscott that lasted barely over a minute. Now, Pagliarulo finds himself set to fight for his first MMA championship when he makes his NEF debut against the wildly popular state wrestling champion from Waterboro, Maine, Zac ‘Rocky’ Richard (3-0-1), who enters the bout fresh off of his early contender for ‘Fight of the Year’ against Fred Lear (6-2-1) back at “NEF 37: Subzero” in February.

Pagliarulo and Richard are no strangers to one another. The two rolled together regularly throughout the years at New England’s elite wrestling school, Smitty’s Wrestling Barn.

“I respect Zac a lot,” Pagliarulo stated. “I know him on a personal level. We’ve wrestled together growing up. He’s a great person, great kid, grateful to be competing against him. You’ve got to be confident, man. It’s not the sport to not have confidence in. If you go in there, and you’re not confident in your abilities, you’re going to get yourself hurt. I’m very confident in my skillset and confident I’m going to get the win.”

“He’s [Zac] definitely tough,” Pagliarulo continued. “I don’t really see anything out of the ordinary that I haven’t seen before that I wouldn’t say he presents any problems. I just think he’s tough, man. I’ve got to be on my game. I’m going to have to go in there … I can’t let him dictate the pace and be that. I can’t let him be the fight he wants this to be. So, I’m going to go in there, I’m going to push the pace, and I’m going to do my thing. I’m not preparing specifically for one thing in particular he’s going to do. I’m just doing what I always do, staying well rounded. I don’t think there’s going to be any surprises when I step in there.”

When asked if he was intimidated by the prospect of potentially going five-rounds for the first time in his career, Pagliarulo revealed little concern.

“I mean I have great cardio,” Pagliarulo stated. “I’m prepared to go the five rounds if need be… I’m very well rounded. I think I’m very good at reading a fighter when I’m in there, for an amateur. I think I could make it a long five rounds for him if need be to go the distance. I’m looking forward to it, man. I really want that war, that hard fight, and I think Zac’s going to bring it.”

At six-feet tall, Pagliarulo possesses a reach of over 74”, which is unusually long for a featherweight. “I have the reach, and I have the height,” he said.

“I’m very competition-driven person, and I always kind-of fell short in my wrestling with my goals,” he continued. “I wanted to be a state champ; I took third. I placed at state for three years but didn’t reach that end goal. So I guess I’m chasing that goal in fighting to accomplish my goals that I’ve set for myself.”

“I think a lot of people could say I don’t deserve the opportunity [to fight for a title], and I acknowledge that,” Pagliarulo admitted. “My record is 2-1. Maybe I shouldn’t be fighting for a belt ’cause of my record. But I think the experience—people are going to be pretty blown away with where I’m at… I know my opponent’s not taking me lightly, but it would be a mistake just to take someone lightly because they’re 2-1. I’m a blue belt in jujitsu. Like I said, I’m 15 years of wrestling in my life. So, I’m grateful for the opportunity that [NEF] gave to me, and I’m going to make the most of it.”

In addition to his evergreen training schedule— “I don’t really have fight camps; I’m always training”—Pagliarulo also continues to attend school at PSU and works nights as a bouncer at a bar, a position where his wrestling and MMA background have paid dividends on the job.

“I have had to use my training once,” Pagliarulo recalled. “We had a fight break out, and one accidentally hit a girl in the face, one thing led to another, but I ended up taking this kid’s back, mat returned him, and took his back on the ground, had him in a little seatbelt position, just restrained him until he chilled out, and then walked him out of the bar.”

“I’m not the most intimidating looking guy. I’m not this big, jacked bouncer, you know. I’m a featherweight fighter, but most of the time they see the ear, the cauliflower ear, and they get the point.”

When asked how he manages to fit sleep in within his busy schedule, Pagliarulo pulled-no-punches on his secret formula.

“It’s just a lot of discipline,” he revealed. “I like it, ’cause it keeps me on a tight schedule. There’s no time for me to slack or to miss training or miss school. It’s definitely difficult, but I love what I do, and it keeps me on-track.”

Pagliarulo’s title opponent has become a fan-favorite for his exciting performances inside the NEF cage. Pagliarulo noted that he’s aware of Richard’s popularity, but has no problem traveling into enemy territory on April 27th.

“I’ve traveled the country to wrestle,” Pagliarulo stated. “I’m used to the traveling, staying in the hotels, and then competing. So it’s nothing really new to me. That’s the great thing about the sport of wrestling is you kind-of get exposed to a lot of the similar competition aspects that come with MMA. So, nothing too out of the ordinary.”

“[NEF] does a great job promoting themselves,” he said. “The venue seems like a pretty great place to have a fight. So, I’m really excited to get out of my comfort zone and be the outsider going into the enemy’s territory and really looking forward to that experience.”

“I want to be a world champ, man,” Pagliarulo continued. “That’s what keeps me going every day. I’m not just doing this to have fun. It’s not a fun thing to go in a cage and get punched in the face. I could find other things I want to do for hobbies and for fun.”

“In this sport, I think everyone has an equal playing field. It’s about how much time and work you’re going to put into it. And I’m willing to do what it takes to reach my goal and have a fight in the UFC someday and be a world champ.”

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.AuraMaine.com.

NEF WILL CROWN ITS SECOND WOMEN’S CHAMPION ON APRIL 27 IN PORTLAND

Portland, Maine (March 8, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) will present its next mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” on April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland.  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur women’s bout to the card.  Taylor “T-Storm” Thompson (3-0) will take on Andrea “Renegade” Howland (2-0) to crown the first-ever NEF Women’s Bantamweight Champion.  It will be the first women’s title fight for the promotion since Hilarie Rose captured the vacant strawweight title at “NEF 31” in November 2017.

“We hear it from fans constantly–they can’t get enough of the female fighters,” said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson.  “April 27th we’ve stacked the card with top-tier talent to give the fans exactly what they’ve been asking for. Howland and Thompson are two undefeated competitors with their sights set squarely on turning pro and eventually breaking into the UFC. On April 27th, one of them will leave the cage with their perfect record broken and one will leave with the first ever NEF Women’s Bantamweight Championship. Special thanks to Tommy Vickers from Queen MMA Media for his assistance in making this bout happen.”

Taylor Thompson made her NEF debut last November at “NEF 36” in a winning effort against Catie Denning.  Prior to that time, Thompson had won two fights in Massachusetts, both by finish.  She represents BST MMA & Fitness based in Mendon, Massachusetts.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to fight for NEF’s first ever women’s amateur bantamweight title,” said Thompson, “especially when I will be sharing the cage with a very talented opponent, Andrea Howland. I know I am going to love this fight, and I think the fans will too.”

Andrea Howland will bring her undefeated record to the East Coast for the first time in her amateur career.  She made her cage debut in the spring of 2018 and has won both of her previous bouts by decision.  Howland is currently a member of Michigan Top Team based in Southfield, Michigan.

“I am beyond excited at the opportunity to pursue a bantamweight title in my third MMA appearance,” exclaimed Howland. “Myself and my team are being flown out to the beautiful state of Maine at an incredible time of the year to get ourselves into a dog fight for a championship strap! What more could you ask for? I am making memories with my team and pursuing my dream of being a competitive athlete. I respect my opponent, Taylor Thompson, for her aggressiveness and her dedication to her career. I expect us to have a brawl of epic proportions, and it’s an honor to share the cage with her as a fellow amateur bantamweight prospect. April 27th can’t come soon enough! This is what I signed up for!”

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 38: STORMBORN,” will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.AuraMaine.com. �������T[�0�