Lewiston, Maine (Lub rau hli ntuj 1, 2017) - Tshiab England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Lub rau hli ntuj 17 with a fight card featuring both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts. Nyuam qhuav pib hnub no, cov qib tshaj tawm tag nrho cov kev sib ntaus card rau cov kev tshwm sim. The fight card is subject to approval of the Combat Sports Authority of Maine (CSAM). The boxing portion of the card will begin at 7 pm EDT with the MMA card to immediately follow.

In a highly-anticipated “Superfight,” Maine MMA star Bruce “Zoo nkauj tub” Boyington (14-9 MMA, 1-0 boxing) will take on Maine’s premier boxer Russell “The Haitian Sensation” Lamour, Jr. (15-2, 7 Kos) in a six-round boxing bout. The fight will be a dream match for fans who never expected to see each sports’ top in-state athletes face one another. Boyington and Lamour have both been featured in nationally-televised bouts on NBC and ESPN in recent years. Lamour is the former New England Middleweight Champion, while Boyington held the NEF MMA Lightweight Title until relinquishing it last year to sign with the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) global promotion.

“Bruce and Russell are at the top of their respective games,” noted NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “Russell is a great boxer, and he’s going to face a superb striker in the form of Taekwondo black belt Bruce Boyington. This is a true dream match for Maine fight fans.”

The professional MMA portion of the fight card will feature the long-awaited return of former NEF MMA Featherweight Champion Ray “Tag nrho cov ua hauj lwm” Ntoo (8-3) as he faces Brazilian prospect Alexandre “Taub qab” Bezerra (19-5). Wood left Maine more than two years ago to re-settle in South Carolina and then Texas. Both Wood and Bezerra are veterans of the Bellator cage with a dozen fights between them for the national promotion.

“When you consider both sides, this is probably the highest-level fight to ever take place in NEF,” hais tias NEF co-tswv tsev thiab pab txhawb Nick DiSalvo. “This fight could easily be slid into any UFC card on FS1 or Fox and steal the show. Either one of these athletes could get the call up after this fight. Our fans are about to see something special.”

The amateur MMA card will be headlined by a title fight with Rafael “Deez Nuts” Velado (4-0) defending the amateur lightweight championship against Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance Hall of Famer Pat Kelly(3-0). At age 52, Kelly will be the oldest fighter to ever challenge for an NEF title.

In addition to the fights, legendary boxer James “Buster” Douglas (38-6-1, 25 Kos) will make an appearance at “NEF 29” as the guest of honor. Douglas will hold an hour-long meet-and-greet with fans at the Colisee from 6 pm rau 7 pm prior to the opening bell. Longtime fans will remember Douglas as the architect of the greatest upset in professional sports history with his knockout of “Hlau” Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 Kos) nyob rau hauv 1990 to claim the world heavyweight title. Douglas halted the 37-fight undefeated streak that opened Tyson’s pro career.

The full “NEF 29” sib ntaus card (subject to change and approval of CSAM):

KEV COB QHA COV BOXING

200 Crowsneck Boutin (Independent) vs. Cristiano Pedro (Cugno)

168 Jason Quirk (PBC) vs. Borngod Washington (Meekins)

160 Russell Lamour (PBC) vs. Bruce Boyington (Boyington lub TKD)

154 Casey Kramlich (PBC) vs. Bryan Goldsby (Jorge Gurgle)

KEV COB QHA COV MMA

265 Ras Hylton (First Class/Dragon Fire) vs. Eric Ramsey (Trinity)

145 Alexandre Bezerra (Daddis) vs. Ray Ntoo (Nick’s)

145 Dominic Jones (Thawj cov hoob kawm) vs. Matt Denning (CMBJJ)

145 Andre Belcarris (NE Assassins) vs. Josh Parker (Siab phem)

Pib xyaum ua MMA

155*TITLE Rafael Velado (Thawj cov hoob kawm) (c) vs. Pat Kelly (Young’s)

185 Mike Williams (CMBJJ) vs. John Tefft (Thawj cov hoob kawm)

185 Anthony Spires (Independent) vs. Josh Jones (Thawj cov hoob kawm)

150 Jacob Deppmeyer (Thawj cov hoob kawm) vs. Ben Harrington(CMBJJ)

145 Derek Daley (Thawj cov hoob kawm) vs. Frank Johanson (CMBJJ)

140 Glenn Kasabian (Nostos) vs. Kam Arnold (CMBJJ)

115 Alex Walker (Kaze) vs. Sarah Ziehm (CMBJJ)

New England Fights returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with its next event, “NEF 29: STARS & STRIPES,” nyob rau hnub Saturday, Lub rau hli ntuj 17, 2017. Tickets are on sale now at the Colisee box office 207-783-2009 x 525 thiab hauv internet ntawm www.TheColisee.com. The event will be broadcast live on the FloCombat app on Roku and Apple TV and streamed live at www.FloCombat.com.

Yog xav paub ntxiv nyob rau hauv cov kev tshwm sim thiab kev sib ntaus card tshiab, thov mus saib cov qib lub website ntawm www.NewEnglandFights.com. Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, koj yuav saib NEF yeeb yaj duab ntawm www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “Tshiab England Fights."

Hais txog Tshiab England Fights

Tshiab England Fights ("NEF") yog ib tug sib ntaus txheej xwm promotions lub tuam txhab. NEF lub hom phiaj yog los tsim lub siab tshaj plaws zoo txheej xwm rau Maine lub tua hluav taws thiab cov kiv cua zoo tib yam nkaus. NEF lub thawj pab neeg no muaj nws kim heev kev nyob rau hauv nqe ntaus rog kev ua si tswj, txheej xwm ntau lawm, xov xwm kev sib raug zoo, marketing, kev cai lij choj thiab advertising.

Tam sim TSO TAWM: Lewiston, Maine (Tej zaum 19, 2017) – It was once rare for two athletes from different combat sports disciplines to compete against one another. Nyob rau hauv 1963, legendary catch wrestler and judo practitioner Gene Lebell took on journeyman boxer Milo Savage in a match credited as the grandfather of modern mixed-martial-arts (MMA). Tom qab ntawd, nyob rau hauv 1976, boxing world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali faced Japanese wrestler and martial artist Antonio Inoki in an exhibition bout in Tokyo broadcast globally on closed-circuit television, a precursor to pay-per-view.

Recent years have seen more and more MMA fighters and boxers transition between the two sports. For some time now, rumors have swirled over a potential meeting of boxing mega-star Floyd Mayweather and reigning UFC lightweight kingpin Conor McGregor. Should the bout happen, it will undoubtedly be one of the highest-ever grossing matchups financially. And while both sides work out the details for that contest, Maine fight fans will get their own superfight on Saturday, Lub rau hli ntuj 17 in Lewiston when Russell “The Haitian Sensation” Lamour, Jr. (15-2, 7 Kos – boxing record) raws li Bruce “Zoo nkauj tub” Boyington (14-9 – MMA record) in a six-round middleweight boxing match. It will be the boxing headliner of a hybrid MMA and boxing event presented by New England Fights (NEF) at the venerable Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

It is not that boxers and MMA fighters have never met each other in Maine in the past. They do often in NEF, which promotes both sports. What makes this a “superfight” is the status of each athlete in the state. Tseeb, Lamour and Boyington are to the current local fight scene what Mayweather and McGregor are to the global scene. They are both mega-stars in-state, each with his own army of loyal fans.

“With all the talk of McGregor versus Mayweather, it’s an interesting match,” said Lamour’s coach and head of the Portland Boxing Club Bob Russo. “One of the best middleweights in New England in boxing versus one of the best lightweights in New England in MMA . I was pleasantly surprised when we were called out by Boyington. We had been offered a few different opponents that we agreed to and I guess they had second thoughts. Then we got the call that this challenge was on the table. This is something that will create a real buzz among boxing and MMA fans.”

Lamour is the face of present-day professional boxing in Maine. He won more than 100 amateur bouts and is an eight-time regional Golden Gloves champion, a five-time New England regional champion and a Bronze Medalist in the 2009 USA Boxing championships among numerous other accomplishments. Lamour competed in the semi-pro World Series of Boxing where he was ranked number-one in the North American middleweight conference. Raws li ib tug kws, Lamour has been outstanding. He captured the New England Middleweight Title in 2014. Lamour has competed on ESPN’s Friday Hmo ntuj Fights boxing series before a national audience.

“I will fight anyone that ends up in front of me,” said Lamour. “I respect the MMA fighters, they are all tough guys, but to challenge in the boxing ring is a major mistake. I’ll be in great shape and ready. He better be too!”

Bruce Boyington, ib tug qub tub rog ntawm lub tebchaws United States Tubrog nkoj Corps (USMC), is no stranger to the boxing ring. He won his professional boxing debut in 2014 on an NEF card. Boyington is a world-class striker. He is a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo, an eight-time Maine state champion and a two-time national champion with countless tournament championships and medals to his credit in the traditional martial art.

It is Boyington’s success in the MMA cage, Txawm li cas los, for which he is most well known. His flashy striking and knockout prowess earned him a reputation as the “human highlight-reel” of NEF. He captured the NEF MMA Pro Lightweight Title in 2014 and defended it successfully three times before relinquishing the belt to sign with the global World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promotion in 2016.

Since signing with WSOF, Boyington has fought on some of the largest stages the world has to offer, including Madison Square Garden in New York City on the undercard of an event broadcast nationally on NBC. He has traveled as far as Russia to fight for major international promotion Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB). With WSOF taking some time to regroup under new ownership as the “Professional Fighters League,” Boyington was looking to stay active while awaiting his next national bout. The opportunity to fight in front of his many hometown fans one more time was irresistible.

“Boxing is his game, but I’ve had 25 professional fights and over 100 Taekwondo fights in my time,” hais tias Boyington. “I’m excited and honored to share the ring with the best boxing has to offer. The only thing I’m ever after is a challenge, and I have one in Russell. It’s exciting to compete back home where it all essentially began for me with NEF, so I thank Matt (Peterson, NEF co-owner) and Nick (DiSalvo, NEF co-owner) for the opportunity and to Russell – let’s dance baby!”

New England Fights returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with its next event, “NEF 29: STARS & STRIPES,” nyob rau hnub Saturday, Lub rau hli ntuj 17, 2017. Tickets are on sale now at the Colisee box office 207-783-2009 x 525 thiab hauv internet ntawmwww.TheColisee.com.

Yog xav paub ntxiv nyob rau hauv cov kev tshwm sim thiab kev sib ntaus card tshiab, thov mus saib cov qib lub website ntawm www.NewEnglandFights.com. Nyob rau hauv tas li ntawd, koj yuav saib NEF yeeb yaj duab ntawm www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “Tshiab England Fights."

Hais txog Tshiab England Fights

Tshiab England Fights ("NEF") yog ib tug sib ntaus txheej xwm promotions lub tuam txhab. NEF lub hom phiaj yog los tsim lub siab tshaj plaws zoo txheej xwm rau Maine lub tua hluav taws thiab cov kiv cua zoo tib yam nkaus. NEF lub thawj pab neeg no muaj nws kim heev kev nyob rau hauv nqe ntaus rog kev ua si tswj, txheej xwm ntau lawm, xov xwm kev sib raug zoo, marketing, kev cai lij choj thiab advertising.