Lewiston, Maine (Lub rau hli ntuj 2, 2016) – At most New England Fights (NEF) txheej xwm, Steve Bang, Sr. (1-1) would be on the other side of the cage either watching one of his sons do battle or acting as the cageside physician. Nyob rau lub rau hli ntuj 18, 2016, Txawm li cas los, as he has done twice in the past, Bang will enter the mixed-martial-arts cage (MMA) in Lewiston as a competitor. Lub 46 year-old bariatric surgeon from Auburn, Maine will take on 48 xyoo-laus Stacy Lupo (0-0) in an amateur MMA lightweight bout at “NEF 24: PROMISED LAND.”

“I love competition and how it drives us to improve and become a more perfect version of ourselves,” said Dr. Bang. “It has been a year since I have battled in the cage. This past year has been filled with the accomplishment of personal milestones and athletic goals with many more yet to be realized. Amidst all of this chaos, the stars have once again aligned to give me the opportunity to reenter the battle arena where the stakes of competition, for me, are highest.”

A native of Riverton, Wyoming, Dr. Bang graduated from Brigham Young University in 1994 and then from the Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1998. Coming from the medical field, he is well aware of the risks he takes every time he enters the cage.

“Just days after turning 47, I will face a warrior intent upon bodily harm and yet I find myself incredibly blessed and thankful for the health and privilege to do so,” Dr. Bang continued. “I bring the health of mind, body and spirit beyond what is required to just be a participant. I have checked all of the boxes that give me the tools required to be a victorious warrior at any age.”

Dr. Bang currently trains alongside his sons at Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ). Steve Bang, Jr. (1-1), Skyler Bang (0-0), Shawn Bang (1-1) and foster son Conner Murphy (1-0) will join their father in cage competition at “NEF 24.”

“I am passionate about my training, and take advantage of every metric available to quantify and qualify that training. By every metric, I am at my peak performance levels. I am in the best shape of my life, better than I have ever been. One day that trend will indeed head south, but today is not that day. I do not take this health and privilege for granted. Every moment of life and every opportunity we are given is a gift and I plan to take full advantage of it as if it were my last.”

Dr. Bang’s opponent, ntawm “NEF 24,” Stacy Lupo, while making his debut in the MMA cage, is a longtime veteran of combat sports. Lupo currently trains out of the Shatterproof Combat Club in Dexter, Maine, but he has been a martial artist for an amazing 32 xyoo. He holds black belts in both Taekwondo and Shotokan karate. He was an accomplished wrestler in high school, placing in states his senior year. For more than a decade, Lupo ran his own martial arts academy before closing shop to concentrate on raising his family. In the 1980s and 1990s, Lupo competed in amateur boxing and kickboxing. His last kickboxing bout saw him win a unanimous decision over Don Labbe in the main event of a 1995 card in Lewiston.

“I don’t know Steve personally, but like me, he is an old man in a young man’s sport, so I give him his due and my respect,” said Lupo. “As the saying goes, ‘be wary of old men in a world where men die young.’ I want to thank him for giving me the chance to compete in a sport I’ve always loved – yog li, thank you Steven Bang, I look forward to our meeting.”

“I do not know my opponent personally, but I respect anyone willing to do what it takes to get to the cage door,” said Bang in closing. “That next single step across the threshold commands another whole level of respect. As with the warriors of old, we will battle with the same intensity to maim, kill or disable until compelled to mercy by the referee. Then we will have a bond that cannot be understood, nor shared, by anyone who has never been there.”

NEF returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine rau Lub rau hli ntuj 18, 2016 nrog “NEF 24: PROMISED LAND.” Tickets for “NEF 24” start at just $25 thiab yog muag tam sim no nyob www.TheColisee.com los yog los ntawm hu rau Colisée chaw ua hauj lwm ntawm 207.783.2009 x 525.

For more information on the events and fight card updates, 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, ua raws li lawv nyob rau Twitternefights thiab koom nrog cov nom Facebook pab pawg neeg "New England Fights."

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