Tag Archives: Dennis Olson

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights, women's MMA

MAINE’S FIRST COUPLE OF THE NEF MMA CAGE

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Randi Beth Knowles and Bruce Boyington

Lewiston, Maine (March 5, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine on April 11, 2015 with its seventeenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event.  The fight card will feature Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7) defending the NEF MMA Lightweight Title against number-one contender Jamie Harrison (5-1) in the main event.  In addition, Boyington’s wife, Randi Beth Knowles (0-0), will make her amateur MMA debut against Alex Walker (0-0) in the female 115-pound strawweight division.  It will be the first time a couple has competed together on an NEF fight card.

 

Knowles is currently training under her husband at Boyington’s Taekwondo Academy and Young’s MMA in Bangor, Maine.  A regular at bodybuilding and fitness competitions across the region, Knowles is no stranger to performing before large audiences.  She has been cage-side for many of Boyington’s past bouts, and she welcomes the challenge that will come when she finds herself on the other side of the cage wall on April 11.

 

“After watching so many of Bruce’s fights, I couldn’t be more excited to get a taste of what it’s like on the inside of the cage,” exclaimed Knowles.  “I’ve always liked being tested with the toughest challenges possible.  I thank NEF for bringing women’s MMA to Maine as well as big thank you to Portland Nutrition Corner, Abbott Insulation Plus, Lewis Used Car Sales, Jes & Toby for all their support.”

 

Knowles’ opponent, Alex Walker, is not to be taken lightly.  Walker trains out of the Kaze Dojo in Lancaster, New Hampshire.  Coming in from out-of-town for the fight, Walker relishes in playing the role of underdog and hopes to also play the role of spoiler on April 11.

 

“I come from a town of 2,500 people,” said Walker.  “Nobody expects me to do well. Nobody ever expects our team to be able to hang with bigger gyms. I like it when people underestimate us, it motivates me.”

 

NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVII,” is scheduled to take place onApril 11, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7) will defend the NEF MMA Lightweight Title against number-one contender Jamie Harrison (5-1).  In addition, Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) meets Dennis Olson (12-7) in a welterweight contest.  Tickets for “NEF XVII” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at 207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

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 Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights, women's MMA

HISTORY TO BE MADE APRIL 11 WITH FIRST PRO WOMEN’S FIGHT IN MAINE

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Lewiston, Maine (February 25, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine on April 11, 2015 with its seventeenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event.  Earlier today, the company announced the addition of a professional female strawweight bout to the fight card.  Kaline “The Dark Angel” Medeiros (3-4) has signed to face Calie “The Honey Badger” Cutler (3-0) at a fight weight of 115-pounds.  It will be the first professional women’s fight in Maine since the state legislature legalized the sport of MMA in 2009.

 

“It’s really sad that it’s taken this long,” said NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo.  “We’re huge fans of women’s MMA in NEF.  We’ve tried numerous times to put pro women’s fights together, but they’ve always fallen through.  History will finally be made on April 11 and, once again, NEF is at the forefront.  We hope the fans will come out and support this fight, support women’s MMA.  This is a very proud moment for everyone involved.  It is a step in the right direction for MMA in Maine.”

 

This will not be the first time Kaline Medeiros has made history in the cage.  In 2013, Medeiros fought in, and won, the first-ever women’s MMA bout to be contested in Rhode Island.  Fighting out of Fall River, Massachusetts, Medeiros is a native of Brazil and has been training in MMA since 2008.  Having faced top female competitors since arriving in the professional ranks, such as Invicta FC veterans Peggy Morgan (3-2) and Stephanie Eggink (4-2), who she knocked out in just seven-seconds, Medeiros certainly has the experience and pedigree to get to the next level in the sport.

 

“It’s a pleasure to invite all my fans for my upcoming fighting onApril 11,” said Medeiros.  “NEF is bringing me to be the first ever  professional female fighter stepping in the cage, it’s an honor for me. Thanks NEF for the recognition, and I can’t wait to bring an exciting fight for the fans.”

 

Michigan’s Calie Cutler has raised a lot of eyebrows since making her MMA debut in 2012.  Cutler amassed an impressive 7-1 record as an amateur prior to turning pro.  She has finished all three of her opponents as a professional, including a second-round submission victory over Nikki Duncan (0-1) last weekend on a fight card in Michigan.  Cutler will look to continue her undefeated streak as a professional on her path towards the big leagues of the sport when she meets Kaline Medeiros on April 11 in Lewiston.

 

NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVII,” is scheduled to take place on April 11, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7) will defend the NEF MMA Lightweight Title against number-one contender Jamie Harrison (5-1).  In addition, Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) meets Dennis Olson (12-7) in a welterweight contest.  Tickets for “NEF XVII” start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

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 Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

FIGHTING PASTOR RETURNS TO MMA CAGE IN LEWISTON ON APRIL 11

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Lewiston, Maine (February 13, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine on April 11, 2015 with its seventeenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event.  Earlier today, the company announced the addition of a professional middleweight bout to the fight card.  Ryan “The Junkyard Dog” Cowette 2-2 will take on John Daniels (0-2) at a fight weight of 185-pounds.

 

Cowette is the owner and head coach of MMA Athletix gym located in Bath, Maine.  He is a veteran of the NEF MMA cage, having contested all four of his professional bouts for the promotion. Cowette rides a two-fight win streak into “NEF XVII,” having vanquished Dave Claroni (0-2) and Jesse Erickson (3-4) in the previous 18-months.  April 11 will be Cowette’s return to the cage after more than a year’s absence.  During that time, he has concentrated on operating his school, training his fighters, and building his ministry through Victory Church in Bath.  Cowette is currently the only professional fighting pastor in America.  He says that he will be looking to finish Daniels on April 11 in Lewiston.

 

“I like fighting,” said Cowette.  “I like the journey of a fight camp, being pushed, and the lessons learned.  I also miss the opportunity of having a good finish.  I will be looking to finish this fight.  When I started Victory Church I found it hard to balance  spiritual training and training for the cage.  At 185 I feel that I can find my spot.  Thanks to NEF for calling me back to the cage. ”

 

John Daniels is not a stranger to the NEF MMA cage.  Currently signed to a multi-fight contract with the promotion, Daniels lost to Jesse Erickson last spring at “NEF XIII.”  He will look to avenge that loss on April 11.  A six year veteran of MMA, and a former high school wrestling champion in Connecticut, Daniels currently trains out of Rock City MMA in Rockland, Maine.  He predicts a tough battle at “NEF XVII.”

 

“I am excited to be fighting for  New England Fights and their fans,” stated Daniels.  “They put on the best events.  I am fighting Ryan Cowette.  He is a great fighter.  I have a lot of respect for him.  This will be my toughest fight to date.  I am looking to push the pace and stay in his face the whole fight.  This will be a battle.”

 

NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVII,” is scheduled to take place onApril 11, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7) will defend the NEF MMA Lightweight Title against number-one contender Jamie Harrison (5-1).  In addition, Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) meets Dennis Olson (12-7) in a welterweight contest.  Tickets for “NEF XVII” start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

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 Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

RUBBER MATCH WILL FEATURE THE RETURN OF POPULAR ATHLETE

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Lewiston, Maine (February 12, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine on April 11, 2015 with its seventeenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event.  Earlier today, the company announced the addition of a professional catchweight bout to the fight card.  “Shatterproof 2.0” Derek Shorey (1-1) will meet the returning John “First Class” Raio (2-6) in a “rubber match” at a fight weight of 150-pounds.

 

Shorey won the last meeting between the two at “NEF XIV” last September via first-round submission.  He gained revenge for a submission loss suffered at the hands of Raio when the pair had fought as amateurs two years earlier.  The “NEF XIV” bout was promoted as a retirement match for Raio who had decided to step away from active competition to focus on his family and gym First Class MMA in Topsham, Maine.  Raio says that he has now found the balance in his life to return to the NEF MMA cage.

 

“I retired from fighting last September because I wanted to spend more time with my family,” said Raio.  “They were really supportive during my career and I owed it to them.   I have found a balance with my new job at BIW.  I am able to train, spend time with my family and operate my gym each day.  I love MMA and never stopped training.  I was not happy with the way my last fight ended and when the opportunity to compete against Derek Shorey again presented itself, I couldn’t turn it down.  The idea to fight Derek came from a post on FB that Ben Raven made on Matt Denning’s page a few months ago.  Derek seemed interested in a rubber match. After getting support from my family, I contacted Matt Petersen and he matched us up.”

 

The two previous bouts between Shorey and Raio had been agreed to at the featherweight limit of 145-pounds.  Shorey feels he will have an advantage due to the 150-pound catchweight where he will have to cut very little or even no weight at all.

 

“I’m excited to fight John again,” exclaimed Shorey.  “There’s almost no weight to cut for a fight at 150, so I’ll be fighting him at full strength, and ultimately as the best version of myself that I’ve ever known.  I’m very confident that I will be in the best shape of my life, and due to recent personal events, I think I’m a little colder now than I’ve ever been.  Training at Young’s  MMA in Bangor as often as I can, being a single parent now, will also drastically improve my game, in every aspect of the sport.  John is a really good wrestler and a lot stronger than me, but no one has ever seen what I know I’m capable of, and I plan to change that.”

 

NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVII,” is scheduled to take place onApril 11, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7) will defend the NEF MMA Lightweight Title against number-one contender Jamie Harrison (5-1).  In addition, Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) meets Dennis Olson (12-7) in a welterweight contest.  Tickets for “NEF XVII” start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

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 Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

WELTERWEIGHT MATCHUP HAS ALL THE MAKINGS OF “FIGHT OF THE YEAR”

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Lewiston, Maine (February 11, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine on April 11, 2015 with its seventeenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event.  The fight card, aptly titled “NEF XVII,” will feature a high-level professional welterweight contest between Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) and Dennis Olson (12-7).

 

“This is the kind of fight we love to make in NEF,” said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson.  “It’s two exciting fighters who come with 100% each and every time they step into that cage. Neither of them could have a boring fight if they tried. Both of these athletes bring a rare intensity to their training regimens and fighting styles. When we look back at the end of 2015, I expect this fight to be in the discussion for ‘Fight of the Year.'”

 

Lawton, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt out of Augusta, Maine, recently signed a long-term promotional contract with NEF.  He has been a regular in the NEF cage for three years, four of five of his professional bouts having been for the promotion.  Lawton’s sole loss came to Darrius Heyliger (5-2) when the cage-side physician stopped the bout due to a cut.  He had been beating Heyliger soundly up until that point.

 

Lawton would go on to win his next three in a row, becoming known for his late fight finishes of opponents.  He currently owns and operates Team Lawton Martial Arts – a Team New England United (NEU) affiliate based in Farmingdale, Maine.  With the Androscoggin Bank Colisee being just down the road from his base of operations, Lawton feels that he will have the home field advantage over Olson in their April 11 bout.

 

“I hope the fans are as excited as I am about me getting back in the cage,” said Lawton.  “I plan to make this a breakout year for myself and Team Lawton-NEU.  I am ready to take this step up in competition against Olson.  We are both very durable and I am expecting fireworks for this fight, but NEF is my home –  this guy is coming to my home, my fans’ home.  When we step in that cage, it will be more than me in that cage – it will be an entire arena against him.  All my preparation will be thanks to my training partners, coaches, students and my wife and son, and NEF for all the opportunities they have given me.”

 

Dennis Olson is one of the most-respected, and feared, athletes in the history of the New England MMA scene.  He is a product of John Fain’s Team Triumph in Nashua, NH, and was, at one time, the kingpin of the region’s welterweight division.  Olson is a two-fight veteran of the Bellator cage and has spent over a decade competing in MMA.  His list of opponents reads like a “who’s who” of New England welterweights over the years, including a notable win over UFC veteran and Dolce Diet namesake Mike Dolce (4-9). Olson will undoubtedly look to avenge past losses by his Triumph teammates John Ortolani (7-9) and Cody Anderson (1-2) at the hands of Lawton.

 

“April 11, 2015, I climb into the cage for the 22nd time, Lawton for the sixth,” said Olson.  “I respect every one of my opponents’ ability to throw a punch or snag a choke.  However, with the level of competition that I have seen leads me to believe that there is nothing Lawton can use to surprise me or catch me off guard. Knowing this information leaves me with only one option.  I have to take advantage of absolutely every second I have in order to prepare myself to prove that information as fact.  I am going to do my best to take every ounce of heart and soul from you.  I’m going to make you want to give up, make you want to die.  I’m going to do my best to dismantle you piece by piece.  To prove to you and I and everyone else that I am your alpha. I am above you, you cannot and will not defeat me.”

 

NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVII,” is scheduled to take place onApril 11, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7) will defend the NEF MMA Lightweight Title against number-one contender Jamie Harrison (5-1).  In addition, Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) meets Dennis Olson (12-7) in a welterweight contest.  Tickets for “NEF XVII” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at 207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

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 Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

BOYINGTON AND HARRISON ON APRIL 11: POWER IS LEGEND

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Lewiston, Maine (February 10, 2015) – The night was June 16, 2012.  Over 3,000 fans had filled the Androscoggin Bank Colisee for New England Fights’ (NEF) “NEF III” mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event.  In the main event of the evening was former two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Champion of the World Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia (31-10).  Sylvia was competing for the first time ever in his home state of Maine.   Media outlets, both local and national, descended on Lewiston that night for the big event.  National cable station HDNet (now “AXS TV”) sent a full film crew and producer to cover the pro portion of the fight card for their weekly program Inside MMA.

 

Sylvia’s 12-second knockout of Randy Smith (13-15-1), however, was not the story that night.  The real story coming out of the event was the emergence of not one, but two, new stars before a national audience.  Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7), already holding the first-ever knockout in Maine MMA history, added to his legend with a Taekwondo spinning-hook kick that left his opponent unconscious and earned Boyington the quickest knockout in NEF at the time at 10-seconds.  Moments later, Jamie Harrison (5-1) finished his opponent with an unorthodox ground-and-pound technique dubbed “The Lobster Punch” by Inside MMA co-host Bas Rutten (28-4-1).  Both finishes were caught on camera by AXS TV, and both were seen by fight fans the world over on television and the internet.  The road to April 11, 2015, “NEF XVII,” and a showdown between Boyington and Harrison, had been paved.

 

In the months and years to come, Boyington would become the face of NEF MMA.  Leaving a trail of broken opponents in his wake, Boyington would go on to capture the vacant NEF MMA Lightweight Championship in September 2014 by defeating Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (3-4).  Weeks later, Boyington and Erickson would rematch with Boyington once again emerging victorious. Harrison had, himself, cut through Tollison Lewis (0-3) with reckless abandon just moments earlier, leading many to speculate that the time for the Boyington-Harrison showdown had finally arrived.  In the hours that followed, both sides had agreed to the fight and the stage was set for April 11, 2015 in Lewiston at “NEF XVII.”  Both athletes squared off in the cage last Saturday at “NEF XVI” to officially announce the bout which will be a five-rounder for Boyington’s Lightweight Championship.

 

“I’m feeling on top of the world,” said Boyington when reached for comment.  “The break has served its purpose and although I feel I have strengths such as a well-rounded MMA game, more professional fights, more experience with top level opponents and comfort in this arena – I know that it’s all irrelevant because the high that I’m on right now right now and the eagerness to get in the cage and have fun , along with a strict conviction with myself NOT to lose and to entertain the crowd makes me more confident than ever to get the job done.  I respect Jamie very much. He is tough and presents challenges and I’ve had my sights on him for a long time, studying him and knowing we would cross paths eventually. Lucky for me, I’m a hell of a wrestler.  I see what’s coming.  Fans, this fight is unlike anything else you will ever see.  Make sure you’re in attendance to witness what I’m about to do.  I have no problem proving the critics wrong.  Just be there and don’t blink. This is a big stage fight, I’ll prove it.”

 

“I am extremely excited to get back in the NEF cage for this huge opportunity,” remarked Harrison.  “Bruce is on a hot streak and so am I.  The title belt around my waist has been a long time coming and it will be bittersweet to do it in front of all my family, friends, and fans.  This fight will have a lot of fireworks and you will not want to look away for a second.”

 

“These are the two alpha males of the NEF roster,” said NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo.  “When they walk in a room, everyone knows it.  But we all know that there can only be one alpha male in the pride.  On April 11 in Lewiston, we’ll determine which is the true alpha male when these two lions collide.”

 

NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVII,” is scheduled to take place onApril 11, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7) will defend the NEF MMA Lightweight Title against number-one contender Jamie Harrison (5-1).  In addition, Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) meets Dennis Olson (12-7) in a welterweight contest.  Tickets for “NEF XVII” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at 207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”