Tag Archives: Mixed Martial Arts

mixed martial arts, MMA, RFA

RFA 34: VELICKOVIC vs SMITH FULL TV CARD ANNOUNCED

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WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
BOJAN VELICKOVIC  

vs. BENJAMIN SMITH
CO-MAIN EVENT:
ADAM STROUP vs. JOHN POPPIE
MIDDLEWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
FRIDAY, JANUARY 15TH, 2016 LIVE ON AXS TV
LIVE from the 1STBANK Center, Broomfield, CO
 
Tickets on Sale Now at ALTITUDETICKETS.com
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) president Ed Soares announced earlier this month that the promotion will return to Colorado with RFA 34 – Velickovic vs. Smith in January to kick off 2016. Now the main card has been announced. The event will be headlined by a welterweight title fight between Serbian sensation Bojan “Serbian Steel” Velickovic (12-3) and former RFA welterweight champion Benjamin Smith (15-3). The co-main event will see Colorado native Adam Stroup (10-2) and former RFA title challenger John Poppie (6-2) meet in a middleweight showdown. RFA 34 – Velickovic vs. Smith will take place Friday, January 15th inside the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Tickets for RFA 34 – Velickovic vs. Smith are available for purchase NOW through AltitudeTickets.com or you can support your favorite fighter by purchasing your tickets through CageTix.com. Tickets to RFA 34 start at just $30.
VIP tables are available by calling 303-521-0966.
The main card of RFA 34 will also include a pair of RFA and Colorado fan favorites in the light-heavyweight division. Cody Mumma (8-2) is currently riding the momentum of three consecutive KO victories. That streak started with a scintillating 11-second KO of Colton Vaughn at RFA 20. The KO is tied for the second-fastest KO in RFA history.
Mumma will face fellow RFA vet Jeremy Kimball (11-5), who will be entering this contest fresh off a lightning fast KO victory of his own. That win came over Jason Clayton in just 22 seconds last summer. However, Kimball’s most high-profile win to date came in the co-main event of RFA 7, when he submitted Chidi Njokuani via Rear Naked Choke.
In the bantamweight division, six-time UFC vet Hugo “Wolverine” Viana (8-3) and two-time RFA vet Zac “The Anointed Warrior” Riley (3-3) will share the RFA Octagon together. Viana burst on to the global MMA scene in 2012 as a semi-finalist on the first season of the UFC reality show TUF – Brazil. He then won his first two UFC bouts before losing to current UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw, who is now one of his teammates.
Riley will be entering this bout with a large amount of praise and fanfare in his own right. This past October at RFA 31, Riley made headlines after accepting a bout in Las Vegas with undefeated Hawaiian prospect Shai Lindsey on just 48 hours’ notice. The highly-touted Lindsey, who had finished all of his opponents, was blitzed at the opening bell by southern Colorado’s newest star. Riley ended up finishing the fight in just 59 seconds with an airtight Triangle Choke.
At welterweight, Brian Camozzi (4-2) will make his long-awaited RFA debut. Camozzi is the younger brother of UFC star Chris Camozzi and fights out of Factory X Muay Thai in the greater Denver, Colorado area. He will face Tyler Milner (7-2) who is a longtime standout in the Alaska FC promotion. Milner now trains at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico and will be fighting for the first time in his career outside of Alaska.
The main card of RFA 34 will get started in the featherweight division with a pair of featherweight prospects eager to make their national television debut. Cory Sandhagen (1-0) will be making his promotional debut after enjoying a decorated amateur career. He is a main training partner of UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw at Elevation Fight Team in Denver, Colorado. Sandhagen will face undefeated Jackson-Wink MMA standout Andrew Tenneson (3-0) in a bout that is sure to get RFA commentators Pat Miletich and Michael Schiavello excited from the start. Tennesson, like his opponent Sandhagen, is a finisher as both men have finished all of their opponents before the final bell.
The full RFA 34 preliminary card and further information regarding this event will be announced soon. RFA 34 will be the promotion’s seventh event to take place in the state of Colorado. The entire main card of RFA 34 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Friday, January 15th, 2016.
Please visit RFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. RFA is also on Facebook at Facebook.com/RFAfighting, Instagram at @RFAfighting, and Twitter at @RFAfighting.
About RFA: RFA is a professional mixed martial arts promotion that gives rising stars and top contenders the opportunity to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry. The RFA presents live events on a monthly basis around the United States including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Milwaukee. RFA can be seen live in over 43 million homes nationally through its television deal with AXS TV. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, RFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. (The Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC. All rights reserved).

About AXS TV Fights: AXS TV Fights is renowned for its universally recognized Friday Night Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing events. As Your Home For MMA, AXS TV utilizes an expansive network of promotions from the United States, Canada, and Europe. And Asia to broadcast more LIVE fights than any other television network.“The Voice” Michael Schiavello and five-time MMA world-champion Pat Miletich provide viewers expert play-by-play, in-depth fighter coverage, and extensive analysis to each fight card. AXS TV broadcasts world-class LIVE fight events from RFA, Lion Fight, Legacy FC, and MFC every Friday night at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.
M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui To defend M-1 Challenge lightweight title vs. Artiom Damkovsky  

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Alexander Volkov vs. Denis Smoldaraev for
Vacant M-1 Challenge heavyweight championship 
M-1 Challenge 64, Feb. 19 in Moscow
(L-R) Artiom Damkovsky & Mansour Barnaoui
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (December 29, 2015) — M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui will make his first title defense, February 19 at Olympic Stadium, against Artiom Damkovsky at M-1 Challenge 64 in Moscow, Russia.
M-1 Challenge 64 will be streamed live from Moscow in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
In a previously announced title fight, newly M-1 Global-signed Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-6-0, M-1: 8-3-0), of Russia, takes on Estonian challenger Denis Smoldaraev (11-1-0, M-1: 7-1-0) for the vacant M-1 Challenge heavyweight championship.
Barnaoui (12-3-0, M-1: 2-2-0), fighting out of Paris, will be making his first title defense against a dangerous challenger. After defeating previously undefeated Maxim Divnich(10-0-0) (see picture below) by way of a first-round stoppage via punches, May 2, 2015 atM-1 Challenge 57, Barnaoui dropped down in weight and he unsuccessfully challenged M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Ivan Buchinger this past October by five-round decision at M-1 Challenge 57.
Belarus-native Damkovsky (20-9-0, M-1: 10-6-0), shown below on mat, is riding a four-fight win streak to become the top contender going into his title fight showdown with Barnaoui.
Information

www.M1Global.tv

Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

 

mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING HEADS TO FEDEX FORUM IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, LIVE ON NBCSN

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Main Event: Mike Ricci vs. Caros Fodor
Co-Main Event: Teddy Holder vs. Shamil Gamzatov

Tickets on sale now
LAS VEGAS (December 21, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) will kick off the New Year with its 27th live event and first trip ever to the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. on Saturday, Jan. 23, live on NBCSN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

In the WSOF27 lightweight (155 pounds) main event, Mike “The Martian” Ricci will square off with Caros “The Future” Fodor while, in the light heavyweight (205 pounds) co-main event, heavy-handed finisher Teddy Holder will battle undefeated Shamil Gamzatov.

“We are excited to make our debut in Memphis thanks, in great part, to V3 Fights, which has a stellar reputation for putting together great events in that market and is helping us bring our brand of live, world-class MMA action to new fans,” said World Series of Fighting CEO Carlos Silva.

Tickets for the event start at just $39.99, and are on sale at WSOF.com, all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, the FedExForum Box Office, or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Mike Ricci vs. Caros Fodor

The 29-year-old Ricci (11-4) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada will enter the World Series of Fighting decagon cage on a three-fight win streak after scoring a highlight reel KO on Joe Condon with a head kick in the first round (2:41) of their matchup in the quarterfinal stage matchup of the WSOF25 one-night, eight-man tournament.

Fodor (10-4) of Kirkland, Wash. is looking to notch his third consecutive win in his World Series of Fighting debut after concluding a successful, four-fight run in Asia.  The 31-year-old protégé of Matt Hume and brother of fellow World Series of Fighting competitor and costumed superhero Phoenix Jones exploded onto the national MMA scene in 2010 when he ran to five consecutive wins with the now defunct Strikeforce promotion.

Teddy Holder vs. Shamil Gamzatov

Holder (9-2) of Bartlett, Tenn. is a former high school football star turned MMA machine who made his first big mark in the sport at WSOF19 on March 28 after being bumped up from the event’s undercard to a co-main event matchup with established star Thiago Silva, on the day of the event due to the withdrawal of Silva’s original opponent, Matt Hamill, from the matchup.

Holder, whose nine-career victories have all come by way of (T)KO or submission, scored an upset, first round (2:00) TKO on Silva with a barrage of punches.

The unbeaten Gamzatov (9-0) of Makhachkala, Russia will make his debut in the U.S.  after finishing all of his professional opponents to date in either the first or second round.  The 25-year-old is the number two ranked light heavyweight in the Ukraine and the number 24 ranked light heavyweight in Russia.

Additional matchups for WSOF27 will be announced soon.

For more information, visit fedexforum.com, ‘like’ FedExForum on Facebook or follow on Twitter (@FedExForum).
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

CHEICK KONGO-AUGUSTO SAKAI TO FIGHT DURING MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 150: GALVAO VS. DANTAS 2’

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 21, 2015) – A heavyweight contest pitting Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) against the undefeated Augusto Sakai (9-0) has been added to the main card of  “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas, on February 26.

 

In addition, Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on the line in a rematch pitting Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) and former champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4) and hometown favorite, David Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) will return to action against an opponent that will be revealed at a later date.

 

The contests will take up three slots of the televised portion of “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. Additional fights will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which start at just $27, are on sale now at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com, as well as the Kansas Star Arena box office.

 

Kongo will be making his eighth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, looking to add to his impressive promotional mark of 5-2. The Paris native has fought a who’s who in the mixed martial arts landscape, with notable wins against Mirko Cro Cop, Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, and Alexander Volkov already on his record. In his last outing – which just so happened to be inside the Kansas Star Arena — Kongo impressively defeated Volkov via unanimous decision.

 

Maintaining an unblemished record to begin his professional career, Sakai will face arguably his stiffest competition to date when he meets Kongo on Feb. 26. With seven finishes in nine outings, the 24-year-old Brazilian most recently finished Alex Huddleston at “Bellator 145: With A Vengeance.”

 

Updated “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” Fight Card:

 

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title Main Event: Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (17-4)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Co-Main Event: Dave Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) vs. TBA

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) vs. Augusto Sakai (9-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

DARRION CALDWELL SET FOR ‘BELLATOR MMA 151’ MAIN EVENT DEBUT AGAINST JOE WARREN AT WINSTAR WORLD CASINO & RESORT ON MARCH 4

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B151_1000x1000

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (December 18, 2015) – The main event of Bellator MMA’s return to WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK., on March 4 will feature undefeated Darrion Caldwell (8-0) challenging former two-division world champion and the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” Joe Warren (13-4).

Tickets for “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” go on sale this coming Monday, December 21 and start at just $45. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, with the first contest taking place one hour later.

“Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

With five impressive outings in a little over a year and a half under the Bellator MMA umbrella, it was only a matter of time before “The Wolf” found himself in a position to compete for a world title. There is still work to be done though, and the next stop on the road to championship gold goes through a man who has held Marcos Galvao’s belt already. A standout on the wrestling team at NC State University, the 27-year-old Caldwell most recently submitted Shawn Bunch via rear-naked choke in the first frame, adding to his tally of finishes (4). Initially a featherweight, Caldwell looks much more comfortable now at 135-pounds and as he proclaimed during a recent interview, “I foresee myself competing against Joe [Warren] with a No. 1 contender shot on the line, sooner rather than later.”

 

Warren has done just about it all under the Bellator MMA banner, winning titles at featherweight and bantamweight during his nearly six year promotional tenure. Now, Warren has his sights set on another run with the 135-pound title, a belt he lost during an intense encounter with Galvao early in 2015. A 2006 Pan American and World Champion in Greco-Roman competition, the 39-year-old will test himself against a young competitor who excels in the same skillset that Warren has used to his advantage for most of his career, wrestling. Will a win for “The Baddest Man on the Planet” propel him to a title shot against the winner of Galvao-Dantas 2 a week prior? Tune into SPIKE on March 4 to find out.

 

mixed martial arts, MMA

FOLLOWING NO-CONTEST IN THEIR FIRST MEETING, PAUL BRADLEY-CHRIS HONEYCUTT REBOOKED FOR MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 148: KOSCHECK VS. SECOR’

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THREE PRELIMINARY BOUTS ALSO ADDED TO THE JANUARY 29th EVENT

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 17, 2015) – Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC) and Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) were in the middle of a great fight, when an accidental headbutt opened a gash on the head of Bradley, which led to the fight being called a no contest.

 

Now, the pair of welterweights will run it back during the main card of “Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” on January 29 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

 

Bellator officials previously announced two additional welterweight attractions featuring a main event of Josh Koscheck (17-10) versus Matt Secor (7-2) and a co-main event pitting British slugger Paul “Semtex” Daley (37-13-2) against Andy Uhrich (11-5).

 

Today, the preliminary portion of the card is filling up, with the news that Anthony Avila (12-4) will face John Reedy (11-6), Javy Ayala (8-4) battles Carl Seumanutafa (9-6) and Art Arcienega (14-5) versus Justin Smiley (9-7). Additional fights will be announced shortly.

 

“Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App at 5 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event start at only $25 and are on sale at the Save Mart Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

 

Aptly nicknamed “The Cutt,” the 27-year-old Honeycutt is a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler out of Edinboro University. Following his collegiate wrestling career, which ended with a runner-up finish in the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, Honeycutt enlisted the help of fellow Edinboro wrestler Josh Koscheck, who he now trains with at the longtime MMA veteran’s Dethrone Base Camp in Fresno.

 

Honeycutt made his Bellator MMA debut in September 2014, scoring a TKO victory over Aaron Wilkinson. He picked up his second win for the promotion at “Bellator 133: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko,” scoring a TKO win over Clayton MacFarlane.

 

The 32-year-old Bradley is an Iowa native who also earned a pair of NCAA Division I All-American honors while competing at the famed University of Iowa. Bradley turned to mixed martial arts in 2006 and earned 11 consecutive victories to open his career, picking up the Ring of Combat middleweight title along the way.

 

Bradley made his way to the Bellator MMA cage in 2013, and in four appearances to date, has already picked up decision victories over Josh Neer and Karl Amoussou. While Bradley’s base is firmly in wrestling, he’s developed into a complete martial artist during his time in the sport and owns seven of his career wins by knockout with another seven coming by way of submission.

 

Updated “Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” Fight Card

 

Bellator MMA Welterweight Main Event: Josh Koscheck (17-10) vs. Matt Secor (7-2)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Paul Daley (37-13-2) vs. Andy Uhrich (11-5)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Anthony Avila (12-4) vs. John Reedy (11-6)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Javy Ayala (8-4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (9-6)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Art Arcienega (14-5) vs. Justin Smiley (9-7)

 

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

Three World Champions Capture top honors in 2015 Russian MMA Super Cup

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Living legend and WMMAA Honorary President Fedor Emelianenko served as color commentator for the broadcast of the recent 2015 Russian MMA Super Cup
CHELYABINSK, Russia (December 16, 2015) — Fresh off of their winning performances at last month’s 2015 World MMA Championships in Prague, a trio of individual winners from championship Team Russia also captured top honors at the recent 2015 Russian Super Cup, sanctioned by the World Mix Martial Arts Association (WMMAA), in Chelyabinsk, Russia
Bantamweight Bakhachali Bakhachaliev, middleweight Gamzat Khiramagomedov and light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev were the three World champions who were also victorious at the 2015 Russian MMA Super Cup.
Internationally renowned “Big” John McCarthy served as referee.
Below find a breakdown of official results from each weight class with video links to corresponding matches:
2015 Russian MMA Super Cup
Bantamweights Championship (-61.2 kg, 135 lbs.)
Bakhachali Bakhachaliev WDEC3 Armen Gulyan
Featherweight Championship (-65.8 kg, 145 lbs.)
Nabi Ashurlaev WDEC3 Mansur Vitaev
Lightweight Championship (-70.3 kg, 154 lbs.)
Artur Zainukov WDEC3 Kamil Magomedov
Welterweight Championship (-77.1 kg, 170 lbs.)
Alibeg Rasulov WDEC3 Ramazan Kuramagomedov
Middleweight Championship (-84 kg, 185 lbs.)
Gamzat Khiramagomedov WDEC3 Ramazan Gamzatov
Light Heavyweight Championship (-93 kg, 205 lbs.)
Magomed Ankalaev WTKO1 Nadyr Bulkadarov
Heavyweight Championship (+205 lbs.)
Amirkhan Isagadzhiev WTKO1 Georgy Sakaev
 
Information
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

‘THE YOUNG ASSASSIN’ VS. ‘THE GREEK ASSASSIN’   MELVIN GUILLARD TAKES ON HOUSTON’S MIKE BRONZOULIS AT ‘BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE’

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (December 16, 2015) – A lightweight contest pitting Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) against Houston’s Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1) has been added to the SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” on Feb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Bellator MMA President Scott Coker announced the new addition on his Twitter account last night.

 

The fight joins a card that already features a double main event — Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) meets Royce Gracie (14-2-3) for a third time and Kimbo Slice (5-2) will fight the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000.” In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will look to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11). Preliminary contests will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for this mixed martial arts extravaganza start at just $30 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

 

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

 

Guillard suffered a horrific broken hand during his Bellator MMA debut against Brandon Girtz earlier this year. “The Young Assassin” has made it clear that he intends on eventually fighting for the 155-pound title, and his road to the gold begins on Feb. 19 against a tough Houston, Texas native. Of Guillard’s 32 wins as a professional, 23 victories have come before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

 

Bronzoulis returned to the Bellator MMA fray against a debuting Josh Thomson at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” this past September. “The Greek Assassin” has not shied away from tough opponents throughout his career, having competed against guys like Thomson, Joe Riggs, Gerald Harris and Jorge Patino during his 28-fight career. The Houston native hopes to have plenty of hometown support when he takes on Guillard inside the Bellator MMA cage on Feb. 19.

 

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Updated Fight Card

 

Bellator MMA Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. Dada 5000 (2-0)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1)

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT ADDED TO NEF 21 FIGHT CARD

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Lewiston, Maine (December 16, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS” on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  The fight card is scheduled to feature both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts.  Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional middleweight bout to the “NEF 21” fight card.  Michael “The Mustache” Hansen (3-2) has signed to meet Zach “The Torch” Elkins (0-1) at a fight weight of 185-pounds.

 

Hansen is the head coach and founding member of Berserkers MMA based out of Rumford, Maine.  He won a state championship as a heavyweight wrestler for Mountain Valley High School (MVHS) in 2004.  Hansen began his MMA career shortly after his high school graduation, but put that career on hold to serve in United States Army as a combat engineer.  In early 2015, Hansen returned to the cage as a member of the NEF MMA roster.  He put together a record of 2-1 in his first year back, including a win over the “2014 Fighter of the Year” Crowsneck Boutin (1-2).  The fight with Elkins will be Hansen’s first foray into the middleweight division after having competed in the heavyweight and light-heavyweight ranks previously.

 

“Zach is a good fighter with a lot of experience in the cage,” said Hansen over his upcoming opponent.  “He’s probably looking to come up here and leave with his first pro win. It won’t be that easy, and he will have to earn it, ’cause I intend to send him back to Florida with another loss.”

 

Zach Elkins is no stranger to the NEF fans.  A member of Team Riot in Orange Park, Florida, Elkins appeared previously for the fight promotion headlining the amateur portion of the “NEF XIII” fight card in the spring of 2014.  That evening, Elkins made short work of the northeast’s then-top ranked amateur middleweight Buck Pineau (1-2), scoring a first-round TKO.  Elkins was ranked nationally as an amateur, and he held the ISCF Florida State Middleweight Championship for over a year.  He lost his professional debut in the fall of 2014, and now Elkins is looking to pick up the first win of his pro career.

 

“I want to thank Matt and Nick (Peterson and DiSalvo, NEF owners) both for having me back on their show in February,” said Elkins when reached for comment. “I will be ready to put on another exciting fight for the fans in Maine and bringing home another ‘W’ for my team in Florida, Riot MMA.”

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS,” takes placeSaturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Tickets for “NEF 21” start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée 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.”