Lewiston, Maine (May 19, 2016) – Since long before the dawn of the internet, sports fans have debated the outcome of fantasy meetings between beloved teams and athletes. What would happen if Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali met in their respective prime? Could the ’96 Bulls beat the ’86 Lakers? How would the bats of the ’27 Yankees fare against the starting rotation of the ’98 Braves? In mixed-martial-arts (MMA), presumably because the sport is so young, fantasy matchups are usually separated by weight classes as opposed to time.
Such is the case with the professional middleweight bout recently signed by New England Fights (NEF) for the fight promotion’s June 18 event, “NEF 24: PROMISED LAND,” in Lewiston. Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (6-5) will move up two weight classes to face Crowsneck Boutin (2-2) at 185-pounds. It is a fight that fans of both popular athletes never imagined they would see, and now it is happening.
Jesse Erickson was unsuccessful in his attempt to capture the vacant NEF MMA Pro Lightweight Title last month at “NEF22.” The loss to Devin Powell (6-1) put a halt to Erickson’s three-fight win streak. The upcoming bout with Boutin offers not only a chance for redemption, but a chance for Erickson to fight without going through the rigors of a strenuous weight cut.
“Crowsneck is someone who always puts on a good show,” said Erickson. “I’m excited for the challenge and look forward to the cage door being locked with us inside. I truly enjoy getting in that cage and this show I’ll be doing it without the misery of cutting weight. Don’t miss this fight!”
After losing two-in-a-row in the MMA cage and coming up with a draw in a pro boxing bout, Crowsneck Boutin scored a big victory last weekend over Ruben Redman (0-1) in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The win brought Boutin’s record back up to the .500 mark. On June 18, he will have the opportunity to add another notch to the win column.
“The fight fever is aboard me,” said Boutin. “I’ll be ready to battle. Erickson is a bad ass, so I love this fight. From my perspective, it appears that our dark towers is one in the same.”
NEF returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine on June 18, 2016 with “NEF 24: PROMISED LAND.” Tickets for “NEF 24” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at207.783.2009 x 525.
For more information on the events 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.”