Tag Archives: Yorgan De Castro

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

NEF FINISHES 2018 SEASON WITH SOLD-OUT EVENT IN PORTLAND

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NEF FINISHES 2018 SEASON WITH SOLD-OUT EVENT IN PORTLAND

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Portland, Maine (November 18, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) held its most recent mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 36: Battle for the Gold,” on Saturday night at Aura in Portland, Maine.  The event officially sold-out days prior to doors opening.  It was the fifth and final NEF event of the 2018 season, and what many in attendance insisted was the standout show of the year.

In the main event, Ryan Sanders (18-9) put the NEF MMA Professional Lightweight Title on the line against Jacob Bohn (7-6).  Sanders retained the championship after the cageside doctor stopped the fight due to a cut on Bohn’s head in the second round.

History was made when Ras Hylton (3-2) and Yorgan De Castro (3-0) faced off to crown the first-ever NEF MMA Professional Cruiserweight Champion in the co-main event.  De Castro captured the strap in dramatic fashion with a violent first-round knockout of Hylton.

Matt Probin (3-0) made his long-awaited NEF debut against Lionel Young (7-16).  Probin remained undefeated in his professional career when he forced a referee stoppage to strikes early in the second round.

In the opening fight of the evening, Taylor Thompson (3-0) and Catie Denning (1-1) waged an absolute war that had the entire crowd on its feet to kick off the amateur card.  Thompson won a unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.

Later on in the amateur card, Megan Rosado (0-1) and Glory Watson (2-0) battled back and forth in another crowd-pleasing thriller that went the distance.  Watson was victorious via split decision in a very close fight.

In the third and final women’s fight of the evening, Chelsea Tucker (1-3) picked up the first win of her amateur career with a late-fight technical knockout of BJ Garceau (1-1).

Zac Richard (3-0) remained undefeated with a first-round submission of Chris Lachcik (0-2).  It was a fight that Richard had dedicated to the memory of his older sister Lacey who passed away from cancer six years ago this weekend at the age of 23.

Likewise, in a post fight interview, an emotional Henry Clark (5-4) dedicated his victory over Killian Murphy (1-2) to a friend of his named Justin who recently passed away.

NEF further announced that its next event, “NEF 37: SUB ZERO,” would originate from the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine on Friday, February 1, 2019.  The main event will feature Josh “Hook On” Harvey (5-0-1) and Bill “Jonesi” Jones (13-11) squaring off for the vacant NEF MMA Professional Featherweight Title.

The full results from Portland, Maine:

PROFESSIONAL MMA

Ryan Sanders def. Jacob Bohn via doctor stoppage, round 2

Yorgan De Castro def. Ras Hylton via knockout, round 1

Jose Lugo def. Ernesto Ornelas via rear-naked choke, round 1

Matt Probin def. Lionel Young via technical knockout, round 2

 

AMATEUR MMA

Chelsea Tucker def. BJ Garceau via technical knockout, round 3

Henry Clark def. Killian Murphy via unanimous decision

Nate Boucher def. Jordan Young via tap to rear-naked choke, round 1

Zac Richard def. Chris Lachcik via tap to rear-naked choke, round 1

Glory Watson def. Megan Rosado via split decision

Ben Peters def. Brandon Maillet-Fevens via verbal submission to Kimura, round 1

Felipe Günter def. Schuyler Vaillancourt via tap to rear-naked choke, round 2

Mohammad Al Kinani def. Clifford Redman via TKO, round 1

Jordan Norman def. Jon Assam via split decision

Taylor Thompson def. Catie Denning via unanimous decision

 

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 37: SUB ZERO,” will take place on Friday, February 1, 2019 at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine with a bell time of 8 pm.  Tickets are on-sale now atwww.CrossInsuranceCenter.com now with pre-sale code “NEF.”

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

TITLE FIGHTS HEADLINE FINAL NEF EVENT OF 2018

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Portland, Maine (November 2, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) will hold its final mixed-martial-arts event of 2018, “NEF 36: Battle for the Gold,” on Saturday, November 17 at Aura in Portland, Maine. Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the fight card for the event featuring a full slate of professional and amateur fights.

 

 

 

The professional side of the card will be headlined by a pair of title fights as Ryan Sanders (17-9) defends the lightweight strap against Jacob Bohn (7-5) and Ras Hylton (3-1) meets Yorgan De Castro (2-0) to crown the first-ever NEF cruiserweight champion.

 

 

 

Sanders has held the lightweight title since April 2017 when he defeated Jon Lemke (7-9) in a tournament final.  He has won a remarkable eight in a row in the NEF cage, not losing on Maine soil in four years.  New York’s Jacob Bohn has won his last two in a row over veterans Kenny Foster (12-13) and Lewis Corapi (8-4) respectively.

 

 

 

Ras Hylton is coming off a highlight-reel elbow knockout of Eric Bedard (6-8) last August.  The 6’6″ resident of South Portland, known to fans as “The Jamaican Shamrock,” is a perfect 3-0 in the NEF cage where he also went 3-0 as an amateur.  Yorgan De Castro is undefeated as a professional, having finished both of his opponents by technical knockout.  The bout will be the first in the newly-created NEF 225-pound cruiserweight division which will fall between the light-heavyweight (205-pound) and heavyweight (265-pound) classes.

 

 

 

Also on the professional card will be a flyweight contest between Portland fan-favorite Ernesto Ornelas (4-7) and undefeated Massachusetts prospect Jose Lugo (3-0).  Ornelas is riding a two-fight win streak while Lugo, nicknamed “El Salvaje,” has finished all three of his opponents.

 

 

 

Matt Probin (2-0) is scheduled to make his long-awaited debut with NEF when he meets veteran Lionel Young (7-15) in a featherweight contest.  Probin has won back-to-back bouts in Vermont via knockout to start his professional career.

 

 

 

As of press time, NEF was still searching for a replacement opponent for Carl Langston (0-1) in a professional featherweight bout after several previous opponents had pulled out.  Interested featherweights should contact NEF matchmakers via email at newenglandfights@gmail.com.  Serious inquiries only please.

 

 

 

The amateur portion of the card is scheduled to feature a total of three women’s MMA bouts.  Glory Watson (1-0) will take on Megan Rosado (0-0), while BJ Garceau (1-0) meets Chelsea Tucker (0-3) and Catie Denning (1-0) faces off with Taylor Thompson (2-0).  Watson, Garceau and Tucker are all members of Young’s MMA in Bangor, Maine owned and operated by coach Chris Young.  The trio has been nicknamed “Chris’ Angels.”

 

 

 

The full “NEF 36” fight card (subject to change and approval of the Combat Sports Authority of Maine):

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL MMA

 

 

225*TITLE Ras Hylton 3-1 (First Class MMA) vs Yorgan De Castro 2-0

155*TITLE Ryan Sanders 17-9 (c) (Young’s MMA) vs Jacob Bohn 7-5 (Behring Jiu Jitsu NY)

145 Matt Probin 2-0 (Recon) vs Lionel Young 7-15 (Citadel Martial Arts)

125 Ernesto Ornelas 4-7 (Choi Institute) vs Jose Lugo 3-0 (BST MMA & Fitness)

 

 

 

AMATEUR MMA

 

175 Jon Assam 0-0 (CMBJJ) vs Jordan Norman 0-1 (Bad Little Falls Dojo)

155 Zac Richard 2-0 (Nostos) vs Chris Lachcik 0-1 (Independent)

155 Mohammad Al Kinani 4-1 (Evolution Athletix) vs Clifford Redman 0-6 (Independent)

155 Brandon Mailet 0-0 (CMBJJ) vs Ben Peters 0-0 (Titan Athletics)

140 Megan Rosado 0-0 (Evolution Athletix) vs Glory Watson 1-0 (Young’s MMA)

140 Henry Clark 4-4 (Choi Institute) vs Killian Murphy 1-1 (Nostos)

135 Taylor Thompson 2-0 () vs Catie Denning 1-0 (Young’s MMA)

135 Schuyler Vaillancourt 0-0 (Nostos) vs Felipe Gunther 0-0 (First Class MMA)

135 Nate Boucher 2-3 (CMBJJ) vs Jordan Young 1-1 (Independent)

125 Chelsea Tucker 0-3 (First Class MMA) vs BJ Garceau 1-0 (Young’s MMA)

 

 

 

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 36: Battle for the Gold,” will see the company make its return to Aura in Portland, Maine.  The event is scheduled to take place Saturday, November 17, 2018 with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.AuraMaine.com.

 

 

 

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

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

NEF MAKES HISTORY WITH NEW WEIGHT DIVISION AND TITLE FIGHT

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Portland, Maine (October 15, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) will hold its final mixed-martial-arts event of 2018, “NEF 36: Battle for the Gold,” on Saturday, November 17 at Aura in Portland, Maine. Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of a professional cruiserweight championship bout to the card.  “The Jamaican Shamrock” Ras “Rasquatch” Hylton(3-1) will meet undefeated Yorgan De Castro (2-0) to crown the first-ever NEF Professional Cruiserweight Champion.

 

 

 

The fight will officially give birth to the brand-new NEF cruiserweight division.  This bout, as well as future bouts in the weight class, will take place at the 225-pound limit.  The division, which sits between light-heavyweight and heavyweight, was approved as an official weight class for MMA by the Association of Boxing Commissions at their annual conference in July 2017.  NEF will be one of the first promotions in the country to institute a cruiserweight division.

 

 

 

“The adoption of new weight classes at the highest levels of the sport in order to account for the wide gaps in the current championship class structure is inevitable—we’re just getting there first,” said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson.  “There’s no more perfect way to usher in this new era of the 225-pound weight class than with a championship fight on the year-end “Battle for the Gold” show between two high-caliber, hungry opponents that NEF fans are very familiar with. This action-packed event was tailor made to include this breakthrough bout – it’s just one more element to an already blistering card. Fans can be certain that they will get their money’s worth on November 17th.”

 

 

 

Ras Hylton will return to the NEF cage after nearly a year-and-a-half absence.  He is a five-fight veteran of the NEF cage where he is undefeated with three wins as an amateur and two as a professional.  Last August, Hylton knocked out veteran Eric Bedard (6-8) in Rhode Island with a single elbow strike after absorbing a barrage of shots from Bedard that had little-to-no effect.  Standing at a towering 6’6,” Hylton holds a black belt in Taekwondo.  He trains with both First Class MMA in Brunswick, Maine and Dragon Fire Martial Arts of South Portland.

 

 

 

“I’m ecstatic about the response to my FaceTime call to action, and that I get to kick off my cruiserweight run back home,” said Hylton.  “I’ve spoken at length about my dream to elevate the draw and excitement to see the heavier divisions, so I thank (NEF owners) Matt Peterson and Nick DiSalvo for working with me again, and launching the title here with NEF! Yorgan is a good strong fighter with heavy hands that I saw work against my best friend Nick Gulliver in another belt war. Now I move to follow ‘The Guardian’s’ example, and keep the inaugural strap right here in Maine. Thanks for staying with us everyone!”

 

 

 

As Hylton noted, this will not be the first time Yorgan De Castro has come to Maine looking to take gold back with him to Massachusetts.  De Castro faced Hylton’s teammate Nick Gulliver for the NEF Amateur Heavyweight Title in a losing effort at “NEF 26” almost two years to the day he will fight Hylton.

 

 

 

“I’m very excited to become the first 225-pound NEF champion,” said De Castro. “We will be sure to put on a great show for the fans.  I’ve been through some very dark moments in my all life and on November 17 I’ll make sure I bring all my demons with me and Ras will have to deal with them. This fight will be absolutely epic.”

 

 

 

A native of Portugal now residing in the fighting city of Brockton, Massachusetts, De Castro has had success to date in his professional career.  He has finished both of his previous opponents via technical knockout at light-heavyweight.  For fighters like De Castro and Hylton, the creation of a cruiserweight division in NEF opens a new realm of career possibilities that did not exist before.  De Castro was one of the first individual to respond positively to Hylton’s Face Time video calling for the creation of a cruiserweight division.

 

 

 

“I’m excited to make my NEF debut as a professional fighter in the inaugural cruiserweight division,” De Castro continued. “This is a huge opportunity for fighters and I’m looking to make my mark in that division.  I have nothing but respect for Ras—he’s a class act man and very tough—but he has never faced a more dedicated and focused Yorgan and on November 17, I’ll be victorious and write my name in NEF history.”

 

 

 

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 36: Battle for the Gold,” will see the company make its return to Aura in Portland, Maine.  The event is scheduled to take place Saturday, November 17, 2018 with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.AuraMaine.com.