Lewiston, Maine (May 17, 2012) – New England Fights! (NEF) is proud to announce that former 2x Maine State Champion and current Plymouth State University wrestler Josh Thornton will make his amateur mixed martial arts debut at Fight Night III on June 16th at The Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.
“We’ve been fortunate to feature a number of former Maine state champions in our fights,” stated NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo. “Josh will make a great addition to our roster and we’re honored that he’s chosen NEF as the promotion to make his amateur debut in.”
“I’m really excited and thankful for this opportunity,” stated Thornton. “I feel this is the logical next step for me from wrestling and I can’t wait to get in the cage and test myself.”
Josh Thornton grew-up in Rumford, Maine and wrestled for Mountain Valley High School where he earned back-to-back state titles in 2010 and 2011. After high school, Thornton decided to attend and compete for Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire, a Division III wrestling program with a consistent history of producing several top wrestlers-turned-fighters including highly ranked mixed martial artists Nate Lamotte (12-5), Nate Kittredge (10-2) and Rich Moskowitz (10-7). Thornton was a starter for Plymouth State during his freshman season.
“I think being a college wrestler will give me an advantage,” stated Thornton. “Plymouth has produced a lot of great fighters and it’s my hope to continue to represent PSU in that way. I am a hard worker and I want this badly, so I’m going to continue training to make sure that I walk away with a win.”
“I’ve had the pleasure of watching Josh mature from a youth wrestler into a multiple-time high school state champion and now a college athlete,” stated NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “He’s wrestled his entire life so he has a great base to build on as a mixed martial artist. I’m proud that he’s decided to take his training to the next level and compete in MMA.”
Fight Night III is being headlined by a heavyweight bout between former 5x UFC Heavyweight Champion of the World, Tim “The Mainiac” Sylvia (30-7) and Randy “The Wolf” Smith (14-10-1).
For more information on this event, visit www.NewEnglandFights.com. You can watch NEF videos, including an interview with Tim Sylvia at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights”. Tickets for this event are on sale now at TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at 207-783-2009.
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