Lewiston, Maine (January 2, 2014) – New England Fights Mixed Martial Arts (NEF MMA) today announced the signing of professional fighter Jesse "The Viking" Erickson (1-2) to a multi-fight contract extension with the mixed martial arts promotions company. While the specific terms of the new contract have not been divulged to the public, the agreement is expected to go into effect later in the 2014 season as Erickson's previous contract with NEF MMA has yet to expire.
“The story of Jesse Erickson's fight career is really the story of NEF itself," stated NEF matchmaker and co-owner Matt Peterson. "He fought on our first event. He had all six of his amateur bouts in the NEF cage. He fought on eight of the first eleven NEF events, and even competed on our co-promotion with Bellator last spring. He is a homegrown talent with a true passion for the sport. We could not be more proud to continue our relationship with Jesse Erickson into the foreseeable future and beyond."
"I feel so lucky to be able to compete in the sport I love so close to home," said Erickson when reached for comment. "Being able to showcase my abilities to my friends, family, teammates and fans is amazing. I look forward to continuing my professional MMA career with NEF."
A native of Auburn, Maine, and coach at nearby Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ), Erickson has built quite a following competing just moments from home in Lewiston at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, the center of NEF MMA's base of operations. At the fight promotion's upcoming "NEF XII" event on February 8, Erickson will face a familiar opponent in Tollison Lewis (0-0) in what will be Lewis' professional debut. The two met as amateurs at "NEF III" in June 2012 in a bout that saw Erickson come out on top with a first-round victory.
"This is what NEF MMA is all about," said NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo. "It's about building talent and using the promotion as a launching pad to the next level for as many of these local athletes as possible. A few weeks back we signed Tollison to a multi-fight contract and now we've signed Jesse to an extension. They are two of the cornerstones of NEF and we are committed to furthering their respective careers in the sport. On February 8, we encourage all the fans to come out to the Colisee and support these guys!"
NEF MMA’s next event, “NEF XII,” is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 8, 2014 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with a bell time of 7:00 pm. In the main event, Maine MMA legend Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis (22-10) faces his former student “THE” Ryan Sanders (5-4) in a much-anticipated welterweight contest. In addition, Maine State MMA Middleweight Champion Jesse Peterson (7-4) will return to action for the first time in nearly a year to defend his title against “Ruthless” Mike Zichelle (6-3). Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.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 MMA videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”