Lewiston, Maine (September 28, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America's number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, "NEF XX: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE" on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. The event will feature a first for Maine - mixed-martial-arts (MMA) bouts and professional boxing bouts on the same event with an MMA cage and a boxing ring set up side-by-side. Earlier today, the promotion announced the addition of an amateur flyweight bout to the MMA portion of the fight card. Dustin Veinott (4-3) will defend the NEF MMA Amateur Flyweight Championship against Ryan Burgess (1-0).
Dustin Veinott has been the feel-good story of 2015 in NEF. After going 0-3 to begin his amateur career, Veinott went on a four-fight win streak culminating in a split decision victory over Norman Fox (4-2) this past June to claim the inaugural flyweight title. Veinott is a member of Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) in Lewiston, Maine. He predicts a finish over Burgess on November 21.
"It's an honor to fight a young up and comer like Burgess," said the reigning champion. "He looked like he had solid wrestling in his last fight with Witham. However, I am disappointed in my last fight. Fight fans will want to see this one. I will get the finish."
Ryan Burgess is, indeed, an accomplished wrestler. A veteran of the Mountain Valley High School (MVHS) wrestling program of Rumford, Maine, Burgess chalked up an amazing 150 wins and captured three state titles. Later, he continued his wrestling career at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Burgess joined Berserkers MMA along with other MVHS wrestling alumni and won his amateur MMA debut this past June.
"Dustin has a lot of experience in the cage and had to earn his spot at the top, but he has yet to fight someone at flyweight with the same skill set and intensity that I bring to the cage," said Burgess. "I'm very excited for this opportunity and it will be a great chance to show how much I have improved over the last six months."
"It's not very often that you witness a fighter with a 1-0 record fighting for a title, but Burgess brings with him a lifetime of competitive wrestling and training," said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. "He was so good at Mountain Valley High School that they retired his singlet when he graduated. Veinott has found his groove and really come into his own as a champion fighter. This is a bout between two guys with a ton of drive and determination, and I can't wait to watch to see who strikes first in this fight."
New England Fights' next event, "NEF XX: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE," takes place on November 21, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. The event will mark the first time in Maine history a mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event and a professional boxing event have taken place together on the same show. Tickets for "NEF XX" start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.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.”