MANCHESTER, NH (November 17, 2017)- With both the coveted professional and amateur MMA featherweight belts up for the taking in the main events, Combat Zone 64 “Glory” promises to pack plenty of punch as rising stars on the New England fight scene are showcased at the Downtown Radisson Hotel in the Queen City on Saturday night November 18, and Johnny Burgess will attempt a world record.
In the main event of the night, Vovka “KGB” Clay (7-2), who hails from Amherst, NH and represents Nashua’s Team Triumph, steps into the cage with Maine’s undefeated Aaron Lacey (4-0) for the vacant Pro Featherweight title. Clay, who is riding a four-fight win streak, vaulted to No. 3 in the New England rankings and No. 15 in the Northeast in his weight division after handing highly-regarded Frank Sforza his first loss in eight pervious fights when they battled in Bellator 185 October 20.
In the co-main bout, Salem, NH’s Nick Fiore (3-1) takes on Ali “The Anabolic Arab” Zebian (6-3) for the vacant Amateur Featherweight title. Fiore, a 2016 Pinkerton High School graduate, is aware that all Zebian’s victories have been delivered by KO or TKO.
“I respect his abilities,” said Fiore during a break in his intensive training at Renzo Gracie NH, where he is also an instructor. “He takes people down and then he likes to use his strikes on the ground. I would like to end up on the ground and I will be on top. I have trained vigorously and consistently for this fight, which will be a milestone in my career. I put the work in and am really looking forward to this fight.”
Fiore, 19, who teaches self-defense to women and standing up to bullies to children among his jiu-jitsu course offerings, intends to climb the ladder in the sport of MMA.
“Why do I want to do this? I ask myself that all the time,” he said. “I’ve always been drawn to the martial arts and MMA is the epitome where you can put it all together. I really like the challenge of it, both mentally and physically. All of the training is really hard and it requires real dedication, but I enjoy challenges. They define how you better yourself.”
Fiore’s only loss came in Combat Zone 60 one year ago, when he was on the wrong end of a vicious slam to the mat followed with a KO by Taylor Costatino, and he wants to avenge that lone defeat.
“This fight will be my shot at redemption, in a sense. I had a lot of stuff going on outside the cage when I was in that fight. I had just gotten evicted from my house, there were things going on with my girlfriend, and there was a lot of other stuff pulling me away (from concentration),” he said. “I’ll have a big crowd of family and friends there who have my back and I’m very appreciative of their support. I’m going to put on a show in front of my hometown crowd.”
To kick off the night’s action, Johnny Burgess, the head of Team Burgess MMA in Manchester, will try to smash the world record for most wooden boards broken in an hour, which is 2,897 and has stood since May 10,2003. Burgess will attempt to get into the Guinness Book of World Records from 5:45 to 6:45 PM.
The weigh-in for Combat Zone 64 is free and open to the public and will be held at the Radisson on Friday, November 17 in the Stark Room from 6-7 PM.
Tickets range in price from $40 for General Admission to $120 for ringside seating and may be purchased at www.czmma.com, where the full fight card may be viewed, or by calling co-promoter Jamison Kattar at 978-361-6772. Doors to the Radisson's Armory Room open at 5:30 PM and the first fight begins at 7:00 PM. Parking is available in the hotel garage or in Manchester's downtown, and the Radisson (603-625-1000) offers special room rates for fight fans.
Combat Zone is New England's longest running mixed martial arts and kickboxing promotion and is co-owned by UFC fighter Calvin Kattar and Jamison Kattar.
The CZ 64 “Glory” card, which is subject to change, is:
*** Amateur Kickboxing ***
190lbs Jordan Faulkner 0-0 (Haverhill, MA) vs Matt Gordon 2-3 (Manchester, NH)
*** Amateur MMA***
155lbs Nick Roman 0-0 (Wakefield, MA) vs Josh Webster 0-0 (Cambridge, MA)
150lbs Matt Brady 0-0 (NH) vs Kevin Grant 0-0 (Salem, NH)
135lbs Fouad Shain 1-0 (Wakefield, MA) vs James Ploss 0-1 (Lancaster, NH)
155lbs TBD vs Ramano Medina 3-0 (Manchester, NH)
*** Professional MMA ***
155lbs Brandon Odom 0-2 (Mansfield, OH) vs Gerald Meuse 0-0 (Boston, MA)
160lbs Taylor Trahan 6-8 (Hooksett, NH) vs Connor Barry 3-1 (Cambridge, MA)
185lbs Mitch Whitesel 16-28 (Mansfield, OH) vs Tim Caron 7-1 (Manchester, OH)
*** Amateur MMA Featherweight Title ***
145lbs Ali Zebian 6-3 (Springfield, MA) vs Nick Fiore 3-1 (Salem, NH)
*** Professional MMA Featherweight Title ***
145lbs Aaron Lacey 4-0 (Bangor, ME) vs Vovka Clay 6-2 (Amherst, NH)