[CES Press Release]
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 22nd, 2018) -- The championship hierarchy within CES MMA is about to turn on its axis.
The region's leading mixed martial arts promotion returns Friday, April 6th, 2018with "CES MMA 49" at Twin River Casino, featuring two world championship bouts with the potential for three different fighters to earn titles for the first time in their careers.
Reigning CES MMA Welterweight World Champion Chris Curtis (17-5, 7 KOs) of Ohio represents the lone title-holder in the April 6th dual main event as he makes his second title defense in a five-round bout against former Bellator veteran and Moorestown, N.J., native Jason Norwood (18-4, 5 KOs).
The vacant CES MMA Lightweight World Title is up for grabs in the second five-round championship bout as East Providence, R.I., native Nate Andrews (12-1, 5 KOs) and Gardena, Calif., vet Chris Padilla (9-3, 4 KOs) vie for the crown. The title has been vacant since incumbent champion Luis Felix announced his retirement in 2017.
The dual title fights are two of six televised bouts on the live AXS TV Fights telecast, which begins at 9 p.m. ET. Doors open at 6 and preliminary bouts begin at 7.
Tickets for "CES MMA 49" are priced at $47.00, $57.00, $102.00 and $127.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com, www.twinriver.com, www.cagetix.com or www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Two months after Greg Rebello captured the vacant CES MMA World Heavyweight Championship, Andrews and Padilla fight for another vacated title. Felix won the lightweight strap in 2015 in his second attempt when he defeated title-holder Julian Lane by unanimous decision, but injuries forced the cancelation of two potential title defenses over the next two years. Felix ultimately announced his retirement late last year, effectively vacating the lightweight title for the first time since inaugural champion Mike Campbell retired in 2014.
Andrews has eyed the crown for quite some time, especially in the midst of his six-fight win streak, which dates back to 2015. During that stretch, Andrews has finished each of his six opponents with only one (George Sheppard at "CES MMA 40") making it past the second round.
The 22-year-old Padilla enters April 6th with wins in two of his last three bouts sandwiched around an appearance on the Bellator 192 postliminary card in January. Padilla won all five of his amateur bouts in 2013 before turning pro and then won his next seven to extend his impressive win streak to 12 before losing his first fight to five-time Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) lightweight contender Jason Gonzalez.
Curtis, the reigning welterweight title-holder, is a familiar face to both the Twin River and AXS TV audiences. Curtis captured the title in 2016 from former champion Gil de Freitas via first-round knockout in his first fight with the promotion and successfully defended the crown at "CES MMA 42" with a knockout win over Wilfredo Santiago.
Curtis has now won four in a row and seven of his last eight, while Norwood has won six of seven dating back to 2013. The 33-year-old challenger won his only appearance with Bellator in 2009 when he defeated 18-fight vet Jon Kirk by rear-naked choke.
The AXS TV main card also features the return of UFC vet Sean Soriano (10-5, 5 KOs) of Woonsocket, R.I., red-hot welterweight Gary Balletto Jr. (5-1, 2 KOs) of nearby Cranston, and fan-favorite Kaline Medeiros (8-6, 2 KOs) of Fall River, Mass.
Balletto Jr., a winner in his last five bouts, returns to face Philadelphia native Jeremiah Wells (3-1-1, 1 KO). Soriano makes his third consecutive appearance with CES MMA in a featherweight bout against Jonathan Gary (13-9, 7 KOs) of Oklahoma City while Medeiros, a four-time Invicta Fighting Championships and two-time CES MMA vet, battles Brooklyn's Jenna Serio (3-2, 1 KO).
Providence, R.I., bantamweight Marquis Brewster (4-0, 1 KO) highlights the six-fight preliminary card in his toughest test to date against Tashawn Mack (6-4, 1 KO) of Lansing, Mich., who makes his second appearance with CES MMA. Unbeaten Providence bantamweight John Douma (2-0, 1 KO) returns for the third time to face Cortland, N.Y., vet Zachary Burhans (3-1) and Jose Lugo (1-0) of Woonsocket makes his second appearance with the promotion in a flyweight bout against Bronx debut Carlos Rodriguez Jr.
Also on the preliminary card, Springfield, Mass., lightweight Pat Casey debuts against Johnny Adams (0-1) of Rutland, Vt., while light heavyweights Terrance Jean-Jacques of Haverhill, Mass., and Mark Glover of Elmira, N.Y., make their professional debuts against one another in a three-round bout. Fall River, Mass., light heavyweight Yorgan De Castro (1-0, 1 KO) faces Littleton, N.H., native Jesse Baughman (0-2).
Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/cesmma for more information, or follow CES MMA on Instagram at @CESMMA.
-- CES --