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September 16, 2019

SHEA TO CHALLENGE ARNOLD FOR BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE AT NEF 41


[NEF PRESS RELEASE]

 Portland, Maine (September 16, 2019) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to Aura in Portland, Maine on November 9, 2019 with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 41: Collision Course.”  “Killa” Kam Arnold (5-1) is scheduled to defend the NEF Amateur Bantamweight Championship that evening against challenger Walt Shea (3-1) at a scratch weight of 135 pounds.

 This is not the first time Arnold and Shea were to meet for the belt.  Arnold was originally scheduled to defend the title against Shea in November 2018 at “NEF 36.”  Unfortunately, the bout was canceled when Shea was injured in training.

 Kam Arnold has held the championship for well over a year, having defeated Killian Murphy (1-2) via technical knockout at “NEF 34” in June 2018.  His most recent win in the NEF cage came in April of this year when Arnold knocked out Henry Clark (5-5) in just 21 seconds.  Arnold is a perfect 5-0 in the NEF cage, the only loss of his amateur MMA career coming on a card in Massachusetts earlier this summer.  He currently represents Recon Fitness based in Westbrook, Maine.



 “Thank you Walt Shea for stepping up and accepting this fight after some time away from the cage,” said Arnold.  “I’m wicked excited to be making my return home to NEF here at AURA to again defend my title. Expect to see a more stone cold approach coming into this bout—I will be calm, cool and more calculated than ever. I want to thank my coaches at Recon MMA as well as my sponsors and team of supporters, better known as the ‘Maineiac Militia.’ Every one of you have played a huge part in my career thus far. Expect brutal violence from my boys and I here at Recon—we have the best team in the state and some would argue in New England. I’m blessed to have them behind me going into battle.”

 This will be Shea’s second attempt at capturing the bantamweight strap.  In August 2017, he took on Fred Lear (0-1 pro, 6-2-1 amateur) in a losing effort for the then-vacant 135-pound title.  In his most recent fight, Shea defeated perpetual flyweight title contender Nate Boucher (5-3) via technical knockout in the third round of a catchweight bout at “NEF 33” in April 2018.  He currently represents First Class MMA based in Brunswick, Maine.

 “I’m excited to finally be returning to the NEF cage—it’s been far too long,” stated Shea.  “This fight is a big one. Kam has been out there killing it in his amateur career, but I'm coming to give him a war for that belt.”

 New England Fights' next mixed-martial-arts event, "NEF 41: Collision Course," will take place on Saturday, November 9, 2019 at Aura in Portland, Maine. Tickets are on sale now at www.auramaine.com.